Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Taking a Break - A Walk Around The Mount

I love my life, and I love where I live. When I was younger I wanted to travel, and enjoyed seeing a little of the world. Now I am largely content with staying home. There is always more to see and learn: my outlook is becoming more focused on the details of life rather than wider vistas. Spending half an hour watching the miracle of tiny preying mantis babies hatching out excites me to a degree previously experienced through more obvious adventures.
But sometimes it is nice to go away, although a few days is all I can cope with before I feel the can-we-go-home-now itch.

Last week Mac was working in Tauranga for three days and Rebecca was available to animal / house sit, so I went too. First thing was a walk around the base of The Mount - I've been visiting for nearly 60 years, and always do this walk, which never fails to be breathtakingly beautiful.
Just two pohutukawa trees were in flower, and were incredibly noisy as they were full of tui delighting in the first nectar.
 
 I love the shapes of pohutukawa trees too.




I have climbed to the top a few times over the years, but probably won't do so again - I really don't like heights. As in, I get dizzy and faint, and have panic attacks.
 Matakana Island
 I took about 20 photos trying to capture the seal playing in the water!
 There was a very bad smell at one point. I thought it was a dead something, but someone pointed out the bird nests above - the smell was bird poo.
 This little guy hopped along beside me for about five minutes.
 New life arising out of the remains of a dead tree.
 And next to this beautiful nature spot - the port,
 and the tourist service centre.
 
The beach is lovely - but still I prefer the wild west coast.












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