beach – The Vanninis' Manoeuvres

Housesitting

We are housesitting in Rothesay Bay (next to Browns Bay in the North shore of Auckland) for my niece Sarah and her husband Shaun as they are off on holiday with their three teenage sons to Thailand and Malaysia. We have two cats to looks after, Charlie and Rosie, and a gorgeous house to relax in.

Map of general area with Browns Bay highlighted. NB the blue dot indicates where the van is parked at Peter &Wendy’s, just a 14 minute drive away.

We quickly settled in and made ourselves familiar with our surroundings, hmmm, I’m thinking that the pool may get used a little if the weather stays warm.

The house has been recently renovated so is pristine and sparkly, which also means we have very little to do apart from feed ourselves and the cats.

However, it does mean we can catch up on lots of little things that have been put into the “later” basket. I did take advantage of having a washing machine at hand and washed, Bluo’ed, dried and ironed, yes, ironed, all my sheet sets!! Do you remember Bluo?

It’s not available in NZ and hasn’t been for some years but I found some when we were in Melbourne a few years ago and bought a few bottles home with me. Funnily enough I also have a packet of blue bags in the cupboard, probably should be in a museum now. It does work though and now all our linen is beautifully bright white again, ironed and neatly folded into sets. The sets of sheets and pillowcases, get folded up and placed inside one of the pillowcases turned inside out, which when folded over you can use the pocket on the pillow slip to neatly fold over encasing the set neatly into a package. I took the opportunity of clearing out my linen cupboard and relining all the shelves. Yes, I know, I’m weird!!

We’ve kept ourselves busy going back and forth to the van, to measure things, pick up something we’ve forgotten or doing a few chores. Tax returns have been completed as well. In the midst of doing all this I had a wee panic as I couldn’t remember where I had safely stashed our passports, I found them, put them back where they belong then got back to the house to realise that I hadn’t checked the expiry dates. Oh I must have a photo of the passports somewhere….after a quick search of photos, emails and messages I eventually found the photos, and we both have relatively new passports. Phew! Note to self, put all travel document photos into an album for easy retrieval.

The pool man came to clean the pool one day, it almost looked good enough to dive into!!

We are enjoying our time here and getting to explore this area, the beach is at the end of the street and there is a great cafe at the top of the road. I’m sure the time will go all too quickly.

Tokerau Beach

We are back! Yes, back at Tokerau Beach. It seems like an age since we were last here particularly as we frequented this area quite regularly in our early years on the road wether it be staying at Ramp Road, Maitai Bay, a local POP (park over property), with friends or latterly the NZMCA park. We elected this time to stay at the NZMCA park, there was hardly anyone else in the park, it was quiet and peaceful and it’s easy access to the beach.

Parked up with a view to the beach 100m away

View to the beach through the front windscreen

We were soon settled in and after a bite to eat and a cuppa we headed off for an explore. Garry hadn’t been out this way before so we took him on a tiki tour –Tiki tour means a look-around, drive or trip (and was originally derived from an old New Zealand tourist company of the same name).

We went first to the end of the peninsular and Maitai Bay (A on the map) which is a DOC run campground. With a Rahui (a shellfish gathering and fishing ban) in place for both Maitai and Waikato Bays, it didn’t warrant us staying out there. Next was a short drive over the other side of the peninsular to Karikari Beach (B) to the parking area which then requires a walk over the sand dunes for access to the beach. It was back into the car and down to Rangiputa (C) and Puheke/Puwheke (D) (spelling varies), and of course I didn’t take one photo on our tiki tour! From there it was out to Ramp Road (red dot), a freedom camping site administered by DOC, there were quite a few campers scattered throughout the sand dunes but finding a half decent level spot in the dunes would be very difficult we all agreed and access to the beach is difficult since storms chopped away at the banks making it a steep drop down to the beach.

We made our way back to the NZMCA park, yes, this will do us nicely for our stay in this region, we can easily drive onto the beach from here and choose a likely fishing spot anywhere along the 18km stretch of sand forming Doubtless Bay.

Tokerau beach is a long stretch of firm flat sand making it ideal for driving along, not at breakneck speed like some of the locals seem to do but at a more sedate pace, looking for a likely fishing spot.

Yes, there’s a good fishing spot along there somewhere!

Roy getting some sea water with lots of gulls looking for food

We collected tuatuas one afternoon, it didn’t take us long at all. We left the shellfish in a bucket of water overnight, this is to let them spit out any sand as we don’t really need to eat sandy fritters. We open the shellfish raw and then cook them afterwards. This method, rather than steaming the shellfish open, means the tuatuas are only cooked once, they tend to become chewy if you cook them twice. I made them all into delicious fritters for lunch the following day.

The water was surprisingly warm, which was fortunate when we went collecting tuatuas (shellfish).

Wednesday 13th March was our 42nd wedding anniversary, and just how did we spend the day? Well, first of all, Roy had broken a tooth and needed to have the sharp edges ground down so we had to find a dentist, not an easy task in this neck of the woods. However, we did find one who could accommodate him in Coopers Beach, not too far away at all. Whilst he was at the dentist, Garry and I went to the laundromat, I know, exciting stuff isn’t it? Roy was quickly back with us and with the washing done we were soon on our way back to camp. But we did have to have a stop at Cable Bay for a treat.

We may have had to stop at the Cable Bay store for an icecream.

Back at the park, the washing was hung out to dry, and what else was there to do? Yep, go fishing.

Yes, many fish were caught and we returned home to retrieve the washing from the line and tidy up before dinner. Fortunately I had made a large Bacon & Egg Pie in the morning ready for a quick and easy dinner to have with some salad.

More fishing was done over the next few days with the freezer filling rapidly. An epic trip further north will be the subject of the next blog entry as we managed to fit in a very full day of fishing, exploring and fun.

We all really enjoyed our week at Tokerau Beach, we did lots of fishing, lots of exploring but soon enough our time to move on was upon us.

Tauranga Bay

It’s been many many years since we’ve been to Tauranga Bay near the entrance to Whangaroa Harbour, we booked into the campground for a week expecting a nice quiet relaxed time. It’s not too far from a Kerikeri, just 38minutes according to Mr Google.

An uneventful drive however we did note the new bridge at Kaeo which only opened a week or two ago is now operational and all traces of the old single lane bridge has gone. There are still plenty of one lane bridges in this part of the country, some of them have very difficult entry and exit angles especially if you are a bit on the longer side.

We were soon parked up at the campground in the second row from the beachfront sites, all the beachfront sites were booked up, in fact we are very surprised at just how very busy it is here.

The view through the the front window in the small time frame when that particular beachfront site was empty, which was all of probably less than 30minutes!!

And looking west toward the entrance to Whangaroa Harbour

It seemed like every beachfront campsite had at least one surf casting rod in a holder either with line out or about to go out.

Perfect place to sort and watch the world go by

Fishing here wasn’t very productive at all, in fact it wasn’t very good for anyone who was fishing. All the snapper caught by Roy & Garry was returned to the sea to grow a little bigger. I resorted to making cheese scones for lunch one day and blimmen good they were too.

The view changed daily with people coming and going and we watched a succession of boats both big and small come in and out of Whangaroa Harbour.

Super yacht Artefact, all 80m of it passing by, owned by the man who created the Blackberry device.

Garry needed to get an LPG bottle filled so we went into Kaeo one afternoon. Kaeo is a very small one horse town, literally!!

On a trip into Kaeo, a jandal covered fence and a horse and rider wandering through the Main Street aka State Highway.

The days were busily filled what with one thing or another although we had booked in for a week we left a day early as the fish weren’t biting and the place was becoming too crowded for us, especially as from the 1 March they allow dogs in the camp and there were plenty of them. In fact I would say that we were the exception in not having a dog or cat travelling with us. So with that we packed up and left a day earlier than planned and headed further north.

And I thought it was about time for a Callum update, here he is with his current favourite book and dressed for International Book Day.

Callum dressed as his favourite book person- Ayrton Senna

It won’t be too long before we are on our way to visit him, and with a number of activities already planned and booked, we cannot wait!

On the move

We moved the huge distance of around 500metres to the Self Contained Parking area leaving the school to have the camp ground to themselves. We had a couple of jobs to do before we left Auckland and this was the perfect place to base ourselves. I had to make a quick trip down to Manukau to meet up with Antony and exchange parcels. I called in on Carol & Glen on the way home for a quick coffee before I was back on my way. I got back to find that Garry had called in for a visit, this time on his motorbike.

The next morning the Rangers came to say goodbye and it was then time to pack up and leave. Our first stop was at PaknSave in Silverdale for fuel for the van, and good timing it was too as they were having a one day special on fuel with 20c a litre off. Then it was out to Dairy Flat to fill up with LPG before hitting the motorway north.

We were wanting to head north before State Highway One was closed off at the Brynderwyn’s for the next 9 weeks, as the detour for us adds quite a distance as well as time as the route we would have to take would be via Dargaville due to the weight and size of our vehicles. We plan to return via the west coast on our return journey.

As we reach the top of the Brynderwyn’s and get our first glimpse of Bream Bay ahead of us, is always very much anticipated and welcomed.

Over the hill with Bream Bay in the distance.

We arrived at Uretiti DOC camp and were warmly welcomed by Steve, Garry wasn’t far behind us and it didn’t take too long to get ourselves settled in.

Quick walk to the beach is always on the cards ones we are set up.

Sand built up at the beach end of the track, with the top of the post and wires disappearing under the built up sand.

It wasn’t long before Garry & Roy were on the beach having a fish. Yes, fresh fish was on the menu that night, and the next night.

It’s nice to be back in the north, we look forward to relaxing, fishing and exploring over the coming weeks.

It’s warm out there!

It’s been warm, in fact it’s been hot, very hot and very humid. Any movement and you break out into a sweat, some days I don’t know what to do with myself. Sitting outside under the shade of a tree is the only respite from the heat with a gentle breeze occasionally making things comfortable.

Campers scramble to camp together under trees to garner any shade possible, shade from gazebos just isn’t as good as tree shade.

This year as well as the usual box of Lost Property, I have started a Toy Library. it started with the three yellow trucks and diggers that Wade & Lindsay gave us last year for Callum to play with when he came to visit. Then a boogie board or two were added, then a couple more, a ball or two and a bouncy toy were donated. An Umbrella was added to the mix and I must say it’s been a huge success not only with the little kids but the other day a group of teens were seen collecting a digger and a spade to take to the beach!

Peter & Wendy came out to stay for a night, a break from the work grind and not too far from their home. We spent a lovely afternoon and evening sitting outside in the shade solving the problems of the world. Peter joined Roy on his evening rounds to check in campers making sure everyone is booked in and happy. That evening I made a delicious Keralan Fish Curry for dinner and sent the leftovers home with Peter.

Peter and Roy coming back from checking in campers

The heat and humidity has been energy sapping however a brief respite was had with a couple of cooler days and evenings which meant we could have a comfortable nights sleep.

I had a reminder from our doctor that I was now eligible for the free Shingles vaccine. It’s only free when you turn 65 and it’s only free for your 65th year, once you turn 66 then you have to pay for it and it is not cheap. So off I trotted to get the vaccine and once at the surgery, the nurse told me I was also able to have a Tetanus/diphtheria/whooping cough booster shot and yes, it was ok to have them at the same time and in the same arm! Of course I said yes, so a couple of jabs later I was on my way armed with knowledge of possible side effects. Fortunately I had no ill effects whatsoever. I get the second Shingles vaccine in a couple of months time, I would much rather have the vaccine than the disease.

It nearly time for schools to return to their usual term times which means fewer people in camp especially during the week. Next we will be welcoming schools back into camp which will mean the end of our camp hosting stint for another year. Where to next? Well, that will be revealed as soon as we decide to turn left or right at the end of the road when we leave.

Summer

Yes, we are having summer this year, the skies are blue, the gentle sea breeze lulls us into a false sense of it not being too hot, the sound of children out playing games or riding their bikes until dusk fill the air as happy adults chatter away the evenings. Kayaks, buckets, spades and boogie boards make their way to the beach and it’s great to see people out enjoying life away from the trappings of modern life. Many of the older regular campers have commented on how lovely it is to see kids running about and having fun in the outdoors and fresh air, making new friends and enjoying nature at its best.

We’ve played cards with friends who are camping, they told us they weren’t really into playing cards but after teaching them how to play 5 crowns, they were hooked.

We abandoned camp for a couple of days as Antony was due back from his London sojourn. As he was arriving in the early morning we headed down to stay at his place the night before as it would then just be a 30minute drive to the airport.

We didn’t have to wait very long as he was thru in around 30minutes. He had a great time in London with Alex, Ian and Callum and it was lovely to hear all the news. We had presents to open and share, thank you to our UK family for our Christmas gifts. Now we can’t wait until we head off to visit in May.

Back to camp we went to settle in for more warm summery days. We keep busy what with sorting out campers and any issues, doing maintenance and chores – yes we still have chores to do.

Antony rang the following day to say he’d brought another present home with him….Covid-19!

Hopeful we haven’t caught it, we did look up what the incubation period is but it’s hugely variable with the range from two to fourteen days so we shall just have to wait and see and not get too close to people.

Garry came to visit for a couple of days, it was lovely to have him here with us, I cooked dinner the first night for us all. I made Bao buns, slow roasted a pork belly with a sticky glaze and made a quick pickle type of salad with julienned carrots, cucumber, radish and red onion finished with chopped peanuts and coriander. It was delicious….and yes I forgot to take any photos.

The following day Garry cooked a leg of lamb with his new rotisserie attachment for his BBQ, it was cooked long and slow over the afternoon and evening and my goodness it was delicious.

My nephew Stuart came for a visit, along with Emma and their three children. Stuart lives in Dunedin so it’s been a couple of years since we last caught up and it was a lovely afternoon spent talking, laughing and oh, a little swimming too.

Meanwhile, we try to stay cool and can firmly attest to the fact that shade under a tree is far superior to any other shade device be it gazebo, awning or umbrella. And as it is so warm we are eating later and later in the evenings when it’s cooler and when it’s more comfortable to cook altho I must say that the bbq is being very well utilised. But we are not complaining at all, summer is here at last.

PS. 10 days on and no sign of Covid.

Bad luck comes in threes

Someone has flicked a switch and turned the lovely warm fine weather off and given us cold, very windy and wet conditions. It’s very unpleasant out there, very wild and woolly to say the least. We are about 250m from the beach however our RV/bus/van/home is covered in sand. I did venture down to the beach for a look but the last 10m were a nightmare as I was getting sandblasted and it was quite painful. But I did manage to take a quick video.

Very windy and rough conditions.

Garry came to join us late last week and to do a bit of fishing, however, the luck had changed and the first couple of goes were unproductive before success on Saturday morning. The fellas went down to the beach to have another fish around lunch time but they were back quite quickly I thought. Oh no, the worst possible thing had happened, the drone had flown out to around 160m off shore before stopping, then turning in circles and before dropping into the sea. We are not sure why this happened but it’s a bit strange as on 2 previous occasions it has done something similar but always returning to base. It has only every happened to the drone off this beach so we are wondering if someone is using some sort of frequency blocking device, with catastrophic results in this last instance. Who knows. Update: we have since been told that interference from wifi, phones, even hearing aids can affect the frequency altho we are not convinced that this was the problem here.

Previous to the above two events, Roy and I headed into Whangarei on Friday to get a few chores as well as the shopping done. We came out of the first store to find the car would not start. A kind lady jump started the car for us and we were off again, but only for about 100m when again the car just died on us…in a stream of traffic! We managed, with some kind assistance, to push the car across the road to a safe park where we made a call to an auto electrician. He was quickly with us, changed the battery but no, it’s not the battery at fault, it seems it’s the alternator. With a new battery we were able to drive the RAV to their workshop close by where the very friendly and helpful staff sourced a new alternator for us very quickly, it will be delivered on Monday and they should have it going again for us soon after. Hmmm, but we are stuck in a Whangarei, we haven’t done our shopping and none of the other chores, what are we to do? Garry to the rescue, he drove up, picked us up, dropped us at the supermarket so we could get our shopping done whilst he attended to a couple of his chores, we decided nothing else was urgent and could be put off until we got the car back next week. So we were soon on our way back to Uretiti.

So here we are, tucked up in our home with winter clothes on again, with the heating going thinking warm thoughts. Oh but I did make soup for lunch….which is a bit of a running joke. You see I have been complaining about things taking up room in the freezer that need to make way for fish, one of them being a pack of frozen peas. You see a wise man once told me that anything worth less than what you would pay for fish can make way for the said fish, therefore the peas must be used. There is another running joke about peas, you see I don’t use peas very often in fact a small pack of peas would last me a year or more but I always get some in when friends Helen & Don are around…this joke about peas goes back many, many, years when Don jokingly said something about a meal not being a meal if it didn’t have peas with it. Anyway, I had a pack of peas in the freezer left from when Don & Helen came to visit and they needed to be used. So I made pea soup.

Pea soup, delicious and warming on a miserable day

The remains of cyclone Lola did her thing and we did rock and roll a bit during the nightbut we were very fortunate to be tucked away in our sheltered parking area. Tuesday dawned a little brighter and hey ho the car is ready to be picked up. Joe & Glenys (the ex custodians here at Uretiti) offered us a lift in to Whangarei, apparently in payback for a kind deed we did for them a few years ago that they were very grateful for. So we were off into Whangarei to pick up the car.

Now, I must say, we get a hit of flack about our little car; it’s age, doesn’t look the flashest, the mileage, but we take all the criticism on the chin. It does us well, gets us from A to B (most of the time), goes on beaches, up over some rumpty old roads and has served us well, so we figured a new alternator was worth doing. The RAV has done just over 407,000kms which doesn’t include when it’s towed as it doesn’t tick over when towed, it’s been a great little workhorse besides, the man at the workshop said she’s good for at least another 500,000kms!!! It’s back on the road, running as smooth as anything, it’s almost vintage if not an antique and we are very pleased to have it back. Now hopefully it will trudge along a little bit longer…fingers crossed!

Next stop Uretiti

It’s Labour Weekend coming up, why didn’t I realise that before now? Time to head north again and to Uretiti for the long weekend and a bit of fishing. Peter & Wendy are joining us for the weekend.

Peter & Wendy all parked up. Can you see us in our secret hidey hole?

Yep, there we are! Back in our favourite spot.

Peter & Wendy arrived Friday, and “no, I don’t think we will go fishing today” said Pete. However, after a walk to the beach and seeing others catching fish he was soon back saying let’s go Roy.

Over the weekend, the weather cleared to bring us lovely warm days, tales were told, fish were caught, eaten and vacuum packed then frozen for later and good times were had by all.

Clockwise from top left: Roy & Bernice, catch of the day, Roy with his 68cm snapper, Roy & Peter on the filleting production line whilst Wendy and I were vacuum packing.

The fishing was outstanding, over the long weekend, we fished only in the evenings after the majority of beach goers had left the beach so we didn’t hook into any swimmers or interfere with families having fun. And with excellent catches with magnificent sized fish, we didn’t need to fish any more often. Other campers were gifted fish, as were friends. Oh and I made some new friends too as I noticed a large group camping, obviously a large extended family, and as I was passing I stopped and asked if they would like the fish heads and frames. Oh my goodness, they were thrilled at the prospect and eagerly accepted my offer so after each days filleting exercise a large bag of heads and frames were delivered to them. I was greeted like a long lost friend, invited to share food and drink with them and I did chat to them, learnt that they were “new” NZers and how they buy snapper heads from their local supermarket as a special treat preferring the heads to fillets. I was shown how they cook them and what they add to the feast and then share with all the family members from young to old. We were delighted that we could share our spoils and make their weekend as memorable as ours.

More fish and Peter looking extremely happy with his birthday catch

Socialising over the weekend with Peter & Wendy, and yes Peter had a significant birthday so I made him a cake to welcome him to the OAP club…..my turn next!

It was a lovely weekend of shared fish, shared meals and great company but unfortunately Wendy & Pete had to return to Auckland for work on Tuesday. However, I am sure it won’t be long until we meet up again.

Another week or two slips by

Another week has slipped on by, the weather hasn’t exactly been playing ball but it is what it is. Garry came to join us for a few days, we hoped to get some serious fishing in but the wind and rain is just playing havoc with any fishing plans.

The three of us went into Whangarei to get a few chores and shopping done. When Garry arrived on Tuesday I noticed that the air in one of his caravan tyres had risen to the top of the tyre with not a lot at the bottom. I got our compressor out to pump it up, however it wasn’t long before we could hear the air escaping from a hole somewhere, bother. A quick change of tyre and the tyre will have to be taken into the repair shop in Whangarei. A number of other items were ticked off our list whilst in town and we were soon heading back to camp.

We are enjoying having Garry here for a few days and eventually the fellas did get a fishing trip in but came back empty handed, but another day tomorrow.

Roy & Garry off for a walk to the beach for a bit of fishing….only one fish was brought home

Garry was off again for the weekend and we had things to do. The weather came right too (of course) with our drone pilot away we could only hope it stays fine for when he returns on Sunday.

Garry returns, caught in the act putting his stabilisers down. A bit of a running joke as he hardly ever puts them down but he had invited us to his place for dinner and was putting the legs down in our honour!

More forays were made to the beach for fishing but unfortunately the fish were not biting.

The birds were fishing (and catching)

We had some amazing sunsets and beautiful evenings.

Evening views, beautiful, even with the tide out and the estuary a sandy playground for the birds.

Speaking of birds, the ducks seemed to think that it would be great to take up residence on our outdoor mat. I wouldn’t mind but they do leave their calling card!

Meanwhile on the other side of the world, Callum graduates from nursery and has a bit of fun.

Top two pictures are Callum’s graduation. Bottom left is Callum holding the gingerbread Eiffel Tower he baked and decorated – apparently the idea came from one of his current favourite books in the Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam series, and bottom right practising his spelling at bath time.

Auckland to Uretiti

Yes folks, we have finally moved. With everything done on the van and car, along with a weather window coming up, it was time to leave Peter & Wendy’s. We can’t thank them enough for having us to stay on past our housesitting stint, it was just so lovely and quiet and relaxing. After a farewell cuppa, we were soon on our way north. But first a stop at the gas station for LPG and fuel.

It should have been a quick 5 minute exercise, I left Roy to fill up whilst I went across the road to the bakery for a pie to have later on, it’s been ages since we’ve had a good bakery pie and the ones at Dairy Flat Bakery are very good. When I got back to the van, Roy and the attendant were having a struggle with filling the LPG, it simply would not work, she tried resetting the pump, tried the other side of the pump, reattached the nozzle at the van end, kept on trying to squeeze the nozzle but it just simply would not work. After quite some time, she decided to head inside the garage to see if it could be reset from inside, she soon returned to say that they had had a power outage earlier in the day and the pump had not reset itself. Now it’s working!

We were soon on the new motorway north which eliminates going through the notorious bottleneck in Warkworth and what a feat of engineering it is.

Once we exited the motorway we were on the road through the Dome Valley, however, this was much slower than usual as the whole road seemed to be lined with road cones with road works going on spasmodically along the way. It wasn’t much better when we got to the Brynderwyn’s either with major repair work going on here. The Brynderwyn Hills are a Ridge that extend east to west across the northern peninsular and signify, to me, the gateway to Northland.

Major slip repairs at the base of the Brynderwyn’s .

That’s another slip in the distance mid photo, which extended across the road and down the other side

Once at the top of the hills you get an expansive view over Bream Bay and the Whangarei Heads, however today we got no view as a rain front was heading through blanketing all in front of us with low cloud and rain.

We arrived at Uretiti to warm welcome from Adrien, ‘choose where you want to park’ he tells me, however, most of the beach front of the camp is out of bounds due to the continued flooding and semi permanent lakes now formed which don’t look like dissipating any time soon.

We chose a spot to temporarily park whilst we unhitched the car to go and have a look for a good parking place. Our preferred spot is now inaccessible so we have to look elsewhere however it didn’t take us long to realise that the options were few and far between.

We then proceeded to became a couple of “those” campers, those who just could not decide on an agreeable spot, we must have moved about a dozen times before we finally agreed on the best place to park and in which direction to take advantage of the sun, keep out of the prevailing winds, keep away from other campers, and find somewhere relatively level.

Parked safely, that’s the office just up behind us on the right.

Once we were settled and had a bite to eat and a cuppa, we went for a walk around the camp and down to the beach.

Looking down onto the camp road which had to be raised above water level late last year

They’ve dug a ditch to try and drain some of the water

This corner of the camp road used to have a lot of trees and shrubs creating a very private parking area, the trees and shrubs rotted after sitting in water for long periods and have been removed.

Very steep beach access, left picture is looking down to the sea and on the right is looking back up

Same corner, different angles. We’ve never seen flooding here before.

The coming weekend is a long weekend here in NZ, and we expect a lot more people into camp over the weekend. The public holiday is Matariki, the celebration of its first rising of the Pleiades star cluster in late June or early July. This marks the beginning of the new year in the Māori lunar calendar. Pleiades are acknowledged in many cultures worldwide and are also known as the Seven Sisters and in Japan is known as Subaru, hence the logo on their vehicles. Unfortunately cloud cover stopped us viewing the rise of the stars but I’m sure over the next few days we may get a glimpse…..if I’m up early enough!

M	T	W	T	F	S	S
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29	30	31

M	T	W	T	F	S	S
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29	30	31