Monday, May 11, 2009

Broken Hills 16/17 April 2009

Broken Hills is a DOC park on the eastern side of the Coromandel Range. The turn off to the park is maybe 50 - 100m past the turnoff to Pauanui.
The camp area is split into many smaller areas each with toilets and a central rubbish point all next to the Tairua river.
The park is home to many large Kauri treesand smaller flora of all kinds.and some fauna albiet somewhat smallThroughout there are many walks from 10 minutes to many hours.These well marked walksexplore the gold mining history of the area from old minesto stamping battery remainsBroken Hills is a great place to stay and we will return.

Easter 2009 (and a few days either side).

(These are just a few of the pictures taken during this trip. Some quality of the pictures has been lost as they are reduced to 25% of their original size. This blog extends from the Seabird Coast on to Coromandel, Otama, Oputere. View Broken Hills pics on a seperate blog.)

Seabird Coast, Kaiaua 3-6 April 2009
The week before Easter '09 saw us parked up on the shell bank between Kaiaua and Miranda on the Seabird Coast. Along with a number of other motorhomes we enjoyed great weather.

There was plenty of opportunity for simple photo opportunitieswhilst being observed by the most forward of the locals.Most of the time here it was a midday low tide that as you can see didn't provide much in the way of fishing opportunities.Glowing mornings looking east to Coromandelto bright sunsets over the western hills were natures show each day.
Ngatea Water Gardens 6 April 2009
The 6th saw us leave the Seabird Coast and head for Thames with a passing stop at Ngatea to visit the Water Gardens.Many pictures were taken of this extensive parkunder the watchful eyeof a number of the gardens inhabitants.
Thames, Thornton Bay, Raupara Gardens and Long Bay, Coromandel

After a nights stay at the Thames Golf Club POP, costs $5/nightit was off to Long Bay, Coromandel with a couple of stops on the way. First was Thornton Bay, looking back towards Thamesand to Coromandel in the north.A good oyster spat catch on the rocks ensures a good feed of oysters in the future, yum!A short diversion took us to the Rapaura Gardenswhich in my view doesn't compare to the Ngatea Water Gardens both in price and what you see.

Long Bay Coromandel

Final destination for the day, 7th, was Long Bay, Coromandel.There are a number of walks both round the bays and in the bush that provided a number of willing subjects.After saying goodnight at Long Bay tomorrow would see us travelling over the hills to Kuotuna and Otama on the 9th. Otama
I have blogged Otama before and don't propose to add anything again except to say that it's now a rip off. All you get are paddocks, bore water and a couple of long drops at the cost of $10/pers/night. Over the hill at the Kuotuna Motor Camp you get every facility for $13 and a little further south at Simpsons you get the same as Otama, right by the water for $5/van/night. Otama - forget it greed has taken over (and you have to pay CASH)!!!

Kuotuna

Whilst we were more or less trapped into staying over Easter at Otama (never again) we did spend the 14th at Kuotuna in the motor camp before heading south. The following pics shows some of the coast in the areaand the man made boat launching area.The rest of our time through to the 19th was taken up by drifting further south past Simpsons Beach through Whitianga to Oputere then back to Broken Hills and home via Thames and the Seabird Coast. The following are a series of location titled pictures.


Coroglen Cattleyards and river.

Oputere Flora and FaunaFor pics of the DOC park at Broken Hills see the seperate blog.