A Little Wander Around Waitangi…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

You are following our retroactive tour of  New Zealand made in December 2010 - January 2012.

At this point of the trip it’s early in the New Year and we are at Waitangi, in the Bay of Islands, in Northland.

We’ve just left the massive  ”waka” or  canoe and are slowly making our way around the grounds.

Himself, my friend and our combined group of children got so far ahead of me that they’ve had time to have a paddle in the sea as well as a good run around.

I’ve been taking my time, stopping to rest and plodding along carefully on my crutches.  This set of photos takes us past various parts of the Waitangi Grounds… some very important bits are coming up, but they get their own post.

We are heading towards the grass-topped knoll that I could see earlier on the peninsular when I zoomed in with the camera (from our picnic lunch spot on the beach at Paihia a few posts back). Paihia is across the bay at the extreme far right in the background of  the first photo, and the beach we were on is probably just fractionally out of shot, about another centimetre to the right. There’s another Maori Meeting House here at Waitangi too and I would have liked to have gone over and had a look inside but it was some distance away and I was getting rather  tired so decided to pass that one up. It’s excellent to get out and about but I’ve got to recognise my physical limits and know when enough is enough.

Little Mr gets disproportionately excited (as only six year old boys can) when a helicopter passes by so that photo is for especially for him and any other “plane spotters” amongst my readers (although I assume that adult plane spotters don’t emit very loud high pitched squeals when they spot helicopters LOL).  There is the possibility to walk in a large loop that would take us back to the Information Centre at the entrance but  after seeing the next two things  just around the corner  (all will be revealed soonest!) I find it’s time to call it quits on the walking, so Himself  sprints back to the car park and retrieves the van to pick us up.  Let’s take a look around this last part of the grounds …

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Arriving Early and going Exploring…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

We are back to my castle visit posts… naturally I’m busy here with phone calls and emails to New Zealand as we sort out incoming and outgoing information about what’s happening with our Christchurch house and houses and workplaces of friends and family. If there is anything significant to report I will let you know.

Back in The Netherlands this post is another “teaser”  since we have arrived at Castle Ammersoyen  in Gelderland but have not yet gone inside.

There is however a good reason for this not only are the Kiwidutch offspring restless after the ride on the car, but the opening hours of this Castle are:

April till November, Tuesday until Sunday from 13:00 till 17:00. Only guided tours.

Himself and I allowed some additional commuting time for possible traffic problems, but on this occasion didn’t encounter any delays and arrived unexpectedly early.

The kids are delighted with this time to kill before the Castle itself opens, and  go charging off down the paths like the bulls of Pompolona with nothing to chase but themselves.

Once they rounded the first corner and we were out of sight they were less brave and scuttled back quickly, even though we had almost the entire area of grounds to ourselves.

As we walked they contented themselves with snaking back and forth just ahead or just behind us, checking out “flowers” (weeds) by the canal and investigating some shells that turned up in the path.

Let’s take a look at the views around the moat…

Once we have slowly made a circuit of the grounds we approach the bridge that connects the bailey with the castle… and the excitement of what’s inside starts to build.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Just across the field by the road is the church…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)