Red In The Morning ...

The other morning the bus had a warm, pinky glow inside, a sure sign there was a sunrise worth getting up for. I couldn't get out of bed quick enough but if I'm honest, knowing I can climb back into bed again makes it easier. When I'm up, watching the sky change colour, I wonder why I don't do this every morning.

Bernie has just bought me a new tripod, so this was the perfect opportunity to try it out.

At first the foreground was dark but as the sun rose higher, rows and rows of grape-vines seemed to magically appear.

It wasn't long before the sky changed again and pinky mauve tones emerged.

As was I taking my gumboots off back at the bus, I noticed the nearby tree had a golden glow as the early morning light touched it. For a second, I toyed with the idea of walking further along the river to see what the willows would look like. It was a toss up between the colours of the willows or my warm, snuggly bed. Surprisingly, the willows won!

And, crikey it was worth it. Although it's spring, the trees had the look of autumn.

And, then it was back to the bus, where I received the warmest greeting from my furry-friends. What a great start to the day!

I thought, I'd show you where we're staying and what Damfam Vineyard is like.

How To Get There
From Blenheim drive north towards Picton, turn right at the Spring Creek roundabout. Cross the one way bridge (Ferry Bridge) over the Wairau River and turn right into Wairau Bar Road.
Drive about a kilometre along Wairau Bar Road and you'll see on the right, a hand-written sign, 'Damfam Vineyard'.

Drive over the small gravel rise and follow the road ...

To your left you'll see the vineyard that supplies grapes to Yealands.

Ahead is a gate, which is the entry to the camping paddock.

As you drive through the gate, on your right, is a recycled fridge. It's full of books campers have left for others to enjoy and beside the 'library' is the box to pay for your stay.

And, only metres away is where you can fill up with fresh water.

As you can see, I took these photos after a few days of rain. However, Winston has assured us that despite the rain the ground remains firm - he hasn't had to tow anyone out yet!

Puddle reflections ...

In the distance you can spot our bus....

And a close up photo shows us parked beside the river.

Near the bus is an intriguing tree. I'm guessing it's a fruit tree as it's smothered in blossom...but why does it have plastic bottles hanging from it? I need to find out...

And then there are the sheep. Several protective ewes were busy safeguarding their lambs, ensuring they didn't wander too far or get into any mischief. Some lambs appeared to be timid, staying close to mum, while others were more adventurous and attempted socialising. They didn't always get a friendly welcome, there were a few unfriendly sheep about! However it was great entertainment watching their shenanigans.

Damfam Vineyards is an ideal place to stay if you're about to catch the ferry to cross to the North Island or if you've just crossed over to the Mainland. Being dog friendly is a bonus and for those travelling in large vehicles, there's oodles of space.
The sunsets are pretty special too.

 Thank you 'Damfam Vineyard' (Winston & Robyn), for sharing your slice of paradise.

Roaming & Relaxing at Rarangi

Sometimes a certain place just feels right. And for me, Rarangi is one of those places. It's only a 10 minute drive from where we're staying at Spring Creek, so the dogs and I set off to explore.
At the northern end of Rarangi, there's a parking area where two separate walks begin. One is the 'Rarangi -Whites Bay Track,' which has to be walked both ways unless transport is arranged. The track goes over the hill into Whites Bay and takes about an hour one way (dogs aren't allowed on this walk).  
The other option is a short 20 minute return walk that goes around and over the rocky point into Monkey Bay, this one is dog-friendly! I decided to explore Monkey Bay first and then wander along Rarangi's foreshore.

I love the stairway and its rocky wall.

The views over Cloudy Bay are fantastic. In the distance you can see the Wither Hills with snow capped mountains behind.

Aren't the patterns on the foreshore awesome?

At the top is an area offering views of the North Island and information boards explaining the way the sea currents have formed Rarangi Beach over thousands of years.

If you look at the photo below you'll notice some mountains in the background - that's the North Island.

Amazing, it looks so close.

After reading the information boards, we wandered down the path to Monkey Bay. I noticed a sweet, fragrance and it wasn't long before I discovered the source.

Wild freesias! The air smelt heavenly.

Monkey Bay is a small cove, tucked amongst high rocky walls. There's a little cave, which fills with sea water at high tide and while I was there I could hear the water thrashing against the rocks. Apparently in 1928 a local resident tried to excavate this sea cave thinking a tunnel could be made to connect Rarangi to Whites Bay.

Monkey Bay's shoreline is tiny and when the conditions are right, it's a nice place for a swim. But, when I was there - that wasn't the case!

A creative visitor before us, left a little piece of their imagination. A rocky bird's nest!

After the dogs had checked out and smelt every inch of the area, we walked back up the path and down the steps to Rarangi.

In the photo below, not far from the steps to Monkey Bay, is Rarangi's dog-friendly campground, which is managed by DOC. If you plan on staying there with your dog, you'll need a permit, which can be organised by contacting the local council. When we stayed, I got a permit for our two dogs online, it was pretty straight forward. Or you can email them (the council) or phone. Click 'here' if you want to read more information on the campground.

I love Rarangi's Beach. It's windswept and rugged. Isolated and boisterous. But today, without any wind, it appeared calmer. Fortunately it still had that solitary feeling. It was just me and my dogs. Bliss.

It wasn't long before the dogs, Oakly and Boo, had their noses pinned to the ground. They'd picked up the scent of a rabbit. And to make their day even better they flushed it out from hiding and began a chase (a fruitless chase). I actually think the rabbit played with them, knowing it had some hopeless pursuers. In between bursts of speed and zigzagging here, there and everywhere, it headed in my direction. The little ball of fluff, was only metres away from me, before it changed course to seek refuge among some tree stumps.

I waited for a while, letting the dogs believe they'd find the rabbit again. I knew they wouldn't, or at least I hoped they wouldn't!

And when they realised they'd exhausted their efforts, they were happy to continue walking further along the beach.

Although I've never seen anyone make these driftwood huts, I always enjoy seeing them. 

Last time Bernie and I visited Rarangi, we stayed at the DOC campground for a couple of nights. It was in November and the foreshore was smothered in masses of wildflowers. Click 'here' to see that blog. It was spectacular. 
However, this time the wildflowers weren't en masse (I was two months early), but I did notice other plants in the area. They weren't all in clumps, some were weathering the environment alone, while others had company. 
I think, plants that grow in these harsh conditions deserve a medal. I love spending time examining them. Some are teeny tiny, others bright and bold. At first glance some may seem like an ordinary flower, nothing outstanding, but when you take time to really look closely at them, they're exquisite.

Even the common foliage of the Ice plant also known as Pig Face deserves a second glance.

From a distance, I spotted an area of bright colour amongst the sand dunes, it turned out to be heaps of these lime-green coastal plants.

As mentioned above, when I had the time to explore, all sorts of vegetation seemed to pop up. But, it's not always plants that are noteworthy - at the beginning of this year, in January, a female elephant seal was seen on the beach. Now that would have been an interesting find!
Rarangi's beach environment also hosts the rare stone moth and mat daisy jumper, both of these insects can only be found at Rarangi. 
Katipo spiders also reside among the sand dunes, however as much as I searched the only insect I saw was this magpie moth. Magpie moths are native to New Zealand and can be found throughout the country. Something unusual I learnt about these insects, is when they're at the caterpillar stage, they are able to freeze themselves to survive!

A special spot with million dollar views.

Rarangi in Maori means 'the place where the sun rises'. The area was originally subdivided in 1920 for settlement and is now home to just over 500 residents. 

By mid-afternoon, the sea began changing colour and the clouds darkened above. It was time to head back to the bus. 

We'd had a great time exploring but like the old proverb says, 'All good things must come to an end'. The dogs were ready for a drink of fresh water, followed by a snooze in the sun.

I'll finish this blog post with a photo of someones artwork I found on Rarangi's beach. I think it sums up our day perfectly.