Cherry Blossom Festival

Ominous Skies

Torrential rain and thunderstorms tonight. Spring is making up for a dry winter.

More from Muriwai

A quick clip of the sea - wait for the water spout at the end...

Tall Trees

The sun came out late this afternoon and so we went for a bit of a walk in our local reserve. Close to the start of the path, we found this pair of kauris. The trees looked pretty tall from where we were standing but nowhere near the 50 metres that they can reach when mature.



The path deteriorated soon after that and we found ourselves tramping rather than Sunday strolling. We were ducking under ferns and palms, balancing on planks across bogs and leaping brooks whilst following the possum trapper's tracks.

Mist over Muriwai

Took a trip down to Muriwai this afternoon to find out how the gannets were doing. The sea was rough and the spray thrown up by the waves made the woods behind the dunes rather eerie.



The gannets were struggling with the wind, hovering above the cliff top attempting to land in the right place - next to their mates. No signs of chicks yet but we guessed that the birds were sitting on their eggs. Will have to return in a few weeks for a progress check.

Land of the Long Grey Cloud

It's been a miserable week of spring showers this week. Hoping for brighter skies soon.

Rainforest

For those of you who think that we're living in a sunny paradise, here's a clip to make you feel better...