New Zealand North Island Photo Extravaganza

To complement the South Island photos I hope you enjoyed a couple of days ago, here are more pictures in random order to inspire you with the beauty of this wonderful country's North Island. If you want to see large versions, click a image and you can scroll through them all. If you want to read the captions just scroll down through this page.

Dean in communion with his tree.

This is one of my regular sunrise walks above Whangarei. My boat is 250m in altitude below and about 1.5 miles away. The shadow of the hill on which I am standing is falling on the more distant hills.

View through the cabbage trees.

I am able to walk most days in beautiful NZ bush, filled with tree ferns (punga). This is autumn... so lovely.

Early winter sun above Smugglers Bay.

Unusual rock pools.

On my circumpaddle of the island on the kayak, I find a lake of natural foam hanging around off the north side of Moturua.

Te Matua Ngahere, the largest kauri, taking our breath away.

Lichen on the edge of the Pacific Ocean.

Strange backlight on the pohutukawa late in the day.

More tree fern sworls, this time amongst the manuka.

The left rock is my sitting and dreaming spot. The water of a tiny stream trickles under me, and a big kauri tree stands sentinel behind me.

Everyone was very compliant during the six week lockdown last year.

Purple rain... really.

It was strange to be in NZ during autumn and winter for a change!

Although no NZ trees are truly deciduous, leaves are shed somewhat during autumn. These are from kauri trees.

Same town, same walk, different sunrise.

This is a west coast beach, one of many in the country where Kiwis indulge their passion for off-road driving.

Paddling around a west cardinal mark. Kayaking is an alternative to a morning walk when there is no walking opportunity when we are at anchor, and sometimes it is preferable... I have had so many adventures in my little inflatable kayak.

Under the tree fern canopy. Feeling prehistoric and small.

Here I am taking my sunrise walk after paddling ashore in the kayak: double pleasure!

Many days in NZ contain every season. Here are at least two seasons happening at the same time!

This is a rather murky picture of the lifting bridge in Whangarei taken before dawn (and before moonset: you can see the descending moon) on the river when I was out on a particularly thrilly-chilly morning paddle.

Weather coming my way across a small offshore island.

The lovely path, shared only with the resident nature.

First light falling on the tangle fern as I near the top.

'At last, a picture of a person!' you cry. This is me in the galley with a leak and some sunflowers.

The moss stirs.

The islands wake.

Just for a change: a sunset. The disturbance in the water is a large shoal of fish having a last gulp of the surface plankton in this marine reserve at dusk.

These boots were made for (coastal) walking (and some tree climbing).

Dawn in the Ipipiri Islands, always a treat.

Sailing around Cape Brett in the lifting fog typical of that area in the early morning.

The national flower of NZ is the Kowhai. Kowhai trees only bloom briefly, and here is one shedding its yellow abundance on the Tutukaka coast.

Oho, I got between this fur seal and its landing place in the cove! They are big, eared seals, and can certainly grrrrowl and show their formidable teeth to an inflatable kayak paddler who gets in the wrong place by mistake.

This is the man I love buried in the cushion grass with a flower in his buttonhole.

Here is the sunrise out at the Poor Knights Islands, a spectacular marine reserve.

These are some of the birds I love. We use the same paths in the morning.

This is a Mollymawk, like an albatross with dark eyeshadow. She was so unabashedly friendly and paddled right up to my kayak close enough that I could have reached out to touch her.

Sun fingers over the islands.

Same town, same walk... but, hang on, where has the town gone? The shadow of my morning hill lies on the fog.

A bit of a blast from the past: this fair visited nearby. As I watched the wobbling rides, I wondered at what we had risked as youths.

The precariousness of the Ferris wheel kept me off the ride, but the high-priced joy of others was much ogled by me all the same.

Dinner in the cockpit as the sun goes to bed.

Kiwi forest elegance.

Lichen glowing in the early sun speaks of many misty and rainy days when the sun is defeated.

More morning bird pals.

Blue skies above the kātote.

Inky thrusters... NZ has a rich fungi diversity.

These amanitas are common, colourful and poisonous.

Above Urupukapuka Bay looking SE.

Big boots.

Tane Mahuta, separator of heaven and earth, 51m metres high.

Cabbage trees and flax and clouds.

Walking up the hill on Urupukapuka Island.

Low morning tide feathers,

More friends!

I had a busman's holiday when I was building my sailing dinghy when we hauled our 'big' (not so big...) boat to give her new anti-foul paint on her hull and tidy up some other paintwork. Hard work.

Touching up under the keel before we drop her in the water again.

To see your boat driving around on dry land suspended in the travel lift is very weird...

And this is how we put her back where she belongs, just ease down the straps until she is floating again.

There are these huge old dorades mounted on the dockside in Auckland which are better than the old Hall of Mirrors at the FunFair.

Any old ferry can look swish if you wear a good enough hat.

Basket fungus! Who'd've thought?!?

At the Tane Mahuta they don't let you get close, but the presence of the tree is MASSIVE.

Misty morning walk around the manuka scrub.

First light sweeps through on Moturua Island.

Mushrooms can get quite big.

Twisty tree.

Bay of Islands spangle.

In the city??! Yes, I sometimes have to go to urban places. They are chewing this one up with lots of construction.

Bracken fiddleheads are twinned with spiders' nests even before they are fully open.

Many beaches are as populous as this.

Albert Park in Auckland. This lady gives me pause for thought, and feeling.

My little dinghy Punga is waiting in the cove below me as I climb amongst the grass.