30 January, 2016

Summer fun

 Lake Okereka is our favourite summer cooling off spot.  With Jack visiting, we enjoyed the afternoons in the refreshing water.
 The urchins played rugby in the water, and I watched the bird life.





26 January, 2016

The Beard....

 Oscar wanted Erik to grow a beard for Christmas.  Erik thought he might continue the "hairy-ness" until after the Tour Aotearoa, so he wouldn't have to shave while cycling 3,000km.
 Today he shaved it off, and we couldn't be happier. 

23 January, 2016

Sun, Seals, and Surf - Maketu

 The low tide was perfect for exploring the rock pools around the rocky point of Newdick's beach.
 We had never been around this far before.  The urchins explored the outer reaches.
Anneke, Quinn, Tighe, and Jack
 Plenty of Shags, and then Seals were spotted!

 Oscar and I found this mystery attached to the seaweed in the rock pool.
 Perhaps it is a seed pod, or eggs?
 When the seaweed moved, tiny fishes were uncovered and vulnerable.
 Once the urchins got tired of crab spotting, seal watching, and rock climbing, we all ventured back to the main sandy beach.
Tighe on the big rock.
 Jack, Tighe, and Quinn tossed the rugby ball, while Quinn was on the skimboard.  Amazing balance.

Oops, fell off again!
Getting ready to catch.
Quinn, Tighe, Anneke
 Erik arrived on his touring bike, in time to enjoy lunch. He rode 105km via the lakes and forest, in training for the Tour Aotearoa 2016.  (It was about 55 kms in the car from Rotorua)
 The Pohutukawa tree is perfectly situated to provide shade for me, and be close enough to the water to see what the urchins are up to.
Quinn's glasses enjoying the beach
 The urchins enjoyed the boogie boards for the rest of the afternoon.
Oscar cooling off
 The surf was fantastic, the urchins riding the waves to shore.
Oscar, Anneke, Erik
Shadow Tighe, Shadow Jack

16 January, 2016

Blue Spring - Te Waihou Walkway


Not sure if I would swim in 11 degrees C, but it was so hot, I just plunged in with all my clothes on.  My feet went numb first, but it was a refeshing cooling down, after the 3.9 km walk (one way) along the stream from White's Road, Putaruru.
 The water was extremely pale blue, and lot of people were enjoying the crisp water.
Even Oscar and Anneke braved the cool water too, the searing sun dried our clothes during the walk back to the car.
 Several times we saw fish in the stream, I am guessing they are trout.
 The mixture of greens, blues, and browns were restful on the Summer's day.
 About 1 km from the Spring, the stream is a cool incredible blue.

 The track is varied terrain, easy walking, and always near the stream.

 Sometimes there was no shade, which made it super hot in January.

 I enjoyed this section next to the pine tree plantation. The cicadas were noisy.

 Lots of flax along the trail edge.
 Yes, there were steps along the way, and on the way back, my legs didn't want to go up them.
 Lots of shade, which was wonderful on the hot Summer's day.
Tree Art

 At one stage, the trail splits, and the urchins took the right hand side, I stayed in the shade.
 Oscar really liked this gate during the walk through the farm land.
 Eucalyptus fragrance filled the air at one stage of the walking trail.

 I really enjoyed these shaded sections of the trail.  Restful and tranquil.
 There were a number of Wattyl trees lining the trail, and I like their pods.
 Amazing tall grass grew in the swamp land, taller than me.  I could just imagine the birds getting lost in the leaves.

 Unlike many of New Zealand waterways, this one is still unpolluted, and clear.

 Nearly back at the carpark, the trail meandered around a swamp.


 More shade, refreshing place to hide from the heat of the Summer sun.
The urchins wanted to climb along this fallen beauty.