Living the Life of a Kiwi

Today we didn't go anywhere or do anything special; we just stayed home. It's what I call a soak day. We like to take the time to focus on our surroundings, see some of the finer details, reflect a little, and let it just soak in.

Sometimes, we've made the mistake of trying to do too much, and at the end of the trip, it was all just a blur. Taking some soak time seems to be the antidote for that.

We started our day by having coffee on the deck, and just scanning the bay. It's a spectacular view, well worth taking time to appreciate. There was a boat out at the oyster beds. We often watch them with the binoculars, but even then it's difficult to figure out what they're doing. Of course, the tide waters are either coming in or going out, and we've noticed their activities are tied directly to the water levels over the beds. I have a mind to see if I could work there for a day, to better understand the operation.  But I thought better of it; since I retired, I consider work to be  like an extreme sport, it's nicer to watch someone else do it.

Mid morning we took a track that goes up and over the hill behind us. The view was great. You can see Sea Perch part way down the hill.

On our way back, we came across an old mine shaft. It was only a stone's throw down the road from where we're staying. We had driven by it a number of times, but it's just out of sight when going by in a car. It was another reminder, that we miss so much when driving rather than cycling or hiking.

We had wine with lunch on the deck. The weather was perfect, and of course they were still playing out in the oyster beds. If they only knew the entertainment value of their activities, I'm sure they'd charge for it.

In the afternoon, we walked along the bay, chatted with a couple of old gals from England, and further on, met a couple of Jehovah Witnesses sitting in their van having lunch.  I think they saw me as a potential recruit. Who would have thought they'd have Jehovah Witnesses down under? We did some beachcombing coming and going, and of course that's never a success without bringing home at least a few shells or a relic from the sea.

That reminds me, the other day we were beachcombing somewhere and found an old rusted engine block. There's probably a story of a boat being lost at sea behind that finding.

Grocery shopping has been a treat. We've been to a couple of stores; they're well stocked with some familiar brands, but mainly ones we've never seen. The prices are on average 50 to 75% higher than home. Speaking of prices, gas is about $2.25 a litre.

Our day wasn't complete until we slowed down and took time to watch the sun set. It was the end of another day. This one spent just living the life of a Kiwi.

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http://travellingwithsteveandmarlene.blogspot.ca/2014/03/steaming-sandy-hot-springs.html