Foggy crisp mornings

Winter has kicked in here and most mornings when I'm sitting in bed with my coffee and laptop it's about 4 degrees celsius, very crisp if it's sunny outside. Basically the colder it is at night the more likely it is that you'll get a fine day. When I was driving back from Kaeo last week I could see the fog hanging over Totara North near the Whangaroa Harbour. The country has been going through a polar blast the last few days, poor Wellington was put into a state of emergency due to their high waves crashing over the main highway and most of Otago and Ruapehu has had major snowdumps. Because we are in the warmer part of New Zealand the lowest we get to at night is about 2-3 degrees celsius, we just put the electric blanket on the bed last night and that will come off in Spring.

I've had some comments left on my other history blog about people having trouble commenting here so I have changed the settings, hope it works, fingers crossed.

I got talking to one of my many cousins about side effects from the Covid vaccine, apparently the Ministry of Health wants to know what people have after getting it. All I had was a sore arm and a slightly metallic taste in my mouth for 48 hours but do you think I could get through the survey on the website? Nope, every time I re-entered my information and got the last page it kept crashing so think I will try another day - frustrating though. 

Linking up with Skywatch Friday.

Pohui-nui Pa Site

Every time I drive through Kaeo I've wanted to stop and take a photo of this mountain but recently I wrangled my camera to get a shot as we drove past. Pohui-nui Pa site is just on the edge of town and you can see the layers that have been dug down the side of the hillside. 

 This particular pa site use to be fortified belonging to the Ngati Uru Tribe who arrived in Whangaroa around 1770-1775 having been drive out of the Rawhiti area of the Bay of Islands. 

As an example the pa site could've looked something like this - the layers were built into the hill to make it harder for the enemies to climb and easier for the occupatns to see who was coming up.

Linking up with Timeless Thursdays and Skywatch Friday. 

Kaeo past, present and future

 Weird place to find a mural but I did, on the footpath in Kaeo last year. This one, although I can't find any information on it I think may be part of the promote Whangaroa/Kaeo scheme. It symbolizes Kaeo's past, present and future and features a Takahe along with Maori carvings and culture.

Linking up with Mural Monday.

Kaeo identity murals

On the side of the Kaeo 4 square (for those who don't know what this is, a 4 square is like the local store or dairy where you can buy groceries in small amounts) there is this mural I've had to photograph in 2 pieces because of it's long length. 

 This one was painted by local Whangaroa High School students depicting the town's local history and identity. From ocean life to people through to the Maori culture of the area the mural is 2.4m high and almost 15m long. 

Linking up with Mural Monday.

Move the boat

I was out at Totara North this morning doing a spot of historical research and stopped off at the wharf where I saw this truck getting ready to move a boat out of the water.

Who knows where they were moving it to but the group of 3 people watching the goings on seemed a bit concerned that it was all going to plan. Oh well, at least the sun was out - first time in about 2 weeks.

Linking up with Skywatch Friday.

Little old house in Whangaroa

"Absence is a house so vast that inside you will pass through it's walls and hang pictures on the air" - Pablo Neruda.

I have a thing about abandoned houses and sheds. They speak volumes to me about being unloved and unused. I imagine who lived there and what memories they left behind.

I have been reading a book by Barbara Brookes called "Women in History - an essay on European women in NZ". Quite academic about some of the first females to our country to those who are currently living. The early settlers must've had quite a hard time when they came here, struggling on land in farms and houses learning how to become self sufficient through growing their own vegetables and fruits, making their own clothing etc. We are quite blessed these days to the point where practically everything is done for us.

Linking up with Our World Tuesday and My Corner of the World.

Autumn in Kaeo

Although it doesn't get too cold up here in the far north we still have a few Autumn colours here and there. At Whangaroa Golf Club there are plenty of trees changing colour and dropping leaves.

These ones on the side of the highway between Kaeo and Whangaroa are shades of yellow, orange and red.

These ones are the same on the other side of the highway, around the corner is the town of Kaeo which has a very small population of approx 495 people. There are shops there, a school, a tavern etc but it's very much a farming rural town.

Linking up with Skywatch Friday.