The Pokies

I'm not one for gambling.  In fact I'm rather anti-gambling.  Not sure why.  It's not a moral issue with me, more a practical one I think.  I don't count buying the occasional lottery ticket.  I regard that as a donation to good causes.  If I were to benefit at the same time that would be a wonderful bonus.  Last year when we were in Wanganui at a tournament I posted on my second attempt at The Pokies or what I used to know as one armed bandits (in the days when you pulled a lever) or slot machines.

When we were in Whakatane we went to the RSA for dinner.  I have to say that unlike every other RSA or community club that I've been into in New Zealand we were not made very welcome.  In fact the doorkeeper was singularly unwelcoming.  Anyway after dinner the girls went off on their traditional pokie spree.  Only one of the trio actually plays them 'seriously'. Two of the non-serious players managed to put in a few dollars and come away with substantial profits - well into three figures in one case.  The serious player, presumably in search of the big one, lost her winnings.  I, in sheer ignorance of what I was supposed to be doing, put in $2 and managed to come away with over $30 thus paying for my meal and drinks.  So overall the Whakatane RSA made no money out of us!

Unusual Houses

Also on the way down the Heads were some unusual houses - something in which this country abounds:

The Sun Has Got His Hat On

Going back to Friday afternoon in Northland and our trip down the Whangarei Heads  we came across this delightful shelter at the waterside.  Well actually the shelter was pretty ordinary but, as is so often the case in New Zealand, it was decorated splendidly.

 

Tree Hugger

Opposite the motel we were stayin in Whakatane a few weeks ago was a wonderful piece of metal art standing about 3 metres (10 feet) high.  Is it just me who loves these pieces of happiness and jolity?    No one else even seemed to notice it.  Mind you one thing blogging has done is increased my awareness of my surroundings.  Thanks, Blogger.

The Uppity Downity Mountains

I'm skipping a bit but I'm sure that I'll return and show you the bits I've left out.  In the story of my weekend in Northland I've now reached early evening and we are on our way from Whangarei to my home for the weekend about 40 minutes drive away.  And here, as we turned a corner, is my first view of the Uppity Downity Mountains.  It's not their real name of course but the name given to them by my hostess.  I've just realised that I don't even know what their proper name is.  And I apologise, Adrian, for the lack of manipulation to remove the burn-out (they were taken into the evening sun) but I haven't mastered that technique yet.

And as we got nearer the hill with the Vodafone tower on top, which was to become such an important landmark for me, is apparent:

And here it is in all it's (almost silhouetted) glory:

Mangroves in Northland

Just as we left Whangarei there were mangrove areas.  I've seen mangrove swamps on TV before but never in real life.  There is something really cool about them.  What I hadn't realised until I read Dawn Treader's comment (this, obviously, is an addition to my original posting) is that mangroves are not a single genus of plant but a are trees and shrubsthat grow in saline coastal habitats in the tropics and sub-tropics and the many species of trees and shrubs adapted to saline conditions are not all closely related, and the term "mangrove" may be used for all of them or more narrowly only for the mangrove family of plants.  See the Wikipedia entry for more information.

 

Tuk Tuk Advertising

Last year the rage was very distinctive advertising vans but when we were in Whakatane I was struck by the tuk-tuks being used for advertising and picking up customers.

Revas On The Waterfront

When Reva and Doug Meredith opened the first Revas in 1976, it was just a little hole-in-the-wall pizza joint in downtown Whangarei. But thanks to Revas legendary hospitality, and her love of delicious food, live music and local art, Revas 'Pizza Palour' soon became the meeting place for local musicians, artists, travellers and anyone who appreciated great food, great company and a great time.

"See you at Revas" became the farewell cry as cruising yachts left foreign ports to cross the Southern Ocean. In 1988, the pizza joint became a licensed restaurant in a new premises near the waterfront.

In 1995, Reva and Doug were invited to open Whangarei's first waterfront restaurant in the new Town Basin development - Revas on the Waterfront was born - and the rest is history.

We went for a coffee after the trip on Friday afternoon.

 

And the coffee - art in a cup

Wairaka and the Saving of Mataatua

One of the great legends of Maori is that of the waka Mataatua and how it was saved by Wairaka, the daughter of the Captain.  It is a fascinating story and I would recommend a few minutes spent reading it.

Ocean Beach

At the end of The Heads we came to Ocean Beach.  I know this  may sound silly but it reminded me of some of the fabulous beaches in the Western Isles of Scotland with one very significant difference - it was warm!  The other differences were, of course, the flora and fauna of the area.  

I have seen Yellowhammers in the area where I live but have never been able to photograph one nor see them in the trees.  This one flew into a tree down by the beach but I spotted it and, thanks to the fabulous lens on the Sony, I managed to photograph it.   It was a long way off but the photo is good enough to confirm the identification.

I'm fairly certain that this is a Glade Copper (Lycaena feredayi complex) because of its heavy markings although it could be a Common Copper/Pepe Para Riki (Lycaena salustius complex).  The problem is that the South Island Common has heavy markings whereas the North Island has much lighter ones.  Whatever, I can be certain that it's a Copper.

And who would have expected wild sweet peas in the dunes above the shore?