Wave cave adventure

Have you ever sat down with a book of short stories and found one that you really enjoy? One that makes you want to read it really slowly and savor the mood or the story line or writing style or whatever it is that you connect with? I have. The one that I'm thinking of now and that leads in to my post today is Franz Kafka's The Burrow. I think it's a real treasure. In it, we listen to the thoughts of some unknown sort of burrowing animal as it considers it's home and all that it means to it. I've read it many times. 

 My favourite burrow. This was taken in a little meadow not far from my hunting blind, back in 2010. 

For this shot, I lay down next to the burrow shown in the header, turned on the flash on my camera, stuck my arm into the burrow to the shoulder and snapped. It took me several tries before I pointed the lens in the best direction, the one that showed the horizontal tunnel at the base of the entrance hole. I wish I had a camera on the end of a cable that I could feed into the hole and explore lots further...

Many times, when I walk into a cave, I think I might feel a little of the comfort the animal from The Burrow described in walking through it's home's passages. Caves generally seem to me to be welcoming. Sounds change within a cave. Smells surround me. I seem protected from the outside world. It makes me want to go further in and discover what it has to show me.  I never feel claustrophobic. I guess I figure that this cave has lasted all this time without collapsing. Odds are that it won't do so in the next few minutes as I pass through it. 

After all the hoopla I've thrown at you just now, maybe you'll be disappointed that today's post describes our exploration of a mini-wave cave at Bethell, that only runs through about 60 or 70 feet of rock. It has many of the attributes of longer caves though. 

This was the first time we have been able to get inside it. Actually, it's the first time it occurred to us that we could get inside it.  In the past, the tides have been high enough that waves continually crashed through this opening. This time, during Dianne's visit, Jeanne discovered it was in fact accessible and that it has a sand floor, once you climb down into it. It offers a peak into the water that lies beyond it. 

Here, Dianne is taking a look. 

You can just see the opening at the far end. 

A little better view of the water beyond.

The water outside is making little splashing noises. Hollow sounding inside here. Every now and then a very minor little wave might come in and wet a couple of feet of the floor.
It's so cozy now that it's hard to believe that being here at hight tide would be deadly.
Note the color change on the walls about half way up. I wonder if that marks the high tide level?

The next time we go, I'll try to get right up to the edge and video the outside. 

This is taken while making my way back out of the cave. 

Almost out 

I also wanted to show you some of the rocks that decorate the beaches here. Some of these look like rocks within rocks. Others are worn almost smooth and look like a tile floor. 

Looks like the western part of the U. P. doesn't it?

This section is on O'Neill Beach. This picture doesn't do it justice. It is more colorful that the picture shows. 

When I see rocks like this I wish I had a geologist in my back pocket. 

This large central one looks like a diagram of a brain.  -djf

Another Saturday morning in Auckland

One Saturday morning during Dianne's recent visit here, the ladies made plans to visit one of Auckland's two 'cat cafes.' Allie, Jeanne and the boys had visited the other cat cafe recently, the one on the north shore of Auckland and they pronounced it to be 'fun as.' This one is more restrictive. Children under ten are not allowed. (For an explanation of what constitutes a cat cafe, see: http://baristacatscafe.co.nz/about-us/

I came in to the city as well that day, but not to visit the cats. I dropped the ladies off, so to speak, and then walked around the wharf area until it was time to meet them again for lunch. Today's post will take you along on my ramblings and give you yet another little glimpse of life in Auckland. 

Here is the sign along Queen Street, directing you to take a right. 

You've got to want to go to this cafe. It's hidden away. 

Down the alley, 

Up some stairs, around the corner, up more stairs,

Around another corner, through what appears to be a high-security door,  

And finally, at the end of the corridor, the prize. 

These are probably the most well-protected cats in the city. 

I'm told that when you go in to the cafe, you are given the biographies of all 18 of the resident felines. 

But, time is wasting. I have only one hour to see, and to show you some sights, so let's go...

On Queen Street once again, looking toward the wharves, about a block and a half away. 

There are lots of new sky-scrapers in Auckland, but many historic buildings remain. 

 I understand that the Queens Cafe there on the 2nd floor (known as the first floor here) is a very high-class place. 

Maybe you recognise this place...in front of Britomart.

I'm looking through a window in the construction barrier (that white fence on the right in the picture above) of the excavation for the new rail lines. It will be tied into the current Britomart center.  (behind me) 

What the rail lines will be in the future. 

'Kitty'-corner from Britomart several street food vendors have set up, and are doing very well, by the looks of things. 

On the waterfront...We always stop here.
Jeanne and I have rested on these benches so many times. You can watch the ferry traffic come and go. Lots of human traffic too of course. But don't make the mistake of feeding the sparrows. Once you feed them, the seagulls take note and move in for their piece of the action.

A mooring bollard on the wharf. The scene in 1906 must have been very different than today.

Today, that bollard looks across to Prince's Wharf and the Hilton Hotel, which reportedly borrowed it's architectural style from a cruise ship. 

(BTW...their get-away package for two this weekend is a particularly good deal at only $759.00.) Yipes. 

I'm standing in front of the first bench that's shown in the 'On the waterfront' picture and I've turned to my right to take this picture. This is the Ferry Building. 

The wharf on the right is where many of the ferries tie up and passengers board/disembark. 

The little red boat you see in the foreground is a jet-boat that takes thrill-seekers around the harbour at high speed. It's well known for its habit of accelerating at maximum, then going into multiple 360 degree spins. Little wonder that all passengers get raincoats, life preservers and are securely wedged into their seats. Thanks, but no; I'll stick with the ferries. 

And here comes one of the ferries now. 

Having a Sky Tower in the city is almost as good as having a compass in your pocket. You can alway figure out where you are. 

I'm walking along Quay Street. (and BTW, note the bricks.). The cruise ships that come in to Auckland tie up along either Prince's or Queen's Wharf, depending on their size. Prince's Wharf is to my right. This morning it's clear that there are no cruise ships here. You can imagine the scene if there were a couple of thousand tourists on the loose.  There are lots of gift shops in this area. Honey, jade, sheep skins, shells, and hundreds of other things are available.  I wonder how much heavier the ship becomes at each port of call as the passengers haul back their treasures?

Well, the ladies have been petting and oohing and aahing at the cats for nearly an hour now. It's time for me to head back and assume my duties as a tour guide again. I take a right on to Queen Street by the Ferry Building.
I'm taking them to Burgerfuel. https://www.burgerfuel.com/nz
I have sometimes complained that most NZ sausages are not very good, in my opinion. I have no such complaints with Burgerfuel. Their food is pricey, but most food is in NZ, and their burgers are top notch.  

High on Muriwai

Allie and I made a quick trip on Saturday out to the Muriwai area to buy hay for our group of guinea pigs.  Allie has been buying hay from the same farmer out there for some time. She only knows the farmer's first name though, which is Sally. Years ago, when Allie first bought hay from her, Allie had pencilled some additional reminders into her notebook about Sally so she wouldn't forget who she was. The notes were 'Muriwai' and 'haybale'. Now, given the passage of time, and the repetitions of reading her name and the notes in the notebook, her name has officially evolved to 'Sally Muriwai Haybale.' I think it sounds like a very plausible proper name.  (Allie tells me she also has a Craig Soccer Coach and a Suzy Adam's Mom in her book.)

 The lane leading from the road into Sally Muriwai Haybale's farmyard. 

Part of the farmyard

After we loaded two bales of hay into the car, we headed for the beach. This was not to be an hours-long visit, rather it was going to be just a quick look. The beach after all, was only about 8 minutes away from the Haybale farm. It would be a shame to come all this way for hay and then not make a stop, however briefly, at the beach. I had both my phone and camera charged up and was ready to snap as many as I could. I'm always ready when the opportunity to take photos for another post presents itself...

The boys had declined to come along today. That was fortunate actually. Since Jeanne would also stay behind with them, that meant we could bring home two bales instead of just one, as we had always purchased in the past when we had a car full of us. The boys were deep into a game involving, in part, two recliner-sized boxes that pieces of our new living-room sectional had come packed in. So that was the reason Allie and I would only briefly visit one of the Auckland area's great beaches. 

 The window in the closed position.

The window open and shelf automatically deployed.  Arram reportedly came up with the design of this ingenious system and Amiri added interior comforts as well. 

This next set of photos looks rather odd I think. We were up on the highest turnout above Muriwai Beach, way above even the parking lot for the beach and we're looking north to the rest of Muriwai. The gannet colony is about 1/2 mile away and the distant beach is probably a mile or so. 

That's one of the gannet colony rocks down on the left. 

The sea is reflecting the blue sky on the left of the picture, but the right side, where the beach is, looks grey and boiling.

Here, I think the waves coming in look menacing, like they are arching up and crashing down. 

I've done a little zoom here to try to show you the 'texture' of the beach surf. 

It's raining heavily over there.  The beach has only a very slight slope for a long ways out so the breaking waves and white water covers a wide area. 

A tour bus got in the way. The squall is moving inland. Happily, we could stand outside the storm and watch it from a distance. 

The land really doesn't need any more rain right now.

The storm I showed you is in the north. This was taken at the same time, but looking south-west. What a difference.  

Here is a video I have on Youtube that shows what I've talked about so far. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehBvZw18uXI

I'm about half-way down the ramp between the parking lot and the beach in this shot. Here is the view of the Tasman Sea. If you look very carefully at the end of the video, the last few frames show mist from the surf drifting shoreward in the sunbeams. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBG-7IejSc0

On the black-sand beach with Allie and a pillow-lava boulder. I take a look back at the way I came down and admire the cliff. Take a look...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_w7409_WWA

Now, take another look back at the waterfall and see what else is going on up there...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHbWRDI_NkQ

Still on the beach, I'm looking up at the people who are standing about where I stood to take the first video.

 This is taking place about 15 minutes later than the last picture, and I'm going to walk to the headland you see behind Allie. 

Another sea cave

I've never been in this one. I'd like to, but it appears that the window of opportunity is very short. Further, if I did happen to be there at the lowest tide, I'd still have to cross a section of deep water before I could climb up onto a sand floor within the cave. 

I'm back now to the base of the path that leads up to the parking lot. The rocks seem to offer doubtful comfort at best but what do I know? Many of these rocks are pillow lava after all.  Maybe she found just the right ones...
At any rate, time is passing and we have to get home. 

It's only after 3, but the sun is getting lower already. 

Almost to the parking lot now.

 One last zoom back to the cave, 

 And one last look out across the Tasman Sea. What a place!          -djf