Mt Maunganui Roundup

Catch-up

Well, so much for catching up, I've had all the time in the world but somehow I've managed to get further behind! Oh well, no worries, I'm back here now and I should be able to move through the last month or so quite quickly due to us having stayed put for longer periods and not exploring so much.

It was great to be back 'home' at the Mount and parked up on the harbour side of the Mount Campground. We would have preferred to be in the section just below us but as it was the end of term, the bottom section was reserved for a number of school camps. 

Our Tauranga family towed their caravan across the bridge and joined us for the first weekend which was fabulous; we didn't have to fight the traffic back and forward to catch up with them (we had enough of that later in the stay- the traffic problem has grown ten-fold since we left the Bay over 5 years ago and we even noticed a big difference in just the few months since our last visit). 

It was lovely to see Maddie & Joel again, they've growing up so fast. Here they are watching the smoker do it's business; our tenting neighbours caught a kahawai of the Pilot Bay wharf, they were going out for dinner so passed it on to us which was very kind of them. We smoked it and shared it around at happy-hour.

The weather wasn't the best for the first couple of weeks; cloudy, cold and very windy but it often cleared each evening just as the sun went down; a golden strip of sunshine lighting up the ships berthed across the harbour.

There were  a couple of days when the prevailing westerly wind turned gale force and created a bit of havoc in Pilot Bay, blowing the hire catamarans out onto the road and crushing a couple of signs in the process. A hire boat company's trailer was also blown across the carpark and into the side of a parked car and a dinghy washed ashore from one of the moored yachts. 

There was a mad scramble in the school camp below us to get their 20 odd tents down before they were blown to smithereens. They managed about a half of them before the storm and heavy rain hit with full force. Sadly the camp was cut short and they had to call up the buses from Rotorua to come and pick them up.

Once the school camps had finished and school holidays started we were able to shift down to our preferred site on the lower level and that is where we stayed for the duration...

...watching all manner of RVs and boats coming and going around us. And as much as we love being out the back of beyond there's nothing quite like being right in the middle of the hustle and bustle of a busy Mount (for a short time anyway).

Photos; Clockwise- 1)What a beast! A brand new American job, 2) The ocean-side camp was full most nights, a definite trend with more RVs (both private & hire) on the road year round now, 3) A ute & trailer combination camper for a family of four, 4) Another beast, it's not often you see a tractor and trailer unit with a large boat travelling down Pilot Bay, it's mostly tinnies and jet skies. 5) A school group prepare to cross the harbour (just before another storm blows in) & 6) The car-carrier Courageous Ace came and went several times during our stay.

This Sealegs needed it's own photo story; it was parked on a small traffic island near the boat ramp, the occupants had climbed out and wandered off down the road. I saw them later at one of the cafes on the Main Beach. I like to think they motored over from Tauranga (beating the traffic), pulled up on the kerb and met friends for lunch!  

The Mount Hot Pools were busy morning, noon and night helped along by cool weather, school holidays, regular aqua aerobics and 'Soak'n Sunday Sounds when patrons could enjoy a relaxing soak while listening to a live music from a local artist. I took this from up the top of the camp when I went to check the moon rise (clouds in the way).

We were due to leave the Mount the week before ANZAC day but had an appointment change which meant we'd have to stay a little longer, something I was secretly pleased about. I'd always wanted to attend an ANZAC Dawn Service at the Mount but had never managed to do it when we lived in Tauranga. With the campground just around the corner from the Cenotaph it made perfect sense to finally attend. 

My girlfriend who lives just across the road from the camp said she'd come with us and invited us back for breakfast afterwards and I made ANZAC biscuits to have with our coffee later. Whenever we stay at the Mount, I text her and say 'Howdy neighbour' and she knows I'm back in town and there's a wine waiting.

It was a very mild morning (even though most came wrapped up warmly) with thousands of people quietly making the pilgrimage through the dark streets towards the glowing red Cenotaph which sits on the sand dunes opposite Mt Drury, overlooking the most perfect beach and coastline.

The parade was led by a lone piper, Angela Dixon and Mt Maunganui College's Ella Cox sang the New Zealand national anthem and later a beautiful rendition of Chris Skinner's 'Sons of Gallipoli'

"We sang - God of Nations at thy feet.

As we stood on that sacred shore

With a heartfelt pride

Somewhere deep inside

For the sons of Gallipoli...."

The 6am service was shorter than we'd expected and there were a few chuckles from the crowd for such a sombre occasion- it started 5 minutes earlier than stated and one of the singers hadn't managed to push her way through the crowd to the stage. Then a sound speaker died and crackled in and out of speeches. And later when it did spark back into life, a stage whisper was caught from the 'top table' which set us all off giggling. 

Shades of blue and black gave way to a deep orange sunrise as dawn broke over the horizon and the service finished as a lone Harvard bomber with its throaty roar, flew in from the ocean straight over the top of us. 

Later in the afternoon, with many people out enjoying the sunshine,  I wandered back along the Main Beach...

...back to the Cenotaph to check out the floral tributes that had been left.

There'd also been a 9:30am Memorial Service and more planes had flown over while we were having breakfast.

Later in the week, and feeling sorry for myself because I was missing Central Otago's wonderful autumn colours this year, I thought I'd head up to McLaren Falls to see if there was some colour up there. 

Fifteen minutes from Tauranga and just off the Kaimai highway, McLaren Falls Park is 190 hectares of beautiful parkland popular for camping, fishing, kayaking, picnics and bush walks. It is also home to one of the best botanical collections of trees in New Zealand.

There are two branches to McLaren Falls, one is fed over a dam wall from Lake McLaren which is inside the park (above) and the other from the nearby Namuwahine River (below). Three days after I took these photos there wasn't a rock to be seen as a raging torrent of brown water roared over the falls as another rain storm hit the Bay of Plenty- a video of it was posted on a Facebook page I belong to.

And just to get perspective did you see the children playing on the rocks in the first photo (there are four- look for the boy under the girl in blue) and the two boys on their bikes in the photo above. Click on the photos to enlarge.

There was some subtle colour inside the park.....or perhaps I have just got used to the amazing golden yellows, bright oranges and fiery reds of a Central Otago autumn.

Even the Swamp Cyprus' didn't seem as rusty orange as I remember them.

Coromandel here we come...

Beach Hop North- Only in Tolaga Bay

Catch-up

Just a short 20kms from Losiels Beach and we arrived at our next camp site; Tolaga Bay also known by it's Maori name Uawa. Uawa is also the name of the very wide river that flows down from the ranges behind and splits the bay in two as it flows into the sea.

The driftwood sign sits on the dunes overlooking the beach (I had to prop up one arm of the U for my photo shoot)...

...which is just across the road from the freedom camping area. And what a great site this one is. There are several large mown bays along the road with plenty of space, along with another area up by the toilet block behind where we're parked. The front bays have post and rail surrounds, the ones along the road behind me have small hedge rows and trees.  

Like many once thriving and prosperous towns around the East Coast, Tolaga Bay township has seen better days. Though there's one building that really stands out as you drive along the main street (which is also the main highway north). The historic Tolaga Inn is huge and certainly makes a statement sitting on it's prime site corner. The inn was built in 1930 after the original 1880s hotel was destroyed in a fire.

Designed by the French-Canadian architect Sholto Smith, the inn is a classic example of the Tudor House design he became famous for. Tolaga Inn is one of just 100 buildings Smith designed for New Zealand (he lived here for 16 years) and one of only two commercial buildings he designed in this style. Many of his designs were done for wealthy Aucklanders back in the 1930s and several Remuera & Epsom homes are still standing (and still occupied by wealthy Aucklanders!) 

There aren't too many streets to explore in Tolaga Bay but while seeking out the two local churches to photograph, we came across this delightful sight just off the main street.

Only in Tolaga Bay #1 - two little piglets taking themselves for a walk

Only in Tolaga Bay #2 - a mobile tattoo parlour parked in the main street.

But of course there really is only one thing that comes to mind for many when you mention Tolaga Bay- the Tolaga Bay Wharf. 

Due to the isolation and rugged countryside along the East Coast, the only way for many years to get product and produce (farm & forestry) in and out of  the towns, was through coastal shipping. 

Tolaga Bay is shallow so a very long wharf had to be built, at 600m it was in fact the longest wharf in New Zealand for many years. It's since been overtaken by Bluff's Tiwai Point wharf  which is 1500m long. The Tolaga Bay wharf was built in the 1920s and the last cargo ship called by in 1967. 

Since then the wharf had deteriorated quite considerably until a trust was set up and funds raised to restore it. The wharf is now one of the major tourist attractions along the coast. I took these photos on our last visit back in 2011, the concrete rails have now been restored You can see the repairs in some of the photos further down.

We were running late to get to Gisborne on that last trip (after spending too much time at East Cape) and I was disappointed I wasn't going to be able to photograph the wharf in daylight. We arrived just as the sun was setting but what a thrill to find that the white cliffs behind the wharf were this beautiful golden colour. It was a brief moment in time, the sun was gone within minutes of our arrival.

I visited the wharf several times during our latest stay, hoping to catch the different moods and to capture a repeat sunset performance but unfortunately it was a different time of the year and the sun wasn't so intense. I still managed some great shots though, and that's what it's all about; not trying to replicate old memories just capturing new ones instead!

Only in Tolaga Bay #3 - When the local yobbos photo-bomb your wharf shot...

Just as I was lining up the wharf- it's quite hard to get the full length in on my usual lens so I had just changed to my wide angle lens- this Subaru wagon containing two young ladies raced down onto the sand and did a perfect doughnut right there in front of me.

I went to have a chat with them and found out they were waiting for these two who were collecting mussels off the pilings. It wasn't the warmest weather, in fact the wind was very cold and the guys came back shivering and shaking with just a few dozen. They offered me a few (which I declined because they actually didn't have that many), and they told me they were off to cook them on the BBQ.

While I was waiting for the sun to go down I walked to the end of the wharf...

...where a handful of people were fishing. I talked to an old Maori lady who told me she'd been there since 7am this morning. Seven am! It was now about 6:30pm, very cold and windy and with a rain storm approaching from across the ocean. She told me she'd probably stay another hour or so. Now that's dedication, and she hadn't had much luck either. She told me she usually caught snapper, the odd John Dory, an occasional kingfish and one day a crayfish! 

Only in Tolaga Bay #4 - this fisherman had the right idea, have a little snooze while you're waiting for the big one. 

I raced back along the wharf to the beach when I spotted the sun moving towards the horizon (the sun sets very quick when you're doing a 600m dash!) but there were only subtle colours this evening. 

And I have to add a note here- just for those that are keeping track of my 'trips' - I fell off a driftwood pile in my scramble to get down to the sand and scraped my shin badly.  I managed to hobble off like nothing had happened after spotting several people watching. And it's still giving me grief!

Even though I missed a spectacular sunset I did manage a very moody sunrise the next morning... 

....grabbing a few shots before heavy rain arrived and we hunkered down inside for the day.

In keeping with the our special national day of remembrance tomorrow- ANZAC Day, April 25th- here's my last photo from Tolaga Bay.  Lest we forget. 

Beach Hop South- Mataikona & Riversdale

Catch-up, this might be the last blog for a few days. Labour Weekend (a long weekend for Kiwis) is fast approaching and I think I'll take a few days off from my screen to relax and enjoy the early summer sunshine. 

As you've probably gathered from the previous Castlepoint blogs our sunny days in camp didn't last long. Two days of spring sunshine without the hint of a breeze and then dark storm clouds rolled in from the east.

For a few hours they stayed at sea and then headed north...

...before returning down the coast; with heavy rain and the wind whipping up the waves...

...and blowing bucket loads of sea foam and seaweed on shore.

The locals weren't impressed...

And nor were we...

It was cold, blustery and wet, there was nothing for it but to sit it out.

A gift for the locals came riding in on the waves...

A breakfast bar for birds- thousands of tiny goose barnacles smothered the log which would have been bobbing about in the ocean for a long while. Not quite above the tide line, the birds squabbled for the best position, landing and alighting as each wave swept over the top of it.  

After three days of stormy weather and cabin fever about to set in, we decided on a drive to blow the cobwebs away. And no, we did not stop at the local pub, the well known Whakataki Hotel which is back down the road about 5kms, just before the road hits the coast. The hotel is also CAP (costs apply parking) for NZMCA members, it used to be free parking until the usual happened, the minority spoilt it for the majority and abused the facilities. So now everyone pays.  

We turn off just before the pub, we're heading up the coast a short distance, to the settlement of Mataikona. The road is narrow and winding as it passes over a bluff but opens up once it reaches sea level again. We pass through a few small settlements, this one is called Sandy Bay. No prizes for guessing why.

And look, I found my ideal woolshed! With a cottage attached to the end of it. 

Further along the road we stop to check out some very fascinating rock formations. The Mataikona Rocks are a hidden geological gem; the spiky rows are the result of sandstone being compressed by the weight of the Pacific Ocean, then bent and buckled by colliding tectonic plates.

They are usually hidden by the sea so if you're wanting to see them, time your visit for low tide. The tide is on the way in when we stopped and by the time we returned back down the road, they were gone. I wanted to come back at low tide to walk out to the end and explore the rock pools but unfortunately the weather didn't settle until our last day. 

We very rarely come across traffic on these back country dead-end roads but today's vehicles are an unusual assortment; a fellow RVer freedom camping- he'd have been buffeted about overnight, a loaded logging truck, we moved off the road to let him past and I'm glad we didn't meet him on the bluff. And a police ute, which passed us twice, once while we were parked in the middle of the road! 

Just past Mataikona the road turns inland and follows the Mataikona River for a short distance before it becomes a 4WD track that comes out somewhere around Tinui. The river is also the province boundary line between Manawatu-Wanganui to the north and Wellington to the south.

We turn around just past the Paua Pad...

There are quite a number of  baches and make-do shacks sheltering in a pine plantation that runs alongside the road. I've been told that fishing and diving are very bountiful along this stretch of the coast.

On our way back to the main road we stop one last time, at the bluff, so I could take a photo looking down towards Castlepoint with Castle Rock towering above at the rear.

We then headed back inland to Tinui and down to Riversdale, 50 kms to the south of Castlepoint. At one stage we were going to take the 5th-wheeler down there and stay for a few days but with the weather not playing ball we decided to just do a day trip there. It rained on and off all the way...

...and it was cold and so blustery when we arrived, it was a quick run to the top of the sand dune to grab a shot and say 'been there, done that'. I don't even think David took a look. We found a sheltered spot at the end of the road to have lunch and then cursed the weather because we couldn't do an interesting walk along the beach, through the dunes and back along a stream. Well, we could have but it would have been no fun. 

Of course I couldn't leave without taking the obligatory church photo- Riversdale's St Josephs Church.

On the way home we stopped at the Tinui Cemetery where the Tinui Anzac Walkway begins. It's a steep climb to the top of Tinui Taipo (Mt. Maunsell) where the elusive ANZAC Memorial Cross is located (you'll recall I couldn't see it from the village). 

The walkway is through native bush plantings and  private farmland and is only open from Nov 1st to April 25th each year (which I think is just as well as I didn't really feel like a steep hike to the top). I'd seen a small pine enclosed in a cage near the information shelter when we were passing earlier and before realizing the significance of the walkway, I thought it might have been a wilding pine with an explanation as to why they are such a pest. Imagine my surprise to see that it was a very special Lone Pine! 

Back home and the barnacle bar is still providing food for the locals, this time a pair of Variable Oystercatchers, one with unusual striped underpants. Their antics reminded me of those slippery logs you  have to run across without falling off into the swimming pool. The tide spun it around and over as the birds ran up and down balancing carefully so as not to have to jump off.

They were late to the party though, most of the barnacles were gone. After seeing off the gulls they set about cleaning up the left-overs, sticking their bills down every nook and cranny prying out tasty morsels until the log was bare.

Mr & Mrs Red-billed Gull were not impressed.

Finally, after five days of cold, rain, wind and salt spray the sun came out....and David had to clean the van again! There's a lighthouse across there, somewhere.