Back at Te Haumi

The cold rain persisted that afternoon, so after leaving Paihia,  I stopped at Te Haumi beach just as the tide was receding, and was most surprised to see a fork of Shore Plovers skittering around at the water's edge. Any disturbance such as runners on the beach and they would fly away, but they returned, and as the tide receded further they were safer from human intervention. By this time the temperature had dropped with cold showers keeping the area wet.

 The tide starting to recede at Te Haumi beach

 Some gulls and some tiny shore Plovers on the sand

 Just visible

 Walking along the shore

 First light at Te Haumi

And again after a few minutes cracking cold.

The drive out of the bay was one taken with caution. When leaving that morning I had to de ice my windscreen, and after the showers late the day before there was black ice on the road particularly lemons hill. Kawakawa was cold, all the paddocks white with frost. It was -1 there and the temp dropped to -2 going through Hukerenui.  The winter less north? I don't think so. The sun came up just north of Whangarei,  and with it being  a cold clear morning it was a good day to go off and take some early morning photos of the harbour and look back to Marsden wharf and Ruakaka. 

 McLeods Bay looking south

 Looking down From Bream head to Ruakaka beach

 A Slightly better view.

 Back toward bream head over McLeods bay

 The oil refinery

 The port with all it's logs stacked up.

 McLeods Bay from the other side

 Parua bay from the boat club, this is a marine reserve, no fishing.

 Looking back across the bay from the boat club

Looking down to bream tail from the heads. 

It was still only 8am, but I had been breathalysed travelling in both directions to and from the heads at 8am. Needless to say it showed up no alcohol.