Down Memory Lane

We set off to see Colin and Helen's new house - even though they have not moved there  due to not being able to finalise things at the lawyer yet (COVID). On the way we had an altercation with another car. A car was tuning left beside us. We had stopped at the stop sign, but Duncan edged forward to get a better view and a lady in a large car swept around the bend and just clipped  Duncans front bumper. I just wish she had taken evasive action (the way was clear, as I was watching this part of the road) instead of sitting on her horn.

I'm sure Colin and Helen's house is lovely, but like us they had a lifestyle block, and it did seem very close to the neighbours and the road. They weren't there as obviously Colin had decided to play golf, so we headed back to Heron's Flight Winery. Although their sign said they were open, they weren't, so we went to the Runner Duck's Plume restaurant next door for a slap-up lunch to make up for the events of the morning.

I had a fantastic goat's cheese souffle and Duncan had Okonomiyaki (Japanese Pancakes)

Then we went on a tour around the bays - Brick Bay, Martins Bay, Snells Beach and Algies Bay. As you can see from the picture below the skies were very grey, with bursts of misty showers, so although we had planned to do some of the walks around here we didn't.

Pohutukawa at Martins Bay

We leave Matakana quite early next morning and head up SH1 until the Brynderwyn Turnoff. This is where Duncan, as a teenager, came off his motorbike when driving up to Ruawai. From Mangataroto onwards there are reminiscences of cricket grounds played on, fields he has picked up hay off, and silos he has helped erect.

We stop at the Matakohe Kauri Museum - for my money, the best museum I have seen in my life!!!

All the mannequins represent real-life people from the era in real clothes - it really is a living history

Parlour scene

I just loved the expression they have caught on the bride's mother!

A gum diggers bivvy.

Handsawing the timber

Village Smithy

The kauri logs are huge.

Climbing up to bleed the gum.

What innovation!

The fanciest hand sanitiser I have seen!

A huge root ball - the centre would likely have rotted away.

Starting up the machine to milk the cows

Pinching the cream!

There are two types of gum - the stuff that is bled from living trees and that which is found buried in the swamps which appears darker in colour. The gum had many uses, including being used in the manufacture of linoleum, and the wood was so strong that they were able to fashion machine, like huge turbines to run power of mills out of it.

Another local identity models as a gumdigger mannequin.

After lunch at the gumdiggers Cafe we head on through to Ruawai. The Bushes house from 1965 to 1971 looks a bit scuffy now, and the BNZ has long since closed, and the Dairy Factory is now Kaipara Kumara.

On we go, past the Tokatoka pub which Duncan was thrown out of for being underage (after a hard day stacking hay). We have a brief stop at Dargaville to visit a supermarket. It seems to have consolidated as a bit of a hub while the smaller towns seem to have shrunk into disrepair.

We settle in at Kauri Coast MotorCamp. They have a numbered walk around the property, which we do, and it must be a delight in summer for families with its flying fox, waterhole swing, trampolines and playgrounds. It's very  peaceful - but no phone coverage, and limited wifi.

A 30 year old kauri - has a way to go before I can sit in its base!