Cow unhinged! The back road to the Bay of Plenty, with new stock signs that can be folded up when the cows are safely in their paddocks. Strangely enough, the Children signs were the same. Missed photo opportunity: the sign for "Bitterns Wandering" through the swamps of Cheddar Valley.
The traffic gets more interesting, the closer you get to the Ureweras. 
Ma & Pa Kettle go on holiday. Not quite the same as a trailer, 3 boats and a tent.
(I thought we looked super cool - Dad)
With the weather closing in, we still managed the new 22km Dune trail south of Opitiki. Reward for the odd foray onto the main road was a stop at the shop. We could have drunk our water, but hey! Fanta was attractive, with a few kilometres of head wind still to go.
Sparkle Bixley looking dangerous with a bat, with low tide on the Ohiwa Harbour, and Ohope, in the background.
A vicious game of croquet in progress. The girls were up on the finer & tougher rules of the game.
Jo being coached on the finer points by Zoe & Paul.
Paul looking relaxed and ready for another day's activity, and before the floods put pressure on the red wine supply and the tolerance of the septic tank.
Sumptuous feasts were prepared each night. Anna looks happy with the outcome
And Bill is an excited starter.
The new outside shower, providing luke cold (read freezing) water for the intrepid. An ingenious method of reducing waste water going into the stressed septic system. Pat Hill gets the prize for going for a swim in the ocean, floodwaters included, and then taking a cold shower.
The heavens opened, but our tent was snug. The reading must go on. The cup of tea must still be coming.
Bill & Zoe took advantage of the high tide, and the lull before the storm, to kayak on the harbour.
Crisis. The red wine supply is exhausted, and this is the main road to Opitiki. Fortunately there was a 2nd route. We were a bit disarmed by the Road Closed signs when we were coming home - with wine and bread - we could live - but fortunately the road closure was just past our turnoff.
Stump garden.
Enterprising farmer had created a number of roadside gardens, using old stumps as a base.
Hukutaia Domain, established around a 2000 year old puriri, Taketakerau. It was a burial tree, which gave farmer, Norman Potts, a bit of a surprise when he found it on his land. Consequently he established a 4.5 hectare domain, and spend years developing it as a native reserve. And yes, the skeletons were removed appropriately.
Ahh, those guys! Oldest friends, playing in a hollow puriri.
The bush was super eerie, in the rain, with everything dark and shiny. Taketakerau had its only special place, with carvings.
But who is this joker, in the base of the tree? Spooky.
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