Day 3 of our Trip...

Monday 11th Jan
As we had been in the sun all the previous day we decided to stay off the beach. The first place we visited was 'the waterworks'. It is 5 acres of water powered gadgets and other interactive attractions that are built from recycled materials. These are just a few of the activities...

Pedal the bikes to make the water flow...



Giant Skittles...



Mouse wheel...



ET come home...



Then we drove on to the Waiau Falls...Not the biggest... But it was nice and peaceful..

And Finally to a Kauri Grove. Almost all the Kauri trees on the Coromandel were logged, but scattered areas remain. This is a group of 13, not sure how old they are but they are big...



On the way back to the motel we spotted these hanging.. Don't know if it means something..

Day 2 of our Trip...

Sunday 10th Jan
We set off for New Chums Beach. Apparentley it's been 'Voted one of the Top 20 Beaches in the world in 2006 by The Observer'. To get there you have to wade thru an estuary at low tide (it was waist deep on our return!) and then follow the shoreline until you find a walking track then it's a walk through the bush to the other side where you find the beach..




We watched this bird cracking open a mussel for a bite to eat.. We think that this is a 'variable oystercatcher'..



The walk through native bush, to get to and from the beach..




When we got back to our Motel some bikers had arrived all on nice shiney Harleys.



Tony had a chat about bike stuff etc and then they asked if Louise would like a ride. (She'd been eyeing the bikes!) So off she went... They were gone for about 20 mins... Check the grin on the last pic... We think she enjoyed herself...

Day 1 of our Trip...

Saturday 9th Jan
We took the dogs to the kennels the night before so we could get an early start (7am). The first road trip of our week away was Napier to Taupo, then to Rotorua, on to Waihi, stopping at Thames, finially getting to Coromandel town.

We stopped at Mac D's for breakie, and then drove on to Rotoura so the kids could have another go at the Luge runs..




Then it was on to Tauranga where we stopped for lunch and then on to Waihi where there is a huge mine (Martha Mine). It's 200m down to the bottom. Check out the diggers near the bottom!

The Cornish Pump house. This was moved from it's original site due to subsidence in Feb 2007. It took 3 months to move the 2000 tonne building.

Then we drove onto Thames where we stopped for provisions and on to our motel in Coromandel town, arriving at 5pm ish..

We've been away!!

We've just had a week away.... Touring the Coromandel Peninsula and a few other places on the way up and back.

Photo's to follow.... Here's a few to start!

New Years Day 2010....

Nice Sunny day....

Took the dogs for a run in the afternoon down at the beach..



This dog came galloping down the beach on his own... Stopped for a sniff and then was on his way again....



Dan wanted to try out one of his Christmas pressies.... an EXTREME Frisbee!!



More dog pictures....



Paw prints in the sand...

Christmas Day....

In contrast to the weather back in the UK... (photo of my brothers back garden)


We've had a hot, sunny Christmas day... In the morning we took the dogs down to the river for a swim and a run about. Dan and Lou ended up in the river with them as it was so warm...


We decided that as it was such a great day that we wouldn't go to the beach we'd stay at home and make the most of the day by splashing about in the pool..!!



No traditional Christmas roast this year.... Instead we ate outside and had Prawns and Steak on the BBQ, and then for pud a kiwi classic a Pavlova... Yummmmy!!



More splashing about....