Kaiaua.. Ray's Rest

After the rally I spent a few days at Ray's Rest. It's a favourite freedom parking place
that I love to spend time at. It's very peaceful as the tide creeps in and out.
These are some photos I took from sunrise to sunset ans others in between.


Licorice Allsorts... Sunset at 7.45pm.

 
Sunrise and the new moon... 4.45am.

Not quite so early in the morning... The tide's out.

Beautiful early morning colours. It's quiet and still.

It's a popular spot... Vehicles lined up along the beach... People asleep.

 
 A popular place for horse riding.

The tide's in... Again.

A beautiful bunch of what looks like wild flowers but are
 actually weeds... Gathered from the roadside.

Ray's Rest... Sunrise To Sundown...

After the Bedford rally I spent 6 days at Ray's Rest...
Near Miranda and the hot pools...
In case you have never heard of Ray's Rest.
It's a very popular freedom parking spot for buses and motor homes.

I arrived there later in the day... Found a spot to park...
And early next morning was greeted by a beautiful sunrise...

It was just before 6am... Nobody around...
Quiet... Still..
The row of motor homes stretching along the beach...
Still sleeping...

As the new day emerged.


And what a lovely day it was...
Especially after all the rain and mud of the weekend.
The tide goes a long way out and leaves sandy and muddy flats.



As the tide came in I thought I would try fishing...
Even if I don't catch anything it's good surf casting practice.



It was lovely just being in the sun... waiting...
I didn't catch anything... The water is really too shallow.
The only people who caught fish were those who put nets well out...
They had to wade out in the mud to set them and again to collect the fish.


I was given a couple of Kahawai...
So ate them for breakfast.


The wind dropped, all was quiet again...
A perfect day ended with a gentle sunset.

Ray's Rest... Firth of Thames

 

I left Warkworth and had a very pleasant, hassle free drive...

Up hill and down dale...

And stopped for the night at Orewa.

I managed to park in my favourite place there...

Fronting to the sea... And this was my view for the evening.

 

Further along past the cars is the surf club...

There were lots of people out enjoying the evening...Walking their dogs.

There was even a rubbish bin right outside... 

That was very convenient as I could dump all I had accumulated...

Including old newspapers...

It was Saturday... Again... And I would have a new one!

I only buy the Herald on Saturday.. It takes me all the week to read it!

The next morning I was woken early by strong wind and rain.

It had been forecast but often these things pass over during the night...

But not this time. I was rocking and rolling...

I decided to be brave... Hold on tight to the steering wheel...

And go as far as Albany... There is a big shopping mall there...

That seemed just the place for such a morning...

And I haven't been shopping/browsing for ages.

I had coffee, looked in a few shops, 

developed a headache from the noise...

And decided to leave.

The sun had come out... the weather didn't seem so bad after all.

My destination was Kaiaua on the Firth of Thames...
A freedom parking place called 'Ray's Rest'.
The wind  hadn't gone... It was tricking me...
It was very windy on the top of the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

Ray's Rest was very windy...
This is where I parked...
The usually calm sheltered waters were whipped up into
rough waves washing up shells and seaweed.

These photos don't do it justice... But the sea was a churned dark grey.

 

This is taken from my door step... The waves not far away...
But they didn't come in... The tide went out!

The colours of the sea as it got dark were amazing...
The cloud colours reflected in the water...

And this intense blue colour in the darkening landscape.
 I never get tired of watching the moods and colours of the sea...
It's always changing...

Next morning I woke to still, calm and peace...
The sea was totally quiet and the tide creeping in.
No wind... The sun was out...

But it didn't last very long... The wind whipped up...
The clouds and rain came...
And a rainbow...
It has blown a gale ever since I have been here...
I'm moving on this morning... Into Thames...
To collect my mail... buy a saw...
And I'm thinking about getting a flounder spear.
Early yesterday morning there was somebody in the shallow water...
Nearly high tide... With a light and spear looking for flounder...
What a yummy breakfast that would be.
I think I have to try it when I come back.