When the gale gets tough, the tough get going....

(This post was actually written in early January.)

Yesterday morning started out with drizzle. From then on, both the rain and wind increased and by nightfall, we had a full scale gale going on. It howled and shook the windows all night. This morning, at breakfast, Allie proposed an adventure. She suggested that we refuse to knuckle under to the weather. That we drive to Piha and see what the ocean looked like in a real blow. 

At first, the boys counter-proposed that a day on the couch with their I-pads was just the ticket. They came on board fairly quickly after some parental persuasion. I don't think they really expected that that idea would actually fly. (Worth a shot though) 

About an hour later, we were in the car headed through the gusts and light rain and on our way. 

Come along with us. I have only pictures to show you today. I took, or tried to take, four videos, but the wind was so strong that the videos turned out impossibly shaky. Even with YouTube's camera movement edit, the results would not have been pleasant to watch. 

 Winding through the bush, on our way to Piha. 

 Lion Rock slowly materialises in the distance 

 We loose altitude rapidly and come out of some of the mist. 

 There it is, we're at the beach

There is only one small sand dune between the car park and the beach. We are somewhat protected from the wind here, but Arram wrapped a towel around his bare legs anyway since sand is being blown. 

Looking to the left - Lion Rock 

Looking straight ahead - the Tasman Sea

And wouldn't you know it...While we were on the beach, the Tsunami Siren went off nearby. Fortunately, it was followed by an immediate announcement that this was a test, only a test. Whew!! 

 Looking to the right - Kohunui Bay and Te Waha Point.

 There were quite a few other intrepid adventurers out.

At one point the boys saw a seagull actually flying backwards. It was trying to fly into the wind, but was being carried backwards in relation to the ground by the speed of the wind. 

 The town of Piha

We came, we saw, we conquered the wind and rain. We had had a real adventure and would be home again by noon. 

Well, we would have been home by noon if we hadn't stopped for takeaway fish-n-chips. We went to the Southern Fried Chicken place on Swanson Road for it. What a place that is. The food is great, inexpensive and is presented, by the very old Chinese lady who owns the place, wrapped in a newsprint paper bundle. I love it.  -djf

Nihotupu Falls

Today's adventure is a repeat of a hike Allie first took in 2011. Come with us and relive the fun.  

Leaving the parking lot. 

This trek is beautiful. 

Arram crouches inside an old excavator shovel that lies along our trail.

Amiri  is standing upright in it back on 12-26-2011.

We stop for a picture on the bridge...

Look at the adventurers in 2011 

We're heading down a long gentle slope and this is what we see to the left of the trail.

Natural Water Slide
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKMV-CaoK8o&feature=youtu.be

We're almost to the falls, but Allie shows the boys a spot on the cliff.

Arram has seen it now too. Take a closer look.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7z80Y9GZaE&feature=youtu.be

The face of the cliff is cushioned with a deep layer of saturated moss and ferns. 

We made it to the falls. It was about a half hour's walk. Very pleasant breeze today. Here are some videos...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQ9OBsjTqz4&feature=youtu.be


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP4IJKiYUKE&feature=youtu.be


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xASY_dglOT0&feature=youtu.be

Amiri up on some rocks

Arram has tossed a big piece of wood into the water and he and Mom watch it float down the river. 

Heading back

I like the pattern

We met a couple coming in as we were going out. They showed us their baby. Proud parents you know. (We know all about that.)  -djf

If you'd like to see Allie's blog about this adventure, check this out.

http://oceanmorning.blogspot.co.nz/2012/01/we-went-looking-for-waterfall.html?m=1

Extreme Edge, Glen Eden

I actually wrote this post over our Christmas holiday. It got pushed back because of my 10-part vacation special. 

The boys have come to Extreme Edge several times in the past and always enjoyed themselves. For Christmas therefore, Jeanne and I bought them a 10 climb pass and we started using it today. It was the first time, we have seen it and I must say, we were impressed. 

The boys have put on their climbing harnesses and are getting them snugged up and checked by staff.

Here is a close-up of how the cable hooks into Arram's climbing harness. Now that  he is attached, he'll release the clamp held by the red ropes. This clamp holds the climbing cable down when it is not in use by a climber. 

I asked Amiri to scoot up the blue, red and yellow wall directly behind Jeanne so I could get a picture of him, part of the room and Jeanne, all at once. He went up that one like a squirrel. Many others are much harder. 

There are a total of 30 walls to climb. Some of them are beyond the boys' abilities because they can't reach the hand/foot holds. Not big enough yet 

Amiri, I notice, likes to sit on upper blocks and survey the scene below him. Kind of like having a break on the summit of Mt. Everest. 

See what I mean. Here is he is on another perch. 

In this shot, Amiri is making a dramatic fall ( arm outstrecthed) from his red wall.

The system is quite impressive. Once you're at the top, or as high as you want to, or can go, you can just push away from the wall and the cable lowers you gently to the ground. I never saw anyone try to climb down. It's too much fun to fly down in slow motion. 

Amiri's making good progress up the dinosaur skeleton. 

Quite a stretch on this one for Arram.

Fortunately, I had some coins in my pocket and the boys were able to play some air hockey during a climbing break. 

And some pinball

I'm taking this picture from the top viewing floor. There are three. The boys have been climbing for about 1 1/2 hours and they are just about spent. Arram agreed though to climb one more wall so I could get some pictures from above. 

There he goes. 

Making headway

Doing great

Misson accomplished.

And there he goes back down. 

Stretched out horizontal as he nears the bottom.  -djf

Shells +

I've read that shells were once used in some cultures as money. Cowry shells seemed to be the most popular type. 

We haven't found any of them here yet, but I have a small selection of others that I have found and value. I don't think anyone will give me anything for them though. I used shellac to bring out their colors. Take a look. 

I think this is a piece from an Encrusting Tube Worm colony. 

Yeah, I know. Not a shell at all. But I found it on the beach and I like it's shape. I don't know what sort of creature left this behind. I've named it 'Bulldog' because it sort of looks like one.  I'm not crazy. You see it too, don't you?

I love limpets. 

This is a Cook's Turban shell. An edible sea snail. This is a small one. I have one that almost as big as my fist 

I didn't dye this shell. It's the only one I've found that is so yellow. 

This is a turret shell. Found only in NZ

I like how this shell has aged. 

Shells as money? I don't know about you, but these limpets are about as beautiful an item as I can think of. I can easily imagine another time when I might have traded vegetables or venison for them. 
Who needs cowries? These nest inside each other and make a very pleasing jingle-jangle in your pocket, almost like coins do.    -djf