Sea Week... Pingao Weaving

Last week in New Zealand was National Sea Week.
There were activities happening at most beaches and centres.
I was near Kaitaia so spent some time at the new Te Ahu Centre
where there was displays of art, book readings and what I particularly
wanted to see... Pingao weaving.


This is Sally... She was demonstrating Pingao weaving...
She made it look easy.

There were lots of photos... This one shows it being planted...

It grows in a wild state in the sand with runners that produce tufts
that grow into another Pingao clump.

Here volunteers are gathering the seeds.
More volunteers and school children have projects growing the seeds...

 
Which are then planted on the dunes.
It is a vital plant for dune ecology to stop erosion.


It is also used for weaving... It's a beautiful golden colour.
The Putiputi's are very popular in wedding bouquets and buttonholes.
This is the little 'how to' book I bought.


This is a finished Putiputi made by a first time weaver.
If she can do it, so can I...
I'm off back to the beach to look for some Pingao.

Herekino Harbour... Beautiful Wilderness

I spent the weekend parked in my bus...
At my friend Carolyn's house in Kaitaia.

We went exploring to Kohuhu and Rawene... More about that tomorrow.
On the way home decided to go down a winding
gravel road... To see where it went.

On the way back to Kaitaia from Kohukohu we 
turned left at  Herekino towards Owhata...
A tiny predominantly Maori settlement
in the middle of what felt like nowhere.

It's on one side of the Herekino Harbour.



Herekino Harbour seen from Awaroa Rd just before the Herekino junction.


We got to the end of the road...
It just stopped with a notice saying road not suitable for vehicles.
We left the car... Hoping the wheels would still be on it when we got back.
There has been a big 'P' bust in this area very recently
and a lot of retaliation happening.


And walked along the deeply rutted track

And found the amazing Herekino Harbour...
On the map it's round Tauroa Point...
At the south of 90 Mile Beach and Shipwreck Bay.

 
In the distance the Tasman Sea...
And the vast stretches of the long hard west coast beach...
That continues down to theNorth and south Heads
of the Hokianga Harbour...
Then onto Baylys Beach.

On the far side in the distance the beautiful hills of the Herekino Forest.


 It was low tide so we walked a distance round the sand...
Which at high tide would all be completely covered up.


There were huge rocks in incredible formations...


I don't know how old they are or how it was all formed...


It would be very interesting to know...


No doubt sculpted by the tides...


And wind...


The harbour here was stunning glacial colours...
We wondered if there are minerals in the water that make it this colour...
Or was it just reflections from the sky on that particular day.

 
The wind has certainly shaped and defined these cliffs and trees.
It is such a beautiful place and such an unexpeced find,
we didn't want to leave.
But there was more exploring to do so onward we travelled.

The Weekend in Kaitaia...

This morning was a beautiful sunny day...
So brunch on the deck.
I spent the weekend in Kaitaia with my friend Carolyn.
We flatted together in Kaitaia, in my house, when I lived there...
Before I ventured into my bus and life on the  road.
We both made huge changes...
Carolyn bought her first ever property...
I sold mine and don't want to own another one!

This is Carolyn... Published here with her permission.
She cooked delicious scrambled eggs with smoked salmon...
Served on toast thickly spread with avocado then
topped with wilted spinach...
With the eggs on top.
Salad greens from her garden on the side.
I squeezed fresh grapefruit... And we had coffee... Of course!
It was all delicious... The best cafe in Kaitaia.

This is Carolyn's house... On top of the hill.
She bought it last January at a mortgagee sale...
A very brave thing to do... And it was so run down...
A real dump and dirty and overgrown...
She has done amazing things.
All round the windows where the paint was flaking have been repainted...
The broken doors and glass have been fixed...
The lawns are regularly cut...

This is where I park...
At the bottom of her drive in front of her neighbours empty section...
I just manage to get off the road.

Yesterday we did the usual Saturday Kaitaia things...
We went to the market... Lots of fresh veges...
And I bought a fresh smoked mullet (fish).
There are lots of stalls with second hand tools, clothes and books...
Bargains to be had but I wasn't in the mood for hunting.
I sought out the coffee and ordered a large one...

The only supermarket in Kaitaia... Pak'nSave...
It has everything one needs but few luxuries.
A visit there is inevitable...

We went on to Mitre 10 hardware and garden shop.
Carolyn has become well known there...
It was her regular place to buy her renovating needs.
She needed rat bait...
I needed peat for when I empty my composting toilet.
It's a great shop... Has everything...

I have to show you some before and after photos.
Those people reading this blog who know
Carolyn will be very impressed...
I am.
This was not long after moving in.
Together we had ripped up all the very smelly, dog urine impregnanted
carpet and discovered beautiful native timber floors.
The bookcase and table were work benches and the big chair covered with an old sheet...

Here is the finished end result. She has done such a good job...
It is looking so good. Books and pictures given to her by various friends for various occasions...
The little house is an interesting treasure trove of memories and things collected from her travels.
The door with the sun coming through goes through to the kitchen
 and out to the deck where we had breakfast.

Another corner of her sitting room... A lovely 1960-70's art deco couch...
And nest of tables... Flax treasures in the alcove...

Her bedroom with a very effective feature wall...

This is the deck and stone garden before the clean up...

The difference is amazing... And it's a little sun trap.

The pot plants are thriving...
The lime tree more now that she is feeding it regularly.

And salad and herbs... That we had for breakfast.
I had a lovely weekend catching up on sleeping, eating and all her news.