Pataua South/Night 1 &2

Dawnbreaker
Lars Alfredson
Fri 2 May 2014 10:31
Pataua South
Pos 35:43.16S    174:31.97E

I'm having a terrible time understanding anyone. I can hear it's English but some words are so different that I loose
the gist of what they are saying. Awful to think I have to ask them what they are saying. Very rude. We're lucky
that we have the Radio and what looks like a GPS attached to one another and it sends us music as well as Information,
history, places to visit as well as words that we may find difficult such as if someone says they are going to the Dairy,
they are not going to the Farmer for fresh milk but to the corner shop that sells everything from papers to vegetables,
fresh milk and egg. There are a lot of what I would call Monkey Trees and they are everywhere but the New Zealanders
just call them Christmas trees. I'll let you know throughout the Blog when we learn from our Tourist Information new
words that I think are strange or funny.

   
                      Monkey Puzzle Tree?                                                                                                                               ?

       

  
There are flowers everywhere even though it's their winter.  The days are warm, about 20 - 22C but at night
it gets cold so that you need a coat and jumper.  The rain showers come often and shower for about 10 - 20 minutes
then the sun come out again.  It's very strange that the rain comes down like Monsun showers but not as
long. I notice at night that the stars are different from home. There are Constellations that I don't recognsise at all and
the stars seem so much more brighter.

  
                          Checking the Map

Our first visit is to Treasure Island Camper Van Park in Pataua South. It was only about 1 1/2 hours from Whangarei which
is said "Fangarei". That's where Lars has his boat for painting and service, out of the water. It was the nearest yard that
could take out his boat. Anyway, Treasure Island Park is owned by a lovely couple Nicki and Tim. We were greeted by
3 beautiful dogs,a German Shepard and 2 smaller dog.  Our camping area is in the highest area and later we found out
that we have to whole place to ourselves. Wonderful.



After breakfast I try out my new mode of transport.  The ground has had alot of dew as last night was a bit cold, we had
the heating on very low.  After a couple of false starts, getting stuck in the sand and having trouble getting up slopes I'm
well away and I'm faster than Lars for a change.  I get to know how to keep up the tempo with Lars and we go all the way
to the beach.  We have the beach to ourselves so I go hunting for shells and stones as I used to do and Lars goes off to
climb the mountain which later we find out is called Pataua Mountain.  Lars is gone for a long time. I saw him half way
up but then he disappeared.  It starts getting later and later and of course I start to worry.  It's over 2 hours later and
suddenly he appears from the other side of the mountain.  He's a little muddy as he had fallen a couple of time but he's
in one piece which is all that matters.

  
                     My new mode of transport.                                                                                              Can you find me?

   
                     Crossing the bridge.                                                                                                                 Lemons for the G&T.

   
                          Pataua Mountain                                                                                                           Sunset from our camp. 

Caroline and Lars on Dawnbreaker tooo.