Adventures at Pataua South

I've been in Whangarei for a few days.
I had quite a few things to do...
Including replacing my drivers side
windscreen wiper...
Which on my trip south in torrential rain...
Ceased working...
And a check up with my Dr after being sick for so long.
I had been parked in the Town Basin
but had a psychological block to
staying there, in a big car park
over the weekend...
So off I went.. Looking for a beach.


I was going to Ocean Beach but ended up
at Pataua South... Half way up the map
on the right hand side.


 Pataua is a big harbour but I am parked where the red dot is...

 
Right at the end of the road
 
On the edge of the water.

It was low tide... So I took my bucket
 and went searching for shell fish.

Out across the muddy sand and shells...

I found enough baby mussels for dinner.

The tide came in...

And this small corner of a much bigger harbour
was a totally different place.


Today I have been walking.
It's early afternoon but you can see by the length of my
 shadow how low the sun is in the sky.
It's 11 days till the shortest day.
Although the sun is out after a morning of rain
it's a very cold wind so I'm well wrapped up.


There is a foot bridge across this narrow part
of the harbour... It links Pataua South
with Pataua North.


Over the bridge...


And looking back to where I had come from...
My bus a small speck!


The tide is out... I'm walking round the beach
to the hill in the middle...
The harbour entrance is there.


And on the other side of the house and dunes
is the open sea... And a good spot for a few surfers.


There is a sand bar which makes the harbour
entrance dangerous for boats...
High tide access only.


Looking north along the beach to Ngunguru...


Looking back to the side of the harbour
I have walked from... Further east from where I am parked.


And there is the bridge...


Then I walked round the harbour...
The other side of the bridge...
As you can see in the distance...
It goes a long way.


I thought I would be able to walk a long way round here
but where the light streak is across the sand
there is another little inlet...


Muddy and Mangroves.
I walked round the edge, up onto the road
then down another gravel road by the building you can see.


Looking back from the other side... This short road went to
one house, a small Maori cemetery and lots of barking dogs...
So I didn't venture any further

 
I found another road in the opposite direction which
took me along behind the houses you can see.
There is a motor camp at the end...
Deserted for the winter... But across the grass
and through a gate I came out onto the beach again...


Right at the far east end... Opposite
the harbour entrance.


Looking across the muddy flats
to the harbour mouth...


And back to my bus...
And a hot cup of tea.


I was warm and snug inside as the tide
started to come in again... It was peaceful and still...
And it began to get dark.

Tomorrow I might get to Ocean Beach...
But this place was a lovely discovery.