In Picton with Aria and Nina

23-24 April

Aria still loves my iPhone

An afternoon spent at Blenheim's excellent indoor swimming pool

An eclipse of the moon

15 April - A beautiful evening in PN - Owen took these photos

A weekend on Ruapehu

4-6 April  Our annual weekend on Ruapehu with our friends Jill and Jim and a gathering of regular friends from Auckland to Wellington - 14 of us.  We enjoyed wonderful weather and Jill, Jim, Owen and I climbed to the crater lake on the Saturday.

On the way up - no snow to be seen

Nearly there - the roof of the Dome Shelter can be seen on the left horizon

Can you see three trampers on the snow to the lower left of the crater lake? (not us!)

At the dome shelter

We had our lunch here

I was there too

Dome shelter ...

... and the view in the other direction looking towards the Desert Road and Lake Moawhango

It was a popular day to climb to the Crater Lake

We used two chairlifts both ways (why not at $15 return with a Gold card).
It was still a 5 hour tramp.

Looking towards the Pinnacles, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro

Sunset from our Lodge - Mt Taranaki on the horizon

Followed by dinner and wine

East Cape to Mahia peninsula

19-21 March

Mt Hikurangi - impressive!

Tokomaru Bay wharf

Some very substantial buildings remain from the days of a busy wharf

The New Zealand Shipping Co Ltd 1912

View of Anaura Bay

Anaura beach

Tologa Bay wharf - 700m long, now fully restored

We walked to Cook's Cove, a popular 2 hour return walk from Tologa Bay

A view of the famous hole in the rock

Entrance to Tologa Bay wharf

Pouawa Beach Marine Reserve - another beautiful empty beach

Driving to Mahia peninsula we noticed a lot of smoke

It turned out to be a burn off that may have been getting out of control.  It died out in the evening and rain came the next day as we drove home from Mahia after a wonderful tour around the East coast.

Heading to East Cape

We spent three days around the Opotiki district waiting for Cyclone Lusi to pass and the weather to improve.  Then on Monday 17 March we set off for East Cape.

Nukuhou Saltmarsh Lookout near Ohiwa.  Owen spent a lot of time here trying to photograph rare Fernbirds.  We could hear them but they are very shy.  I enjoyed the pottery bird tiles and we visited the pottery studio nearby.

Bird tiles - Banded rail and Fernbird

The mighty Motu River

We drove along the Motu river gravels to find a geocache

Te Kaha beach.  We had a swim here (it was warm!) and stayed at the nearby camping ground.

One of many horses we saw on the East Coast.

A stop at a macadamia nut orchard and cafe

The view - Whanarau Bay 

We walked to a beautiful waterfall nearby.

Then enjoyed this delicious lunch at the macadamia nut farm.

Raukokore Church

Hicks Bay wharf - semi derelict

View from East Cape lighthouse

East Cape lighthouse