My Freetime Outings..I Try To Not Stay At Home

[ënagualí~ᏉLAᗪἇ ኔጡ።]

I certainly feel lucky to be living in New Zealand thats for sure, so much to do and see here still and I've been here my whole life,...so it might be a small country but it does have some limitations,especially in regards to transportation and the high costs of such..

like we dont have passenger trains going to every city, so its either bus, car or fly and it aint cheap in comparison to the rest of the world for the same thing. But we get by...but there is also many outdoor places to visit that dont cost money also,or very little to compensate I spose..,

and bigger townships arnt too far away to drive to in the north Island,from me in Coromandel Paeroa/Thames area, ...  Auckland is only 2hrs drive from here [not that I go there much], Hamilton [Waikato] is only 1hrs drive, Tauranga [Bay of Plenty] 1hrs drive, Rotorua 2hrs, Taupo 3hrs, Wellington is 6hrs to give some idea of distances to drive to get to them all,and a lot of native bush & farmland in between them all to get there...

but I hate big bustling cities now-a-days.. after living the quite life for so long..coming home after spending a day in a major city is like a debrief from a extreme military camp lol..[see map below] see photo's of each place I got to trekking the great outdoors..

Coromandel are townships  & not cities

Auckland is a massive city [dangerous too]..

Hamilton a small city 

Tauranga is growing but its a small city

Rotorua a small city 

Taupo a township

 

Wellington is a massive city

Places I've been to...

All these photo's have been taken by me on my treks along the Ohinamuri river banks, & while on private property out at the Komata Reefs waterhole in the Hauraki district -  at the base of the Coromandel Peninsula.

The North Island's Hauraki region stretches from the eastern coastline of the Coromandel Peninsula to the western side of the Firth of Thames, presenting nature in a jaw-dropping fashion.

Its landscapes are ideal for outdoor enthusiasts with its immaculate beaches, luxuriant forests and striking topographies that leave visitors spellbound. From scaling peaks on Coromandel Range and delving into Karangahake Gorge to indulging in swims within translucent waters at Cathedral Cove or basking in thermal pools located at Miranda - this place has it all!

The Hauraki region boasts a plethora of historic sites and cultural attractions that embody its diverse heritage. The marae in the town of Whangapoua offers an opportunity for visitors to educate themselves on Maori culture while exploring Waihi, a gold mining town, or the Thames – which was once New Zealand's largest city – presents another option for discovering historical significance within the area.

Hauraki is a locale that provides an assortment of activities for individuals with varying preferences, ranging from thrill-seeking enthusiasts to individuals passionate about history and those who simply wish to unwind while absorbing the awe-inspiring landscape. It is a geographical area bound to enchant every visitant's affections.

My photo's  of various places around this area..

So now you all know where I live and where my haunting grounds are, when I talk about going to the Coromandel to go surfing or going on a trek to some place you'll be able to recognize  some of it at least from here.

All these beaches are within 1-2hrs drive from where I live in Paeroa on the Coromandel, East Coast..

Hot water Beach, Coromandel..Geothermal you dig a h ole in the sand & have a thermal bath, then a dip in the ocean

Waihi Beach,Coromandel,

A bustling beachside village of boutique shops and eateries, set alongside a 9km stretch of inviting white sand, Waihi Beach is on one of New Zealand’s safest surf beaches and home to a vibrant and friendly beachside community.

Whangamata Beach,Coromandel

Whitianga Beach,Coromandel,

Whitianga or Whiti City as the locals call it is the gateway to our favourite beach in New Zealand. Cathedral Cove is a must visit while you are on the coromandel peninsula. Just down the road from Cathedral Cove you will also find another attraction the Coromandel is famous for and that is Hot Water Beach or Hottie as the locals would say. Whitianga is also home to The Lost Spring which is our favourite Natural Spring in NZ, anyway check out the video and  check out Whitianaga and the beautiful Coromandel Peninsula.

Pauanui Beach,Coromandel,

Pauanui Beach is one of the all time popular holiday spots in The Coromandel. During the weekend you'll find the beach busy with walkers, dogs and kids, surfers, paddle boarders and sun bathers. There are also protected dotterel birds that nest along the sand dune. Pauanui Beach is a great option for a leisurely walk, a romantic sunrise or a photo opportunity. SURFING PAUANUI: On the water you'll find a friendly break for surfers, which is great for learning and a right hand point break for the more experienced. SAFETY: Pauanui Beach is patrolled by Surf Life Saving NZ in the summer. Remember to swim between the flags. ACCESS: There is parking on the beachfront at the south end with good access for mobility impaired visitors, also at the north end, Royal Billy Point, from where the Tairua-Pauanui Ferry also operates in the holiday season.

Driving Creek Railway, Coromandel -  & Barry Brickle Potter [now deceased]..

Your train driver will entertain you with the story of Barry Brickell and how this amazing place came to be, as your tram winds its way up to the EyeFull Tower lookout, traveling through a native forest of regenerating kauri, rimu and ferns.

Hear how pottery has played an important role in creating Driving Creek and of our work to return the Driving Creek property to pre-European times as we travel over large viaducts, through tunnels and reversing points.

Passion and art collide and, boom, your gobsmacked by one human's vision. I first heard about Driving Creek Railway and Potteries back in Mount Maunganui, when I asked what one should be sure to do on the Coromandel. Well, he, said, there's this guy up near Coromandel Town who started a small-gauge railway so he could go get the clay he needed to do his art and it's pretty cool.

Spy hidden gems along the way, unique pottery sculptures and artworks and people zipping through the trees.at the top views to die for of the full Coromandel Peninsula,and being shown where Barry is buried on the top ridge of his own property..all this was totally mind blowing to me.. 

Let me first introduce you to Barry Brickell when he was alive & living sharing his passionate art of Pottery on his property..

Driving Creek’s founder Barry Brickell purchased the present day Driving Creek property upon which the railway and pottery sit in 1973. The property was attractive to Barry for its ‘yellow plastic clay’, derived from the weathering of the old volcanic rocks. There was a scattering of pine trees amongst scrub, self-sown from original pines planted by the early Californian gold diggers of late 1800 century. The property was a mix of scrub and farmland, poor quality pastures that Barry quickly started reverting to native forest.

Most of the raw materials for the making of terracotta pottery garden wares, tiles and sculpture come from the upper slopes of the property.

As a railway enthusiast the property provided Barry with the opportunity to create a replica of the Ongarue bush tramway that he had visited in earlier years, a railway that has long since vanished.

The railway would provide a practical and environmental advantageous way to provide all weather access to clay and pine wood kiln fuel for the pottery. However, we suspect it was more about Barry being able to play trains on his own railway, an interest that allowed him to also explore his love of engineering.

Barry poured considerable money into railway construction before it was licensed to carry fare-paying public in 1990. This was a huge financial gamble that paid off with returns from the pottery steadily diminishing.

Look at that tiny 15-inch track!

The train cars, all built on site, are driven from both the front and back. Periodically on our journey we came to the end of a track, reversed the train, and started climbing up an adjacent track. This because the track couldn't be laid tightly enough to make these turns to gain elevation.

All Images below belong to me after my trip up there yesterday 23/4/2024

Just got back from traveling for two days on vacation tripping up & around the Coromandel Peninsula,went to Barry Brickells Driving Creek Railway & Pottery studio,went on a train he built himself to collect the clay for his pottery on his property,it took us right up the top of a mountain over looking the whole of the Coromandel,it was mind blowing..

Now today I just got home at 4.50pm after spending the day out at the Lost sculpture Park & Abatoreum,Waitakaruru..loads of trekking and hill climbing,a real workout ..but so worth it..

https://www.sculpturepark.co.nz/

[ënagualí~ᏉLAᗪἇ ኔጡ።]

I have heaps more photo's I havn't added to my pc as yet,so will add them later,I've got a bit busy since getting home, car needs cleaning, I must have a bottle of bug glue on my windscreen,the house needs cleaning as I left it in a right state,getting ready, my animals homes need sorting out too, the aviary is a mess needs aerating before I go back to work on Monday..where did those 2 weeks vacation go..but least I got out of the house after 3 days of rain and did something..enjoy my pictures wont you,& look out for the rest soon..

[Julie]

Thanks for the sightseeing tour Vlada, and yes I know the feeling when my friend left at tea time yesterday so much to do after the "time out"  painting and relaxing, also a few late nights and a couple of early mornings.  Change is good but then the catch up can be difficult in terms of time and the many jobs we need to do.

Today I've had mum round for a meal and afternoonsies....plenty of cups of tea and a nice glass of wine with dinner.  Weather here in England pretty cold for the time of year, a real mixture of weathers.

[ënagualí~ᏉLAᗪἇ ኔጡ።]

Your welcome Julie, I've been sharing my outings in NZ for years now online..glad you had a lovely time with your friend & your mother..and responding here..

[Julie]

I love seeing pictures of other countries, New Zealand looks quite exotic...England is lush and green mostly with lots of farmland

[ënagualí~ᏉLAᗪἇ ኔጡ።]

Yes I've been to England & Scotland & Wales on my big OE years back..l loved the Lake Districts of Cumbria oh it so reminded me of New Zealand in the South Island & the people were lovely so friendly & helpful..and Wales too it was also pretty & people were also open & friendly I went to Criccith,Pwllheli,Conway,Cardiff,Bangor,Caenarfon,Porthmadog,Portmarion & more..but hated London it was a the pits to be honest, such a dirty city..a real anticlimax for me as it was nothing like I'd seen in images before I left NZ..it was just so filth you know you create these images of what to expect and it turned out it was nothing like it..and people were acting like ants not taking notice of anything around them but their destinations,..and so unfriendly too..but then I suppose you get that in other cities..people may say the same about Auckland or Wellington even..and I dont see it??,not that I was looking for it to be dirty I just happened to notice..but yes I love looking at other countries and wished Id been able to go further on my OE but didn't have the finances..I'd be the kind of person to just hitch hike anywhere and sleep under trees in the great outdoors weather permitting.. but then I know I've lived many lifetimes and seen a lot of the world already,even once I was on the silk road with a Bedouin family centuries ago..but what got me the most was I went to Denmark to a place called 'Ribe' on a cruise ship,never been there before in this life time at all but hey I certainly had in another,.. cos when I got off the ship, I started walking and it came over me like hold on how come I know where I'm going,when I dont even have a map,nor do I speak the language, but then someone spoke to me in Danish and I was like holy shit I understand them in my head,but why cant I respond back to them in the same language,it was a really weird feeling I tell yah,it was like a all knowing experience,I knew what was around the corner in certain streets, I also found I was looking at my own feet on the cobble stones and thinking I know exactly how many cobbles to the next shop as if I at some stage had counted them once.....anyway I walked around this town and knew what I was going to look at and others just followed me,cos they too didn't speak the language and just thought I did by the way I walked I spose lol it was funny...I told them, why are you following me, they said cos you know where your going we dont, I said no I dont I've never been here before,they said yes you have you know the names of the streets even..and geepers I did too..it was weird..like living in a alternate reality or something..and I know if I ever got to Egypt to Karnak it would be the same, Id know it like the back of my hand,every street as I ran down them all centuries ago..maybe when I retire I'll go there lol IDK..25years to go till then.

[Julie]

Ahhh yes the Lake district is very beautiful.  I've stayed in a cottage B & B on the edge of Buttermere, very old fashioned.  There was  silver service set out for breakfast.

My mum's cousin Val, her son I believe lives on North Island, think mum said he worked for a brewery.  His surname is Hulse.

Those places you mentioned in Wales I've been to most of them.  I've been to London to the Ideal Home Exhibition when I worked on the Youth Training Scheme.  Also once on a coach trip for Christmas when I lived in the Fens.  My son's recently moved from London up to Preston, he worked for Sega in the Licensing Dept.

Denmark - my Son lived here for a few years working for Lego.  He started off living near to the office then moved to Vejle, he liked it there, cost of living was high at the time.  When he left he worked freelance for a while for the company.  What he said when he moved there was that it was very clean and moving back to England he noticed how dirty the streets and public transport were.

That was quite an experience you had Vlada.

There was a meditation I did and wrote down what I saw, there was a chamber underneath the sphinx where I lay on bed, maybe crystal.  If I find it I'll post it.

[ënagualí~ᏉLAᗪἇ ኔጡ።]

Oh woah yes please post your mediation of Egypt I lived in Karnak temple centuries ago in past life,I've written of my experiences there in depth too..so I'm very intrigued as I recall entering this temple that was below ground,I cant tell you the name of it,I was a alter boy for the Amun-Re Priesthood who adopted me from my parents who were too poor and unable to feed me they taught in the Ancient Akan Ancestral belief systems were practiced in magic,that was until the Romans came along and destroyed everything in site practically,killed many Amun Priests & prevented the belief systems from going forward.I believe the 'hall of records'of Amati is not in the Sphinx but in another pyramid that's buried underground and hasn't been unearthed as yet,these are my memory recalls,it was guarded by the high priests, but there is a secret chamber also within the sphinx itself but its not accessible without high resolution's of chanting to open it up,as its magic sealed,it may not show up on infrared technology even as its highly shielded,but I also think its no longer around as the original head of the Sphinx has been replaced, so it may have been ransacked/and or removed to another place..e.g the other pyramid underground?..It was not the Amun Priests that were out to destroy Akhenaten and Nefertiti  it was the Romans who were out to destroy the Amun Priests & their magical powers..hense they raided the temple of Karnak and killed almost all the priests that were unable to escape in time..the priests saved me from being killed even,I wrote how and what happened to me too I was only a young teenager at the time ...but anyway I wasn't anything special either just I carried the incense burners for them, but it was very elaborate this place underground it had these many rooms separated by beautiful textiles like tule blowing in the wind,there were servants with fans, woman goddesses on lounge type chairs it was like a harem and it palms in stone pots geepers it was amazing, I wonder if it was under the sphinx but IDK..I'll find it too and when you share yours I'll add my recalls to it for you to read,again I tend to blow people away with my recalls of past events I've lived but I was never anything high class or special other than a normal human being living...

Taikunping avatar ~ Julie Parry said:

Ahhh yes the Lake district is very beautiful.  I've stayed in a cottage B & B on the edge of Buttermere, very old fashioned.  There was  silver service set out for breakfast.

My mum's cousin Val, her son I believe lives on North Island, think mum said he worked for a brewery.  His surname is Hulse.

Those places you mentioned in Wales I've been to most of them.  I've been to London to the Ideal Home Exhibition when I worked on the Youth Training Scheme.  Also once on a coach trip for Christmas when I lived in the Fens.  My son's recently moved from London up to Preston, he worked for Sega in the Licensing Dept.

Denmark - my Son lived here for a few years working for Lego.  He started off living near to the office then moved to Vejle, he liked it there, cost of living was high at the time.  When he left he worked freelance for a while for the company.  What he said when he moved there was that it was very clean and moving back to England he noticed how dirty the streets and public transport were.

That was quite an experience you had Vlada.

There was a meditation I did and wrote down what I saw, there was a chamber underneath the sphinx where I lay on bed, maybe crystal.  If I find it I'll post it.

[Julie]

I did an online search for Tony's website where I know I posted the writing, as yet no luck Vlada.  Your recall is awesome

[ënagualí~ᏉLAᗪἇ ኔጡ።]

Oh I just spoke a little of my past life memories of a time frame in that comment, it goes way deeper,I was lucky to survive the battle when the Romans invaded the temple if it hadn't been for the quick thinking of a Priest to protect me,I write on each memory separately,I cant just pull them all out of my 'Halls Of Remembrance' though as some are just fleeting reflections not actual full recalls if that makes any sense, like when one experiences say a whole section of a life time,they can write about it in a story format, some are just too small for that..I think I've posted a few in here I'm not sure.. I know I have in other websites I'm on..If I find some I'll link you to them..

I've been around on earth in different bodies for a long time Julie eons of time going back millenniums of earth time really,but I cant like everyone else remember them all and have to unfold them one at a time..have you ever listened to the lady who recalled her lifetime in Egypt her name is Dorothy Eady aka Om Seti...

Heres a video on it for your interest if you havnt:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYhtu-u8lqQ

[ënagualí~ᏉLAᗪἇ ኔጡ።]

Just got back from a water park gardens in Gold Mining township of Waihi, it was a very picturesque walk, Khalo loved the walk along with me too,..it was a beautiful clear & warm afternoon and so every man & his dog was out in nature, the colours of the autumn trees making a stunning back drop scene,but one couldn't go two feet without meeting another dog and the whole nose to butt meet n greet thing happening,but it was nice,we both enjoyed the outing..the ducks were out on the lake & a black shag was eyeing up the carp from his log,and everyone was friendly and chatty along the way on their walks like me..

Then on the way back home I took a detour and drove out to Dickie Flats DOC Camp Ground in Waikino and walked the track out there too and across the suspension bridge, people were camping out there even at this time of year..and loads of trout fishermen also..walking along the track I came across a whole family of Californian quail & their babies, all scurrying out the way into the undergrowth..and Khalo didn't even bat a eye lid at them..then walking back over the camp ground field.. I could hear a common sound of snorting & snuffling as a group of black Angus cows came walking up behind me to check Khalo out, he'd never seen a cow before and stood behind me a bit deterred by their size....but not too far off in the distance I could just see the long red hair highland cows I met last time I was out here..but they were in a far off paddock not close enough to take a good photo of this time round sadly.. as their shaggy hair they were shedding and they looked like they had been dragged through a hedge backwards,so funny,yet their long horns looked even larger than they were last year..down the road heading home again.. I stopped in on Owharoa waterfall, there were also loads of tourists & people,more ooh's & ahhs & pats for Khalo as the Japanese tourists love miniature Schnauzers it appears... they were also doing the same thing takig in the beautiful falls & sights of my district..so all in all we had a great day out trekking...

[Julie]

Yes think I've heard of the lady but never got around to discovering more, thanks for the video link Vlada

ënagualí ~ Ꮙℓἇ∂ἇ ኔጡ። said:

Oh I just spoke a little of my past life memories of a time frame in that comment, it goes way deeper,I was lucky to survive the battle when the Romans invaded the temple if it hadn't been for the quick thinking of a Priest to protect me,I write on each memory separately,I cant just pull them all out of my 'Halls Of Remembrance' though as some are just fleeting reflections not actual full recalls if that makes any sense, like when one experiences say a whole section of a life time,they can write about it in a story format, some are just too small for that..I think I've posted a few in here I'm not sure.. I know I have in other websites I'm on..If I find some I'll link you to them..

I've been around on earth in different bodies for a long time Julie eons of time going back millenniums of earth time really,but I cant like everyone else remember them all and have to unfold them one at a time..have you ever listened to the lady who recalled her lifetime in Egypt her name is Dorothy Eady aka Om Seti...

Heres a video on it for your interest if you havnt:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYhtu-u8lqQ

[Julie]

Sounds like a great day out and beautiful weather too, enjoyed your photo shares Vlada.  

I was indoors yesterday afternoon waiting for the guy from the gas company to do a service on the heating boiler, so I decided to carry on with my paintings.  

Last week I finished off the eagle, this week I started a fairy and forget-me-nots.  I mixed a lot of green for the fairy picture which I didn't need so spread another canvas with green with lots of random brush strokes to cover the canvas.  I followed up on my picture as I'd seen a landscape in the brush strokes.  

The strange thing was looking through your photos this morning, I'd put several images into my painting which that had your very similar shapes/colours... for instance the water, a sword, in my picture rising from the lake, a stone which looked like your stone in the picture by the path, the rushes/grasses, a pathway.  In my picture though there was a tower on the hill with a pathway and standing stones.  Hoping to work a bit more on my paintings today.