A beautiful sunrise to start our day....and Brian and Val doing their thing to make us welcome, comfortable AND FAT!!!!! We are leaving today to go to the Auckland area. Brian is off for a haircut and Val shares a coffee with us prior to our departure, urging us to view the springs on our way which is their water supply.
A nice trail through a redwood grove.
Side springs add to the clear flow.
We are looking down from the bridge across these waters....crystal clear!
The river/spring walk is nestled amongst more redwoods....and right beside a golf course....bears repeating that this country packs everything we have in to a more compact space.
These are NOT grapes, NOT hops....yet another abundant crop here....
KIWIS!! The fruit, that is....have yet to see a real one - the bird, that is.
More clever marketing...
Saw a guy bout 6'2" get in this car....looks more like a toy! Wonder what the safety rating on it is?
Stopped in Katikati, known as the "mural town"....these are all painted on the buildings throughout the town....and this is a very small portion of them!
Not a mural....this is for real....our only "give in" to American taste and speed....we were running so late with all the stops and trying to avoid the Auckland rush hour....so a Subway in the car, just like home.....we did NOT avoid the rush hour....took us forever to get through Auckland to Devonport where we are spending the night on our way to the Northland.
Our "room" is separate from the main house....built several years ago for the overflow from the next door neighbor's b n b....another wonderful window seat, full kitchen, patio and garden, appropriately named the "Garden Room"
The Walking School Bus is located at various points along the sidewalk in this quaint suburb of Auckland.....It is where the children meet, always with a parent, to walk to school. The parents take turns....no use for school buses here.
The architecture is Victorian, charming, and neat as a pin.
The Pacific Ocean/Bay is at their doorstep....stately trees....and a spectacular view of Auckland!
For dinner we had 4 tapas: stuffed red peppers, smoked salmon, lamb fritters and prawns with aioli....all of that for $20....best deal EVER!!! Ate outside and ordered their lentil soup to "takeaway" and finish in our room.
We came home to find our "hamper" in our kitchen. Since we are in a "self contained" unit (which means a kitchen), a "hamper" is brought to us with the breakfast supplies.....all the eggs are free range and the yolks are the color of orange juice..... Fresh fruit is always in abundance....note the French press coffee...here it is called the "plunger".
