Early Morning Departure...

Having spent the weekend at Ahipara then with a friend in Kaitaia...
Parked at the bottom of her drive...
Monday morning was cold and frosty.
It's 7.45am... The ground is white... Mist in the distance.
The sun is coming...
But parked where I am in the shade I have to wait for it to come over the hill...
And past some trees.

The moon was still  up...
A spectacular Far North morning...
In the supposed Winterless North...
Not really!

I moved onto warmer places.

Not far south, or really east if you look at a map...

On State Highway 10...

Is beautiful Cable Bay.

I pulled off road... Again...

Parked in the brilliant sun and made coffee.

This is one of my favourite... Amongst many... Far North beaches.

I think I could park here for a few days without anybody objecting. 

I
I continued on... Stopped at Kerikeri... No shopping this time...
Onto Whangarei where I stopped to pick  up my mail and my DoC Pass...
That I have just renewed for another year... $175 to park for 2 weeks at a time at any DoC Camp in New Zealand... Except at the peak Christmas holiday time, when my pass is not valid and, like others, I have to pay a nightly charge.
And here I am, again at Utretiti... Just in time for the sunset.

Only Just Off Road Parking... In Kaitaia

From Ahipara, not far back to Kaitaia.
I came here to visit my friend Carolyn and see how she is getting on renovating the two flats she bought at a mortgagee auction... Brave thing to do when it's her first experience of home ownership.
Well they are looking fantastic.
The only thing for me is lack of flat hard parking... The grass is too wet.
But the problem was solved.
Next door is an empty section...
With a flat driveway...
Just long enough for me to park...
Off road!
I block the footpath but only 3 people have walked along here in two days...
And stopped to chat... So not a problem at all.
 

Up the steep drive to Carolyn's house where at the end of the day
we are presented with magnificient sunsets.

 

Off Road Freedom Parking...

From Kerikeri I drove about 2-3 hours to Kaitaia and on to Ahipara.
I used to live in this area and Ahipara, at the southern end of Ninety Mile Beach, is one of my favourite places.
I love the huge expanse, the beach goes forever... 
And disappears into haze...
The sand is rock hard...
The waves crash as it's on the West coast.
I had a fabulous walk in the southerly wind and amazing fresh air.

I had been communicating with a friend about where we each find to park...
She is more cautious, and perhaps sensible, than me.
I park mostly anywhere that is 'off road' and seems safe and not too isolated and
not blocking the view of people in nearby houses.
So this was my 'off road' park in Ahipara... Right beside the sand and sea...
Million dollar site and views.

 

The beach looking north...
Just the birds for company...
And they didn't have much to say.

 

 

To Shop... Or Not To Shop... In Kerikeri...

When I go shopping I soon choose which are my favourite shops...
The ones that have something different in them...
Things that I like... That are peculiar to me!
Anne of Craicor... Is a must visit when I am in Kerikeri
It has an eclectic range of nice and unusual clothes, a range of fairly standard but nice underwear...
And merino's... And scarves...
And some most beautiful French knickers and camisoles...
Well worth a look.

This is definitely my favourite butcher.
I'm always on the lookout for a nice, tasty, juicy sausage with no fillers or preservatives or suphites.
Well this is the place to go.They make their own and I have tried lots of what they have on offer.
My favourites - Pure Beef... and little breakfast size sausages - Nuremburg - they do have pork in them...
But for an indulgent breakfast with bacon and eggs or tomatoes and mushrooms... Yummy!
They also have a good selection of 'free range' meats.

A Few Days in Russell, Bay of Islands...

 

 

Russell is a delightful place... For a short while the first capital of New Zealand... Full of history...
Lovely eating places... Lots of walks and beautiful beaches.
I have been coming here to visit friends for the last 18 years.
It hasn't changed much.
For most of the year a quiet tucked away place but over the summer
and particuarly Xmas the population expands and it hums with all sorts of activities.
Boating and fishing are always good.
144 Islands (I think)  adventures to be had everywhere.
I was last here last April. I left for a couple of days to go to Paeroa where I bought my Bedford bus that is now my home.
I left a lot of ny belongings here thinking I would only be away a few days.
But adventures took me here and there and only now have I finally got back to retrieve all my stuff.
It's nice to be here though and spend time with friends.

More... Piano Competitions...

The Kerikeri International Piano competitions are held every 2 years. They start on Thursday night... Which I told you about yesterday...
Friday there three rounds, morning, afternoon and evening...
Each of the 16 competitors, chosen from a field of 43,  plays a Sonata of their choice

This is the downstairs entrance. This facility is quite new and an enormous credit to Kerikeri...
They now have somewhere for International standard events.

Upstairs to the foyer and bar area.
 This was manned by volunteers who did a wonderful job with drinks, cups of tea and coffee...
All in a rush at intervals.
The whole place was beautifully heated

There were 16 competitors from all round the world...
Taiwan, Australia, Malaysia, South Korea, New Zealand, Armenia, China,
Hong Kong, Ukraine, and Poland

The beautiful auditorium... Comfortable seats, well heated...
International standard grand piano...

And an overhead screen to view the pianists hands.
The second round on Saturday, morning, afternoon and evening,  was a recital round where each competitor chose a 45 minute balanced program of music composed since 1685.
There was a great variety and some more interesting than others, but all played with great execution and passion.
The audience could vote for their choice... There was a prize for this so there was great discussion and debate over the two days.
At the end of Saturday four finalists were announced... What tension...
Yeh Shih Hsien from Taiwan... Who eventually was the first place getter with a prize of $12,000...
Szczepan Konczal from Poland, who achieved second place...
Anna Maksymova from the Ukraine who gained third place...
James Guan from Sydney, born in China, who received fourth prize.
Sunday morning the Adjudicator gave a Masterclass...
This was fascinating to see, hear and watch how he picked things out of a seemingly flawless performance...
That could be improved upon.
Sunday afternoon was a packed house for the finals... The announcements...
Then a reception to congratulate the competitors and hear their plans for the future.
It's now all over... for another two years.

Kerikeri International Piano Competitions

I have been in Kerikeri for the last four days. 

Two months ago I booked to come to the piano comps held every two years.

Everything seemed against me getting here...

But I did.

I was out of the mechanics repair shop and poste haste to Kerikeri with four hours to spare!

Just had time to get my nails done - pure indulgence...

Get ready...

It was fun dressing up for a change.

 
This is where I am parked... In front of the Kerikeri RSA...
And right next door to the 'The Turner Centre' where the competitions were held...
So not far to walk to get there.

The first night there was a pre-concert reception and Chamber music trio in the upstairs foyer.

 

 

Then a concert by the adjudicator... Michail Solovei.
I like listening to the adjudicator play... It gives some idea of what they are looking for when they judge the competitors.
Michail is from the Ukraine, studied at the Gorky Conservatorium in Russia, has a PhD in  music, has given, and continues to give,  concerts and masterclasses all round the world.
Truly an international standard adjudicator.
He now teaches at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia.
He played a Listz Sonata, a Chopin Ballade, Nocturne and Scherzo.
All beautifully executed with great passion.
The evening concluded with a reception to meet him and the 16 contestants.