A Wet Week in the Waikato

 

Malcolm at Miranda

Red sky at night, Wanderers delight?
Sunset looking across to the Coromandel

View from the beach, bus in centre

Malcolm meets Marilyn at Katikati 

funky piano

I meet a bronze Barry

Katikati is known as mural-town and there are lots

Not entirely accurate - but alliterative.  We have been parked for some of the time on the borders of Hauraki and the Western Bay of Plenty but we had to drive through the Waikato, so near enough.  It has been fairly wet anyway!  We went to Miranda Hot Pools when we were there and had a good soak, very relaxing.  It may not be flash like Hanmer Springs but the water is hot, it's not expensive and there was hardly anyone else there.  And that was before the rain started.

After we left Miranda we headed through the Karangahake Gorge to Waihi Beach.  We've never been here before and it must be lovely in sunny weather.  Between showers we had a walk on the beach.  Next stop - the end of the peninsula at Anzac Bay looking into the Tauranga Harbour.  Sandy beach, pohutakawas - but no sun.  There were some archaeologists doing a dig (there's a Maori pa on the headland) and finding bones.  Next thing some workers came and fenced off the whole reserve area with us in it!  The foreman came and told us the council would chuck us out if they come down in the morning, meanwhile we have it all to ourselves.