To Tutukaka...and Beyond!

Hey y'all! I'm meeting Miss K at the airport in less than four hours! Wow...in just a few days we'll be pedaling our ways through this amazing country. Just look below to get a glimpse of the beauty surrounding us.

I was so grateful my friend SG (short for Sailor Girl - cause she lived on a boat til she was nearly 9) was in town visiting her family. The timing worked out well because she goes back to the states today - the same day I needed to be in Auckland! Soooooooo, I made a pleasant bus trek up to Whangarei (in the Northland...north of Auckland :) and spent a couple nights with a wonderful family. SG showed me some wonderful spots surrounding her home. Really, words and pictures will never do places like this justice...you just have to go! Or look at the pics below for an idea, at least.

I almost love the isweep panorama feature as much as I love super macro...hm. actually, not really by a long shot...but it's still super cool! The photo above, I am standing on a sand spit...land created by the help of a river, the ocean and proper geography. It's between the river and ocean...and just across the river in the town of Ngunguru (pronounced Nun-guru). Developers wanted to build 100 or so houses on this chunk of sand...but local efforts were against it and convinced the government to purchase the land - yeah!!!

(there's a bit more to the story...but that's a very basic gist).

We kayaked across the river, then went for a jaunt to a very beautiful beach...and beyond. Wow! Really, wow! Much of the land we were surrounded by was established by Maori with terraces, and sacred areas, etc. We made sure to respect the land.

If you can see, there are 9 or so bees in this Pohutakawa flower...and in ALL the flowers on the tree...guess it's pollenating season?

The photos below are the coastline just a walk away from SG's home in Tutukaka...a half hour east of Whangarei. This beach is the BEST beach glass treasure cove I've ever been to. SG's mom speculates that the neighboring motel used the ocean as a dump site? or maybe there was a mighty crash just off shore?? no one knows. yet.

An ancient looking creature...

Meeting of THE boat...this one has inspired me greatly (and the people who lived on it) for the past several years (8 plus years, SG and I counted, that we've been friends).

The photo below represents my time in Auckland. The Sky Tower celebrates the Year of the Dragon! And yeah, still no idea how to flip this photo right side up on blogland...anyone know?

I'm thoroughly enjoying the feel of Auckland...very pleaseant for city standards It's on an isthmus - a rather skinny one...so it's surrouned by water. Can't quite figure how to compare it...maybe a mix of San Francisco and Seattle - except without all the fog and rain...and considerably smaller. So uncomparable, perhaps. I'm comtemplating landing here for a month for my CELTA (english teaching) certification. Though South Island is still pulling me greater...and I've yet to even be there. But not for long!