Blogs from North Island, New Zealand, Oceania - page 4

Memories of visiting St Hilda in the Woods Church at Ngamatapouri many decades ago convinced me I should travel over New Zealand's longest no-exit road to see it again. After turning off at Waitotara, onto the Waitotara Valley Road, we came across a sign warning us of wandering stock. The sign is there for a good reason. We had to dodge stock and wild goats all the way. The road roughly follows the Waitotara River and is sealed until you reach Ngamatapouri. We worked out we needed to keep going for another few kilometres in order to find the church. Seeing the church again was lovely. I remembered how beautiful it is inside. However, like churches all over NZ, it was locked and we couldn't find any contact details so were unable to find anyone to ... read more

In the middle of the beautiful Manaia Golf Course is the historic Manaia Redoubt that was built in the 1880s. It consists of a lookout tower, which is a 1912 replica of the original tower that blew over in a storm, and two blockhouses. The redoubt is surrounded by trenches which are not easy to climb in and out of if you are unfit or it has been raining. If you have an interest in NZ history, it is worth taking the risk of being hit by a golf ball as you run across the fairway to reach the redoubt. It isn't very interesting but you can grab a few photos and then head into town to Yarrows (The Bakers) and grab some very yummy, very cheap treats. Munzees: there are plenty of Munzees to capture ... read more

September 1982: Patea was a busy little town. There were two doctors, two pharmacies, a post office and telephone exchange, County Council and Borough Councils, a town hall, banks and shops. That changed overnight when the freezing works closed. Almost everything closed, never to reopen. It is hard to believe 40 years have passed. Attending the event outside the gates to where the Works used to be was emotional for the large crowd that turned out in the rain. Memories were shared, the information board and plaque were unveiled and photos were taken. I will let this report fill you in on all the details url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018857153/patea-marks-40th-anniversay-of-freezing-works-closurehttps://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018857153/patea-marks-40th-anniversay-of-freezing-works-closure The highlight of t... read more

Netflix managed to convince me that trying glass-blowing would be something worth putting on my bucket list. That would be the long list where things don't get crossed off very often. However, my landlady heard me mention this and sent me to New Zealand Glassworks in Wanganui to make a glass paperweight. I arrived early and was able to watch the gentleman ahead of me making his paperweight. Being able to view this from the gallery was great for all the customers but quickly convinced me it was going to be far too hot for me and way beyond my capabilities due to having Sjogren's and Lupus etc. I explained my fears to the lovely staff who assured me it would be fine. They would do whatever I needed them to do. So, with great trepidation, ... read more

For photographers, Patea offers plenty of photo ops. One of the best is the historic Hunter Shaw Building. It was built in 1930 thanks to a bequest from Mr Shaw's estate. It used to house the library. My favourite memories of the building involve the clock. The mechanism for it is on the wall and didn't always work correctly. All four faces were more than capable of telling different times. It isn't open very often. I had to sneak in during Paepae in the Park.... read more