With pictures: The Queen's Birthday at Sandspit

We arrived Saturday, driving State Highway 1 south from Ruakaka to Sandspit, not far from the sculpture walk we took some weeks ago. Even through the windshield, the late autumn light is ahh-worthy.

 

It's the Queen's Birthday Weekend (talk about ick--she's spending it with Donald Trump) and everyone here gets Monday off. Except me. I love my work and can usually find a quiet place to get it done, but not today. It's a big family camping weekend and a strategic miss on our part, taking our camp host's suggestion and parking "down by the jetty," which is nicely situated on the waterfront but also adjacent to...the trampoline.

My work session was insanely loud with a hundred kids bouncing around having fun on their last morning before heading back to home and school. What kept me fully engaged was Dr E's Health Tip, entitled Lyme Disease: A Biological Weapon Gone Awry. Click here to read it. And just when your faith in government had been restored...

We walked the gentle curve of the water line with the tide out, looking at the unusual exposed formations.

People in NZ do what people everywhere do on a holiday--grill, eat, walk, play, have fun. Art roasted sausages on his homemade grill and I made caramelized onions and kale chips, a pile of blueberries and yogurt.

 

Later, we walked to the harbor cafe for a flat white.

I'm still having difficulty with blogger, using a work-around to send this out. All my brain power is being sucked away on cocked-up technology instead of telling a compelling story. Sorry.

This morning we drove an hour south to a campground just north of Auckland proper. It's located just a few blocks from the Land Rover service place. The Rover's due for service and that's a smart move before we push on, as winter starts here.