Just One Little Bay in a Whole Bay of Islands...

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

At this part of my retrospective journal we’ve reached the lovely area of  Northland called the Bay of Islands.

There are a multitude of beautiful places to see around here, accessible by road and probably half a lifetime of places to visit if we had a boat, but we are stopping in Paihia where we find a picnic table under the shade of some trees just a few metres from the beach.

Since the day is hot and the sun is out, several of the older girls  indulge in some  sea-side paddling, whilst my friends four year old and Little Mr.  only have eyes for the playground equipment located a convenient distance from our picnic table.

My friend and I break out the contents of the picnic basket, make an assembly line and soon a large pile of sandwiches disappear into hungry waiting hands.

People all around us are relaxing in the sun, playing in the water or just sleeping on blankets on the grass.

In the last two photographs I use maximum zoom to look into the distance:  a small peninsular, topped partly near it’s end with a grassy area that features a large flagpole…  this is a very special place in New Zealand’s history…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)