Tuesday, January 03, 2012
Akitio Beach Road Trip
Today I decided to take a little 'road trip' over to Akitio beach on the east coast. Though I've explored some of the other beaches and settlements in this area- eg Porangahau, Herbertville, Pongaroa- I have never before made it down to Akitio.
I fell in love with Akitio Beach as soon as I arrived there. The pohutukawa were in the early stages of flowering right on the beach front- the flowers seem late this year after a grey November. I don't think anything shouts out 'summer' quite so loudly as pohutukawa by the sea.
It was a lovely beach to visit, with a peaceful, relaxed 'feel' to the settlement, and I must go back there sometime soon with my tent and stay a night. It is quite 'far away', and you have to travel on narrow, windy, hilly roads to get there, so even though it is peak holiday season, it wasn't too busy. There were quite a few people fishing, and boats were being taken in and out of the surf by tractors, (including some very ancient ones.) As I walked along the beach, I kept meeting friendly, relaxed people, keen for a chat. All very pleasant and low key.
The whole journey there and back was through a part of rural New Zealand we tend to call the 'heartland', and several times I met up with a 'traffic jam' along the road. It seems that this is a busy time of year for sheep farmers, getting their sheep into the shed for shearing etc.
I came home via the rural town of Eketahuna- and this lovingly knitted nativity scene was in the information centre.
And outside the information centre, was quite the largest Kiwi I have ever seen. Remarkable!
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Akitio sounds Japanese? What a great looking place.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like an amzing place to go on a road trip just to get away from everyone and just relax.
ReplyDeleteLove the traffic jam! Looks like a Camino one I met on the way to Orisson! Thanks for the warm weather offering as I sit in flannel buttoned to the neck and shiver!
ReplyDeleteAndrew, it does. Maori and Japanese have the same vowel sounds- and a Japanese woman who stayed with me one year always pronounced Maori place names correctly. It seems like the Maori have a connection with the pre-Chinese inhabitants of Taiwan, so there must be other Asian connections in their migration I guess.
ReplyDeleteYes, Karin, I met a similar traffic jam en route to Rabanal. It made me feel right at home! -Except the 'shepherds' here are on four-wheeler motor-bike thingies instead of on foot!
It doesn't surprise me. It's love at first sight. Lovely nativity scene!!!
ReplyDeleteIt was indeed love at first sight. The pohutukawa flowering made it extra special.
ReplyDeleteWell still learning about NZ despite the end of the 365! Great pictures and great looking experiences!
ReplyDeleteMichèle
Just occasional pics again now though Michèle. I quite like the 'no pressure' to take a photo feeling again!
ReplyDeleteLove the photos and the idea of tractors taking boats in and out sounds like a blissfully sedate pace of life we should be embracing more ;)
ReplyDeleteIt was very sedate- and many of the tractors were quite old- in retirement from farm life- which just added to the charm of it all. Glad I am not there this weekend though as the rain is atrocious!
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