Ohope. Still near Whakatane...

An afternoon in Whakatane again: a visit to a coffee shop, refilling diesel and gas in the camper van, browsing the shops. A couple of large charity shops and another couple of shops selling 'recycled designer' clothes...unusual.

We drove up to Kohi lookout point, to the site of, reputedly, New Zealand's oldest historical pa site, dating from the fourteenth century.

Whale Island - Moutohora -  from Toi's pa

 M

Whakatane from Toi's pa

Then we returned to Ōhope spit, camping just a few metres from the beach.

Quite popular with dog walkers and fishermen. A little black shag landed a short distance away and waddled off across the sand to the water; California quails scurried, shrieking, into the undergrowth. We walked round the end of the spit, out of the calm Ohiwa harbour and back towards the surf, startling pheasants.

And it rained. And rained: with no one else camping, we returned to a different site near the beach. And, again, slept with the sound of surf booming in our ears.

Life back home will be somewhat mundane...