Bushy Park and Kai Iwi Beach

A perfect start to the morning. No alarm clock or  traffic noise.  Just a few cows and ducks waking to another day. Low key breakfast  (jam on toast) and then off to the local Saturday market.  Nothing for us to buy but if you felt like walnuts, home made fudge or soap, bacon and egg sandwiches or plants this is the place for you. We wandered through the Moutou gardens where memorials to those Maori who lost their lives in the war stood proudly amongst other statues and the destroyed one of John Ballance (former NZ PM 1868).  A drive up to the tower afforded us with views of a muddy river, the paddle boat heading up the river and lots of hydrangeas, agapanthus and bougainvillea. 

 We picnicked at Bushy Park. A predator free fence (but not as high as the Zealandia one) has made a safe zone for kereru, tui, hihi, piwakawaka and taike.  Walked a while accompanied by bird song and then back to the homestead for a devonshire tea. After a wander around the homestead (we could go into any room with an open door which was most rooms as there appeared to be only one guest).  We settled into the table by the bay window after being told coffee was the only drink on the menu. Plumbing problems meant no water and  so no tea. I was shown the taps causing the problems - one Jack and one Jill. They had a spare Jack but not Jill,  or was it no Jack. I just felt sorry for the guest - did that mean no breakfast tea or was the plumber coming back with Jack or Jill.

The house had a colonial feel. Original flooring in some places, very high beds, high tea crockery.  Owned originally by GF Moore he gifted it to Forest and Bird (realised on his death bed that the gift didn't include the house so signed a new will as he drew his last breath). However and rather sadly he didn't include the furniture (on purpose or not we will never know). Having no immediate family (all had died of tb). I guess he thought the city would benefit and it certainly has. A fairly substantial gift - it takes 4.5 hours to mow the lawns on a sit on mower. Worth a visit for anyone who wants to drive a few kilometers down country roads.

On the way to Kai Iwi beach and the little village of Mowhanau we stopped at St Oswalds

 "Open and you are welcome" said the sign. How could we resist a welcome like that to the little white and pink church standing alongside state highway 3. The door was locked "closed and not welcome". The visit didn't take long.

Kai Iwi beach was a find. That is for those who aren't risk adverse. Signs said we were in a tsunami zone, the river was monitored but probably polluted and so don't swim but if you must don't put your head under. "The cliffs are unsafe" said a sign sponsored by the local community "and if you value your life, don't go near".  "Sea levels change quickly" said another.  "No swimming" said the surf rescue team but as I watched they changed it to "swim between the flags" obviously because the locals were ignoring every sign (except the one about keeping the beach tidy). But be careful "there are submerged hazards" oh and if you need to the loo you will enter an earthquake prone building. I almost went home without venturing on to the sand. But like most locals I was not deterred.  High cliffs (admittedly they do look unstable) with fossils and layers of sediments, black glistening iron sand, puddles for kids and dogs to play in as the tides goes out, rocks and of course waves. An amazing place.

And after dinner and grocery shopping we went to Virginia Lake for the night lights.