Late Fences

I've become accustomed to composing my photos to include fences because I've been taking part in Gosia's weekly roundup of Fences Around the World. Although I rarely remember to post on the right day.

Anyway, here's my collection of fences from the past week or two.  The first few are from Taranaki where my eyes are always drawn towards the mountain.

This shot  is here purely because I drove up a particular road with this shot in mind, only to find the clouds had moved across in front of it while I was getting there.  I was not amused.

A few minutes later the same day he was a little more visible.  Yes, according to legend, he's a man mountain.

I got up closer but luck was still not with me.  There's always next time.

The next few are taken out the car window when I drove to Mahurangi Regional Park on my way home on Saturday.

And these are the fences on either side of the road that I travel frequently to visit my son and his family on the 'other' farm.

Long way home

Saturday was a glorious day.  Cold but bright and sunny, too good a day to spend simply driving home from Auckland after flying from Taranaki the night before.  A day where places I haven't seen for a while beckoned me off the well beaten track.

Wenderholm is one of Auckland's Regional Parks.  On the east coast, it's about a 35 minute drive from the city, but a whole world apart.  In summer it's long sandy beach is extremely popular with lots of folk picnicing on the large grassed area, under the shade of the huge, old pohutukawa trees.  On Saturday there was a scattering of people enjoying the winter sun.  Mainly older folk.  I guess younger people have other things to do on a Saturday.

 

Any time of year is selfie time.

 Around the corner, on the Puhoi River side of the park it was equally tranquil. 

I decided that I'd call in at another east coast regional park, a little further north.  I don't think I've been to the end of the road in the Mahurangi Regional Park at Sullivan's Bay since the 70s.   There are more houses along the road, of course, but still a lot of farmland and the views haven't changed.

All was quiet down at the beach.  There was a young tourist couple with a little child enjoying a walk on the beach, all smiles and friendly nods although we couldn't understand each other. And this older couple sitting beside their campervan having a cuppa. 

Before I reached home after dark I'd made another three little detours to visit family and friends.  And I felt like I'd enjoyed the absolutely perfect day.  Oh, and I'd taken one more photo - looking down the Kaipara Harbour on the west coast, from a friend's bedroom.  Yes, it's that easy to visit both coasts in a day.