Summer is here...

We arrived at the NZMCA camp in the evening and parked beside our friends Sue and Jeff in Buster.

The next morning we walked from Rainbow Falls, beside the river to the Kerikeri Basin where we got coffee at the Honey House Cafe.

Then we walked into town for lunch at our favourite cafe.

Sue forgot her hat so got one from the op shop.😀

The next day Malcolm and I headed north to Mangonui.

We parked on the waterfront at a freedom camping spot and walked into town...

to get fish and chips at the famous Mangonui cafe

Next on our agenda was Tokerau Beach on the Karikari Peninsula, where we parked at another NZMCA place.

The following day was cloudy but still hot. We looped back south...

first stop, coffee at Awanui.

At Kaitaia we visited Te Ahu, a museum and visitor centre which has a circle of carved pou (posts). Some have Maori carvings, others represent the Dalmatian (Croatian) people who were gum diggers in the area.

This ancient carving (c.1600) was in the museum.

Couldn't resist :-)

Further south, we drove through the Mangamuka Gorge, an area of dense rain forest.

The road brought us to the top of the Hokianga Harbour. We parked and had lunch at Horeke...

...before driving a little further along the road to the old Mangungu Mission Settlement...

...where there were old-style roses by te road. They had a lovely scent.

More flowers were growing in profusion outside the house.

We spent the night at our friends' place at Waimate North, waking up among the avocado trees...

...and then drove home through lovely early summer NZ scenery.