Soaking Up Summer

When your only worry is whether the tide is going to reach your chair you know you're in a good place.

It was another stunning day and fortunately I didn't have work. One of the many perks of being a relief teacher is sometimes you're able to enjoy days off during the week. 

Oakly, Boo and I jumped in the bus to find a beach. Not wanting to travel too far from home (Nelson), we parked along Motueka's foreshore and took a wander..

The water was bath-like and the dogs alternated between exploring and cooling off in the water.

Motueka provides walkers with several seats along the foreshore with million dollar views. If you're walking your dog/s, the council has provided doggy bag dispensers. And unlike some other towns, there are numerous rubbish bins to deposit the deposits!

It would be easy to while away time, sitting here. To the right you look over the bay to the Kina Beach cliffs. And on the left is the Janie Seddon shipwreck. 

Oh, what a fabulous spot to watch a sunrise.

Obviously I was several hours too late to capture the sunrise and despite it not being the best time of the day to take a photo, I couldn't resist.

On our way home we called in to Kina Reserve. Not far from the bus was a fallen tree -  it made the perfect seat to soak up the gorgeous ocean views.

The dogs weren't too keen for another walk, so I turned the fan on and before long they were napping under a cool breeze.

Boo, trying hard to stay awake.

My beautiful boy - Oakly

It seems even seagulls feel sleepy on hot days! This little guy never moved as I walked passed.

It's nice having such lovely places on our doorstep to visit. 

Maclean's Reserve - A Spot to Stop Near Mot

Between Motueka and Tapawera is Maclean's Recreation Area - a large freedom camping spot, suitable for campers big and small (including tents). 

When we arrived I was surprised to see so much empty space - there were only a few campers. I'm guessing some were a family group, because close to their camper-van were several tents. And other than us, there were only a couple of buses parked near the end of the reserve.

The river was noticeably clean, and ideal for all ages and abilities - slow flowing with a few deep holes, perfect for paddling or swimming. What a bonus finding a river unaffected by toxic algae. 

Oakly and Boo love; having freedom to roam, to explore new places, to discover new smells, and during the warmer months cooling off in the river, is the icing on the cake. 

Oakly 

As the dogs scope out the area, I enjoy fossicking about, looking at the vegetation, watching insects, finding stones, in fact I enjoy checking a place out, as much as the dogs do.

While I was debating whether to have a swim or not, an inflatable boat came floating by.

It was packed with gear and the couple on board, waved out as they passed. They said they were searching for a spot further downstream to pull into, to camp for the night. 

When we left the reserve, I kept an eye out for the couple in their boat and eventually spotted them pulled in beside a little sandy beach. It seemed they'd found what they were looking for - a perfect place to pitch their tent.

Not long after, we arrived in Motueka and went to the NZMCA park, wondering if we might have left it too late and we'd find it was full. Fortunately we arrived just at the right time as there were only a few spots left. And what a bonus, it was a beaut spot at the edge of the park with a nice, flaxy outlook.

Later in the afternoon a cute, little visitor hopped by, and wasn't at all fazed by us. Luckily the dogs were snoozing or they would have been keen for a chase (not that I would have let them).

As the sun was setting we wandered around the estuary. 

Of course the dogs were fizzing because they could smell rabbits and were zipping in and out of bushes. And when they eventually reappeared ... they'd changed colour! They were covered in thick, black, smelly mud! Bernie was not at all impressed. 😂 LOL

Luckily there was a tap nearby so I was able to get most of the mud off. 

After a nice, warm shower back in the bus, both dogs smelt divine and ended the night tired and content after their day of adventuring.

Close To Home

We'd heard the new NZMCA park in Motueka was up and running and as we only live half an hour away, we decided to pop over and check it out.

Lucky for us we got a park beside a couple of trees. A welcome escape from the summer's heat.

Not long after parking up, we noticed our neighbour had a little Jack Russell and a laid-back cat. The next morning, Genny (the neighbour) invited us to join her for morning tea. She'd baked some yummy pikelets. As we sat down I noticed Genny was wearing a t-shirt with an emblem 'Motorhoming With Pets'. How cool was that! About two years ago I started a facebook group called 'Motorhoming With Pets in N.Z'. Genny is a member of the group, and had messaged us when we lost Paddy!  How lovely to put a face to the name.

Oakly was obsessed with Genny's fur-babies. He spent hours peering out the window, trembling in anticipation.

Oakly, taking 'curtain twitching' to the next level.

As you drive into the park, you'll see, Motueka's Community Gardens (to your left). The community must be proud of these gardens, they're crammed with all sorts of healthy looking vegetables. Everything was thriving! I think it's fair to say, Motueka's community obviously has green fingers and along with their climate they know how to grow veggies.

After admiring the gardens and the hard work that's been put in, we found the track that borders the estuary. The NZMCA Park, is on the boundary of the walkway  - so handy. 

It was an ideal time to walk, a gentle breeze had picked up and the sun was casting a golden glow over everything.

On the side of the track was a plum tree, dripping with ripe, juicy plums. Many had fallen onto the ground, forming a carpet of yellow-deliciousness.

It's an easy-going walk, popular with joggers and cyclists. Several bench seats are dotted along the walk, providing opportunities to sit and soak in the views.

The walkway continues alongside Wharf Road, which as the name suggests, leads to the wharf, also known as Port Motueka.

Port Motueka has a main wharf for commercial use and a further three marinas. There's talk of establishing an inter-island ferry service between Whanganui and Motueka. Initially, one ferry would be used for freight, and then all going well, five years later, another ferry for passengers would be introduced. If this proposal was to go ahead, Port Motueka would be in for some massive changes and the community would benefit from employment opportunities.

Talley's head office is based at Port Motueka. The privately owned, Talleys Group Ltd, also has an ice-cream factory based at the port, a shellfish processing factory, a fish meal plant and N.Z's first registered pack house.

Before the track veers away from Wharf Road, it crosses a boardwalk, then follows the eastern side of the estuary.

After almost 4kms the track links back to Old Wharf Road, which is the road the NZMCA Park is situated off.

We arrived back at the bus in the dark, and it was still really hot! Too warm to sleep. So we flicked Netflix on and watched 'Sons of Anarchy' until early hours of the morning.

The following morning, we tossed up whether to spend another night. There were more walks we wanted to do but it was so darn hot - we didn't want to walk the dogs in that heat. It took us until after lunch to finally make up our minds to head home, with the promise to return in autumn with our bikes.

Mot's the Spot!

Bernie left early Friday morning to take the rig to Marchwood Park in Motueka. I had to work so I followed around 5 o'clock. When I arrived everything was set up which was a bonus - even the awning had been put up. 
On the way over, I stopped at Ruby Bay to give the dogs a run.

Next morning I got up before sunrise to photograph the iconic 'Janie Seddon'. I'm not sure if it was such a good idea to take the dogs. The little ones got in the mud on the foreshore and were smothered in it. Boo actually got stuck in it!

The Janie Seddon was built in the United Kingdom in 1903. That same year she was brought out to New Zealand as a submarine mine laying vessel based in Wellington. 
In 1936 Talley's Fisheries purchased the ship to be used as a fishing trawler. However vessels the size of Janie Seddon weren't permitted to operate in the coastal waters of Tasman Bay. Her operating radius was limited by a 5 day coal bunker which often meant she would return with empty coal bunkers and half empty holds.
In 1950 she was laid up at the Motueka Wharf and five years later stripped of everything valuable and beached on the Motueka foreshore.  

I walked the dogs along the beach front hoping to rid them of some mud. In the end I drove to the Mot River and shampooed them.

Marchwood Park proved to be a great place to stay. There was all day entertainment in the form of horse jumping, parachuting and several planes practising taking off and landing.

The dogs seemed to enjoy their view from the couch.

Not far down the road are the historical salt baths. Too cold for a dip this time of the year though.

Some time during the 1920's the Motueka Beach was thought to be too dangerous for swimming due to sharks. Money was raised and in1926 an area was enclosed using shark proof fencing. This rusted away so in 1938 a pool was made with three concrete walls - the floor remained sandy. At high tide the pool would fill up, however over several years it filled up with sand. This resulted in a fourth wall and a concrete floor being added.

In the evening I went to the marina to get some photos of reflections as the sun was setting.

I couldn't resist popping back to the 'Janie Seddon' to get some shots in the evening light.

On Sunday morning we woke to horses neighing. The show jumping beside us had started.

We took the dogs for a walk along the beach. A trendy thing to do while at the beach seems to be to make a driftwood tepee. 

When we stay at a place we like to collect wild flowers. This was our 'Mot' lot.

Marchwood Park was a great place to stay. Many people living full time on the road choose this spot to 'winter over'. This large park has several gravel parking spots and areas beneath trees which would be perfect during the hot summer months. Plus it's suitable for all size motorhomes. Being close to town and providing free entertainment from your campervan windows are an added bonus.

View from the lounge window.

Being beside the airport was great!