Week nr 3, Beach life

Time to get ready for the summer, made a move and replaced the road side motel with one by the sea. On sunny days - as last Sunday was - it seems to be a wonderful place, during the rain with quick temperature drops I still get reminded that August is a winter month and being at beach is refreshing experience, even when inside the hut!

Motel camps are at the far end of the small village, main attraction seems to be 1 beach, 1 golf course, 1 church, 1 bowling club, 1 takaway food place, 1 restaurant, 1 small shop, everything else is 20km away.

Morning and tide moving out, will be back by evening

Small stick at the horizon is the Auckland TV tower, the bungee jumping one

Week nr 1 in New Zealand

Beach with blue-black sand, Karioitahi beach  The road was winding up with a rather steep degree, finally from the very top there was sudden magic view down, to the ocean, kind of a "Wow" moment. There was a road that was now making its way down to the bottom of a V-shaped river valley that ended at the coast, all this slightly mist caused by salt from the ocean. 

Between the hill range and waves ran around 200 meters wide stretch blue-black sand beach. That sand is actually the ironsand used in the mill for making steel. A rare persons walking to the fog of salt or a 4-wheel driver running the dog on the beach. That was about it, until suddenly the sun had sunken into ocean and it was getting quickly pitch black.

Day nr 3 in New Zealand

Day 3 in New Zealand
To keep the jet-lag under control after 38 hours flight and changing 9 hours' worth of time zones, I decided to have an early start for Saturday and check out places "just down the road" - old lighthouse 40 km from the motel in Waiuku. Mainly to confirm if the country is still as dreamy as it got recorded in my mind at 2008. And also to take quieter side roads to remind myself how it was to drive on the wrong side of the road.
Still New Zealand is amazing, even during the harsh winter! Now it is the winter - only few flowers in blossoms, butterflies flying, some people running outside in shorts, though some trees actually have lost the leaves.




The stacks in the upper right corner belongs to the New Zealand Steel mill. It seems to be the only heavy industry mill in this corner of the country.

Winter 1 - logo of Swedbank

Winter 2

Winter 3