On the east side of the north island of New Zealand, within the Wairarapa district, lies Castlepoint. It is noteworthy because of the majestic lighthouse which stands proudly overlooking the Pacific Ocean, lovely beaches and a large sheltered lagoon – complete with baby fish swimming along the shore in the shallows.
Beautiful.
This might be a bit freaky but this cheeky little chap came and sat on the door frame while on holiday on a farmstead bach in the Wairarapa in New Zealand.
He posed for a good while…brown and white little fella with kind of big blue eyes…can’t find what type he is…but what’s not to love?
Dogs love the smell of kiwis. Kiwis have a strong smell. The two together make for a bad marriage.
When a dog is left to run wild in kiwi habitat the outcome is often not good. Unlike many birds, the kiwi does not have a sternum (breastbone) which means it doesn’t take much pressure to cause major damage to internal organs. A dog may not even mean to cause damage but the outcome can often be bad. Those who handle kiwi must be trained in order to pick up the bird in a way that won’t cause harm.
So, if you’re in New Zealand with a dog, please make sure you respect the signs and the rules and keep your dog away from this national icon and help preserve it for the future.
It is fair to say that with pretty reliable summer weather, camping in New Zealand is big business. At holiday times, large numbers pack up their campers, vans, trucks and SUVs and head off with their tent (and often their boats!)
Some of the equipment people have is amazing. From their own toilets, barbecues, furniture, outdoor living spaces to leisure pursuit items…the range seems pretty endless. I’m not a very advanced camper by any means (I still like to go to eateries nearby) but I was thinking about how wonderful it is to be closer to nature and be awoken by the cacophony of birdsong in a morning…sure you also hear people snoring in nearby tents and have to share facilities but it seems a minor thing compared to the pleasure of turning your back on hotels and television (and maybe the internet too).
If you are really adventurous, some of the locations you can wake up to are quite amazing, from high in the mountains to small beachs on islands.
While in Russell in the Bay of Islands and in need of something to occupy myself for a spell, I decided to visit the Pompallier Missionary and Printery. It’s funny how sometimes you find a real treat by doing something that ordinarily you might not consider. Included in the ticket price was a croissant and coffee and a guided tour of the printery and tannery on site.
Originally set up as a French catholic missionary (which caused much consternation with the English who had moved into NZ), this is a fascinating history and also an amazing history of how much trouble people went to in preparing leather and indeed books. So great to learn and you even get to make an impression using one of the original printers shown in the image below!
If you are ever there, do give it a try!
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