Road Trip

We spent a few days tiki-touring to Napier and back.  First we headed to Taupo where we spent the night and the next morning we cycled along the lake for about an hour each way.

One of NZ's 'big things' - a sheep at Tirau

...and this is the fish at Taupo

Painted bikes along the waterfront

Nice sculpture.

On the trail

.......

Next we drove over the ranges and down to the coast at Napier where we stayed at our friend Katherine's place.

Napier has some great cycle trails.  We did the Black Bridge to Red Bridge return ride which was about 3 and 1/2 hours including coffee stop at the Red Bridge...

We had lunch at a cafe on the waterfront at Clifton.  We got to listen to live music because there was a wedding reception so spent a while chilling out.

back to Waiheke

Poor Malcolm stayed at home working on the rental property we are renovating while I had another short break on Waiheke Island.

We took a ferry from Gulf Harbour to Auckland, then another to Waiheke.

Our apartment was in the centre of Oneroa, just above this cafe where we had brunch.

The view from our balcony.

We checked out the interesting shops in Oneroa and the art galleries...

..there were sculptures along the street too.

A swim to cool off at the beach.

Day 2: we started with a 2-hour stroll around the headlands north of Matiatia.  Amazing views...

Then we took the bus around the island to Onetangi.  We walked up to the Miro Vineyard...

...where we had platters and wine under the shady olive trees.

A  swim at the beach before catching the bus back to Oneroa.

Finally we had to head home.  Waiting for the ferry in Auckland we met these guys...

Final stop - a picnic at Wenderholm.

Whangaruru North Head Walk

We haven't had chance to get away much this summer so grabbed the chance to head out to Bland Bay and Whangaruru North Head yesterday.  We walked a two-hour loop which took us across from the harbour side of the peninsular to the bays and headlands of the ocean side...

Sandy Bay, where we set off from...

The track started uphill, through farmland.  This is the DOC campsite at Puriri Bay.

We found some moth-eaten puriris on the track.

Looking north up the coast.

The way back led along a boardwalk through a raupo (bullrush) wetland area, then through thick bush and back to the harbour at Admirals Bay.

Heading back we had views of Bland Bay (on the right) and Whangaruru Harbour to the left.

Lunch at Bland Bay...

...it was pretty deserted.

At the campground at Oakura, on the other side of the harbour, we spent some time with friends and went for a swim.

Whangarei Murals

We went for a walk around Whangarei to look at the 15 murals painted this week by local and international artists.  Some were finished and others were almost complete.

These weren't part of it but were done by kids in the style of Hundertwasser and were displayed near where the Hundertwasser building is starting to be built. 

Me, wondering about this one...