Tairua15 Oct 2006
|
|
View from Mt Paaku
Beach at Tairua
Harbour at Tairua
| And so another day begins. This may well turn out to be the shortest of my entries - I think the driving and various activities are slowly catching up with me and I am feeling less inclined to get up and more inclined to go to bed early. In fact, despite it only being 8pm I am already shattered. But I can't possibly deprive you all of another installment of my travels! So the day begins with Starship 'Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now' coming out of my radio. I would like to say this annoyed me, but sadly it didn't and I almost joined in. Then I realised the Germans in the room next door might hear me so I didn't. I got up and headed into breakfast - I was actually last in this morning so you can tell I am getting later. I sat with a view over the Lake - some black swans and their cygnets went past (this reminded me of Dawlish, the only place I recall seeing black swans). There was also a lot of mist hanging over the water and it was difficult to see Mt Tarawera - good job I took my helicopter flight yesterday! I checked out after breakfast and headed over to Rainbow Springs to see the kiwis again in the light. It was completely different this time with a slightly different tour. I did not go round the wildlife park, just into the kiwi breeding centre. Aww, they are so cute, but bigger than I had anticipated. I left there at about 12pm and planned my route up to Tairua (I say 'plan' but we all know what me and planning are like). I actually made it quite far this time before stopping, all the way up to Mt Maunganui on the coast. It was so nice to see some sea finally, and a real beach. I found a nice dune to sit in front of and snoozed on the beach for a good couple of hours. Inbetween I joined in some beach games with some Germans (what is it with Germans over here???) who were rounding people up to play volleyball. It was a bit windy for this, but we had a jolly good time anyway! I left this lovely beach and headed round to Tauranga, which wasn't very exciting. I think perhaps this was because it is a Sunday and absolutely nothing was open. I keep forgetting this isn't the 24/7 UK. It's nice actually. SO i travelled on up through Katikati (where I passed the Katikati Kitty Cat Lodge - cute). I stopped off briefly at Waihi Beach, but it had decided to start raining by then so I didn't stay long. Some more shocking roads ensued through the forest before I finally found my destination of Tairua. A particularly narrow and very steep road led me to my lodge, almost at the top of a dormant volcano. Nice. I have wonderful views across the bay from my room, and yet another spa bath. As I am the only person staying here I have it all to myself as well. Yay! I sat and watched Top Gear with the landlord just now. A bit surreal, but good fun. Chatted politics (which I don't like) and travel (which I do) and even managed to get on okay with Emma, the 11yr old Jack Russell. I am going to head to the spa before an early night. Hopefully I will undertake more exciting things tomorrow to tell you all about! Feel free to post me a message on my guestbook if you have been up to anything or have anything amusing to say! Missing you all. J xx |
Advertisement 
|
