Return to Ray’s Rest

Wyn at Ray's RestAfter a few days in Auckland in April – including an evening at the Wine Cellar in K Road to hear Nadia Reid and Holly Arrowsmith and Ciaran McMeekin (three names to watch out for) – we headed east to the Firth of Thames and the Seabird Coast between Miranda and Kaiaua. We parked up at Ray’s Rest, not for the first time and hopefully not the last either. Here we are allowed to park up on the edge of the sea, which is a priviledge. It is a wonderful antidote to the frantic pace of nearby Auckland city.

Ray's Rest near Kaiaua and Firth of Thames

Enjoying the day at Ray’s Rest near Kaiaua and the Firth of Thames

It didn’t take us long to get the chairs out and start some serious relaxing. There was an autumn breeze from the west but motorhomes make good windbreaks and Suzi motorhome has a skirt for stopping the winds that try to sneak underneath.

The Firth of Thames goes a long way out at low tide, which makes for lots of lovely intertidal zones for the sea birds. Which makes for lots of interesting sea birds to watch, sometimes almost at our feet.

Ray's Rest near Kaiaua

Coromandel Peninsula across the Firth of Thames from Ray’s Rest near Kaiaua

Eventually we had to concede that the shadows were getting longer and it was time for a walk along the beach.

Shell pattern Kaiaua

The waves had assembled the shells into interesting formations on the beach at Kaiaua

Have you ever wondered what goes on underneath a tree? There was an old tree stump washed up along the beach that was on its side, conveniently showing the tangled workings underneath.

Old tree stump Kaiaua

Old tree stump on the beach at Ray’s Rest, Kaiaua

Beach at Ray's Rest Kaiaua

Wyn on the shell beach at Ray’s Rest Kaiaua. Hunua Ranges beyond.

Motorhomes at Ray's Rest at Kaiaua

Motorhomes at Ray’s Rest at Kaiaua. Hunua Ranges (and Auckland) beyond.

Some of the inter-tidal zone is very gloopy mud. This provides well for the wading birds. I was more interested in the little riverlets of water running off the beach and into the sediment.

Firth of Thames near Kaiaua

Coromandel Peninsula across the Firth of Thames near Kaiaua

Somewhere across the other side of the water is Thames, where I was born, and Ngarimu Bay where I lived for my first six years. It is always interesting to reflect on the choices and twists and turns in life that bring us to this moment. If Modern Stores hadn’t burnt down, might I be living there still, rather than looking from afar?

Firth of Thames near Kaiaua

Evening light looking across the Firth of Thames to the Coromandel Peninsula

 

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2 Responses to Return to Ray’s Rest

  1. gay dornbusch says:

    Beautiful pics Ross and how I would love that tree stump in my garden lol

    • Wyn says:

      It was a cool tree stump Gay. If we’d known you’d like it, we could have tried to drag it back along the beach and try and get it into the boot. lol.

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