The old Towai Tavern

After a long 6 hour drive up on Monday we are now in Kerikeri and settled in the new house. It really is quiet here - we live down a quiet street in amongst some other equally lovely new houses and yet if we walk up the road 5 minutes we are on the main street into town which takes about 15 minutes on foot. So far we've only had to use the car once but other than that if we need something we walk so it's been good exercise.

Do any of you have Netflix? We've had it for about 6 months now and it really is very good. I like learning things about different cultures so I enjoy watching international movies (with sub-titles). Yesterday I watched an Italian movie called "Holy Goalie" about a group of monks who form a soccer team to win a championship and last week I watched a movie based on the artist "Jackson Pollack". My mum's father was an artist who held exhibitions in Auckland City during the 1960s so myself and various cousins have artistic abilities that we enjoy in our spare time so I guess some of those genes have sprinkled through the family.

The above photo is of the old Towai Tavern situated in Hikurangi just outside of Kawakawa. This place is on the historic places trust of NZ. It was established approx 133 years ago and was then moved in 1933 further up the hill on rollers, guess it makes sense to have it right next to the state highway. Looks quirky on the outside, we didn't stop and peek inside but will have to go back sometime and check it out properly.

Flooding in Paeroa

The Bay of Plenty has had bits and pieces of rain and bad weather over Winter but last week when my daughter and I drove through the Hauraki District of Paeroa we saw first hand just how much more they have had than us. We stopped and turned off into a side road so I could take this photo. This area, above has the bridge over the water so people can drive to Auckland, usually the river just flows naturally but it looks like it had badly burst - in fact further to the left there was drainage which was bubbling high in the air, I think it was struggling to cope with it all.

And when I looked to our right here is the farmland up next door, thankfully the cows are safe in their paddocks and that the rain hadn't reached them. This area of land is quite flat and is quite prone to flooding.

Linking up with Skywatch Friday.

The old Paeroa R.S.A. building

There are plenty of old buildings in Paeroa, one of which is the old RSA (returned services association) building which was first established in 1919 after wounded soldiers came home after the 1st world war.

Just a short way up are these rows of lemon trees are either side of the pathway leading to the building.

And this is the building from the look of it, maybe back in the 1960s? Not sure who took the photo so I can't give credit.

Return to Waihi beach

Many years ago when I was little my parents took me and my siblings to different places for holidays. They didn't have much money back then so things were always done on a budget.

One place I remember them taking us to was Waihi Beach. At the time this would've been at least a few hours travelling time and when you're a kid things always seem longer than what they really were.

On our way up north this morning we detoured out to this spot, about 10 minutes off the main highway just out of Tauranga so I could see how it looked now.

And funnily enough from my memories back then it really didn't look any different. The main township has grown somewhat with retired people moving there and building holiday homes etc what the beach was still the same.

Winter time is when no one is usually around and it's the best time to visit. This is one place that looks wild and windswept - untouched.

The local surf club - looks like it is also a cafe when it's open. Interestingly enough when my daughter and I walked past we noticed sandbags stacked up against the downstairs doors outside - meaning that they must've had quite alot of rain in the last couple of days.

Very windy pathway to the beach. There has been a king tide since yesterday so the waves have been higher and rougher than usual.

At this time of morning it was still very foggy so quite hard to take decent photos of the beach - but at least the sun was shining :-)

Linking up with Our World Tuesday.

Just along Dive Crescent...

Over the last day or so we've been visiting a couple of places around Tauranga sort of saying goodbye. In 2 days time we move to Kerikeri so we have been slowly packing things we need and want into boxes. We have a cleaner sorted and someone to steam clean the carpet so hopefully we will be up and gone by at least 7am.

This is the view from the Otamataha Pa (Tauranga Mission Cemetery) over the motorway which leads into Sulphur Point, Dive Crescent or back into the motorway to either Maunganui or Auckland. The trees and branches were bare, the air was windy and nippy and by the time we got back in the car after a wander around our noses and ears were feeling a bit frozen.

Petrol is expensive!

Overcast Winter skies from the Chapel Street mobile petrol station looking towards Matua

Last week  the other half and I drove out to another side of Tauranga to fill up his petrol tank of his car. My work had been giving away promotional vouchers to get 20 cents off a litre of petrol which has proven to be very popular with people. Depending on where you go or live the prices can vary somewhat. For instance up north where I use to live in Mangawhai and Wellsford the cost of 98 or 95 was around $2.35/$2.45 per litre. Here in Tauranga it's roughly $2.37 per litre on average for the same. We filled up his car's tank in preparation for our journey next week.

How expensive is gas where you are?

Linking up with Skywatch Friday.

Road slips in Kaiaua

On Sunday the other half and I drove out to visit his sister and her husband in Orere Point. On the way we drove along the Kaiaua Coastline (pronounced Kie-awa) - all up it usually takes us about 2 hours to get there.

They must've had some serious rain here because all along the coast road it was lined with road slips. In fact most of it was down to one lane with orange road cones to show people how far they could drive.

From what we've been told this road has been like this for about a year and contractors have been busy trying to fix it. One part we drove along had bits of stone and dirt falling from the cliff next to our car - scary stuff!