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Home Run: Whakapirau to Helensville

We arrive just before sunset. I put a lead on Alice and head down to check out the toilets. Miranda begins dinner and keeps an eye on the light.

photo by miranda woodward

We dine very nicely on stir-fried steak with fried mushrooms and salad, and a bottle of Cuvee Riche, a sweetish and very fruity recent release from Lindauer, with enough acid to prevent it being flabby. In fact we've done very nicely this trip, using a bit of ingenuity and a little precooking.

There's a bit of a storm brewing out to the west and by 2 am the van begins to feel the force of some strong gusts.

Next morning I am having difficulty standing straight. The van was on a scarcely visible slope but it meant I had been tensing all night to keep myself from falling off the squab. I head down the road half bent over in the direction of the toilets.

photo by miranda woodward

Sunrise this morning is a fairly muted affair, though the sky has a decent amount of blue showing.

Looking at the above, I'd say somebody's been plaiting the macrocarpa trunks.

Miranda heads out with the camera for some early morning light shots, and I reorganise the van and start breakfast. I'd forgotten to get eggs or bread at Dargaville and we were very low on both. But we haven't even looked at the muesli yet. By the time Miranda gets back the voltaren is kicking in.

Her eye for a photo is getting better all the time. Mostly I'm doing the record shots and the native plant photos, and she's looking for that image that is sitting there waiting for us if we just have the eyes to recognise it. As it happens the light is not all that great this morning and her best shots are all flash-assisted.

photo by miranda woodward

photo by miranda woodward

Reminds me of a certain small dog.

We pack up and head down to the wharf for a closer look. The wharf shed, a very substantial 2 storey building, has a For Sale notice on it, but the wharf itself shows signs of recent maintenance. In it's time, I imagine, it has played an important part in local affairs.

photo by miranda woodward

Over to the left is a kingfisher in camouflage plumage. It's still pretty nippy, and this one seems to be hunkering down a bit. I would be too if I was squatting on a cold steel post.

photo by miranda woodward

Here's another Miranda special from under the wharf

photo by miranda woodward

We point the van towards Helensville and soon enough, we/re back on SH12 at Maungatoroto. Now one of the interesting features of the road signage all the way from Dargaville is the absence of any reference to Auckland. Brynderwyn consists of a pub and a cafe at the junction of SH1 and SH 12 at the bottom of the Brynderwyn hills. As a destination it ranks about level with Ekatahuna.

Whether this is straightout JAFA-envy or not is difficult to determine, but one has to wonder.

Homewards. We arrive at the Dutch deli just after opening time and emerge with a large piece of cheese cut freshly from the block, and of course, some speculaas biscuits for morning tea.

For me, an appointment in town, and then unload the van do the washing up, do the laundry, etc. For Miranda, back to work with a vengeance.