The Godwits fly North in the Winter

 The grass is always greener on the other side. All those old sayings  - meant that when we were forecast to have very wet conditions for a week in Gisborne, we hitched up the caravan and headed over to Ohiwa. I was trying to get pictures of the flooding etc on our way out, but it wasn't very spectacular. Once we got over Traffords Hill and into the gorge it looked very tame.

Reckon you could still fly fish in this

As each tributary joined it got a little bit murkier

Small waterfall

OK, down by Tauranga Bridge it might not have been to pleasant doing the bit where you had to hold the wire.

It doesn't take us long to get the caravan set up on T12 and get the BBQ going.

It's a lovely evening and much warmer than we had expected

We sat our for ages outside watching the sky.

And then it was inside to play scrabble. I won, due to getting Zulu on a double letter score, and triple word score (69) but Duncan got me back the next night with Dinners as his opening word, using all his letters (68).

The next day we took it pretty easy, I really enjoyed my swim, Duncan went for a run along the beach, and a cycle ride, and we went for a walk, read and relaxed.

A very serene sky.

Sunday we were up bright and early to go to Katikati to see Harbourside Macadamias. They also do kiwifruit and Avocadoes, but very helpful to run some ideas past Wyn. Then onto Paul and Chris Edginton in Katikati for lunch. Paul was an optometrist from Duncan's year, but has had a long battle  with muscular dystrophy. They are good friends with John and Bev Watt - who have decided to move to Christchurch! as they are finding the infrastructure in Tauranga so chaotic. It was quite a long drive, but we felt it was worthwhile.

Monday was another easy day, but we went along for a walk up the road, and read the historic boards.

The estuary has changed a lot, with shifting sands, and when it got too shallow near the wharf, they used to just drop the cows into the water using a sling, and they were expected to swim ashore!!! I've heard of horses doing a bit of swimming, but not cows!!

Thunderous skies down to East Cape

Looking towards E Block

And another lovely sunset for us.

Next day it was an uneventful trip home.

A bit boggy by the Waipaoa River