Opunaki

So after a lovely walk along the coastline this morning, where we came across a couple of interesting memorials to surfers who had lost their lives…

and then on to an electronic lighthouse

and then…

		coastal walk VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

after a lunch of savoury muffins we headed off to look for a place for the night.

There were some interesting places on the way, a couple of interesting lighthouses, the first at the Egmont Boat Club and the second at Cape Egmont Road.

		Light houses VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

We tried a couple of places that were a bit exposed to the current weather and so have ended up at the Middleton Bay Boat Ramp, Opunaki for the evening.

A lovely spot tucked under the cliff and fairly sheltered from the wind.

		Middleton Bay VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

It was one of the few sandy beaches so far on this journey around the mountain.

I can also understand where some of the paint companies get their colour palettes from when you see the array of colours and textures in the rocks on the beach

So the view from my window tonight will be….

Onward from New Plymouth

A lovely evening was had on the first night in New Plymouth after our bike ride.

		Evening on the breakwater VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

In the morning a beautiful sunrise was see in the opposite direction….

And i watched as a large gas tanker came in after spending the previous day offshore.

		Tanker berthing VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Quite amazing the way the tugs combined to spin the ship around and back it into position alongside the wharf.

We then drove up to the new NZMCA parkover property and had a nosy around…

we then went for a walk along the track towards town and returned, interesting little wander, some of the track closed off due to slips in the last storm and so there were diggers and bobcats working at one point along the track that was closed. We wandered the streets for a while and then turned back and came back the other side.

Then the day settled into a pretty miserable day, and we hunkered down back on the waterfront and had a lovely dinner.

		Weather VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

So this morning we watched a small navy vessel come in close to the breakwater and release two small inflatables and they headed in to the wharf and when I asked what was going on was told that they were taking some VIP’s out to the ship for a look around and then the ship was coming in to port for the weekend.

		Naval manoeuvres VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

From there we headed southwards on SH45 “The Surf Highway” and filled the gas bottle, fuel tank and larder and headed to Oakura for a bit to eat.

		Oakura VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

A windswept piece of beach and as the day was clouding over we headed through to Okato to have a look at a walkway there. It was not much but I took a little wander through the bush, I think I lost the track somewhere but managed to come out somewhere near where I was meant to be.

		Stoney Creek Walk VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

From there it was down the road another 6km to Paora Road Beach where we will spend the night. A lovely boulder strewn beach tucked away at the end of a little road.

		Paora Road Beach VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

No sign of the mountain at all today, last seen in this direction…..

Should be a lovely sunset though…..

Safe travels everyone.