If It Was Today...

Warning: Botanic Garden

Posted on March 3, 2026 by If It Was Today

We all know what that means. Lots of pictures…

The Whangarei Quarry Gardens are, as you might expect, in an abandoned quarry. This is a surprisingly good place for a botanic garden, so it has been done in other places as well. Butchart Gardens near Victoria BC, Canada, is similar. The main difference is that Whangarei has a collection of tropical plants that might struggle to survive, much less thrive, even in BC’s relatively mild climate. After lunch, seated outdoors of course, we headed into the garden and were almost immediately greeted by a display of air plants and succulents.

We included this next shot, because this is a flower that we can only get in flower shops at home, as part of flower arrangements. It’s lovely to see it growing outside and looking so healthy.

I included this next one because it looks so vibrant.

Several small streams flow into the quarry from the surrounding hills, creating waterfalls like this one.

The Quarry Gardens have numerous small side paths for you to explore. with interesting plants and scenery. Some of those also have smaller waterfalls.

When the gardens were started, the volunteers needed to first clear out the rubbish in the bottom of the abandoned quarry. Then they built a concrete dam to create a small, but deep, lake for native fish and to store water for the gardens.

This created opportunities for small streams, bridges, paths, and more waterfalls.

Bridge over small stream, with waterfall

More lovely flowers. I couldn’t resist.

We included these next shots to give you a sense of scale. These are plants that only grow as small houseplants at home. Here, they are much larger.

It is typical of New Zealand to commission art installations by local artists, and the Quarry Gardens is no exception. Can you spot the waterfall through the center of this piece? If you look at the background, you should also be able to see evidence that this was originally a quarry.

The Quarry Gardens was built and maintained by volunteers. There is no entry fee, though donations are encouraged. In addition to the plants, the volunteers have created numerous paths to explore, such as this one.

These paths have similar types of plants, creating zones to explore. Here are a few from one of the final ones we saw.

This was a very interesting shrub.

And here is a persimmon tree covered with fruit.

I’ll close with this flower that looks like a space alien, or perhaps an April Fool’s joke.

The Quarry Gardens turned out to be an unexpected gem within the city. It was beautiful, informative, and a pleasant afternoon walk. If we return to this area we will definitely visit it again.

Tomorrow we head south to Auckland and the last few days of our visit.

Posted in Travel | Tagged Botanic Garden, New Zealand, Photography, Quarry Gardens, Travel, Whangarei | Leave a comment

Whangarei

Posted on March 3, 2026 by If It Was Today

Another slow start today. The hosts at this B&B join us at the breakfast table. Francis, in particular, has had a rather eclectic career and has an extensive collection of interesting stories. It makes for a leisurely breakfast.

After breakfast, we set out to find a local store that sold Maori crafts, only to discover that it only sold items online – there wasn’t an in-person store. More research will be required in the future, but no worries. We headed to the Whangarei town basin. We heard it had the Hundertwasser Museum, a vibrant arts scene, and a walking trail along the river. We also wanted to find lunch somewhere in there as well. We found it all.

Friedensreich Hundertwasser spent the last few decades of his life in New Zealand, and this museum and adjoining arts center celebrates this. His style is distinct, but you could see a certain similarity with Gaudi.

Just outside the museum, along the river, we found this rather interesting structure that incorporates the same style. See if you can find me in the picture.

Next, we saw the Canopy Bridge, a decommissioned car bridge that has been covered with a canopy and is used for artisan markets and other local events.

The art works are hidden everywhere. This painting is only visible from the bridge.

The adjoining artisan center has several shops specializing in different arts. In one, we saw someone using a spinning wheel to make yarn. In the same shop, there was a large loom with a nearly completed work. To the lower left of the tapestry you can see the picture they are using as the model for the piece. If you’re looking for a challenge Stu, I think I’ve found it!

Next door, a glass blower was at work.

Then it was time for the river walk. It has pieces of art and information panels at regular intervals. This next piece of art is called Waka and the Wave. It is a joint collaboration between two artist, one Maori and one of European descent. It symbolizes two cultures coming together, merging, learning from each other, and moving forward. If you want the full story, you’ll need to visit.

Here is a closer look at the Waka (Maori boat) emerging from the wave.

Further along, we crossed this bridge. The white pieces symbolize Maori fish hooks, but they are also functional. The bridge raises to allow ships to pass through, and the white pieces act as a counterweight. I love how art and function can combine.

After crossing the bridge, we spotted this, and went to investigate.

It was a camera obscura, and once you went inside, and allowed your eyes to adjust, you had a clear picture of the bridge, upside down, of course.

Tonight there is a total lunar eclipse – a “blood moon” – and we are in the perfect place to see it. Here’s hoping the skies remain clear!

Posted in Travel | Tagged Camera Obscura, Lunar Eclipse, New Zealand, Photography, Travel, Whangarei | Leave a comment

Kauri Museum

Posted on March 2, 2026 by If It Was Today

When we travel, we generally prefer to stay in places with things to see without having to drive. Once we arrive in a town, we like to park the car and walk. We’ve generally managed to do that on this trip, but not this time. In Whangarei we are going to have to drive. So today we decided to drive about an hour to the award winning Kauri Museum. It was a pleasant drive through rolling hills and pastures. It would have been positively relaxing, except for the narrow roads and the many single-track bridges along the way. But hey, it’s part of New Zealand’s charm!

We had a long chat with the B&B host over breakfast, which added to our typical slow start in the morning. By the time we reached the Kauri Museum we were ready for lunch. They had an interesting menu, but the item that caught our eye were the “loaded kumara wedges”.

This turned out to be New Zealand’s answer to poutine. Kumara fries (sweet potato) with sweet chili oil, cheese, bacon, and crème fresh. Jan found it a bit rich, but I just found it yummy.

Then it was time for the actual museum, which provides an amazing amount of information about the kauri forests that once covered much of New Zealand. Kauri trees are protected now, but when the Europeans arrived, the massive trees were logged extensively. The centerpiece of one room in the museum was a plank from a kauri tree that died about fifty years ago after a lightning strike. The next picture shows me standing beside the plank to give you a sense of scale. This was near the top of the trunk, where it branched out.

This tree was over 600 years old, but some other trees were 2000 – 3000 years old. To give you an idea of how large these much older trees were, the museum included this display. The disk in the center is from the tree I was standing beside earlier. The other rings show the diameter of other notable kauri trees.

Kauri wood can have wonderful patterns, as shown on this platter from the same tree.

When kauri trees are damaged, they oozed sap to protect the wound. This sap hardens and is called kauri gum – essentially a form of amber. Over the centuries, this kauri gum accumulated in the soil in the forests, and a whole industry developed to dig the gum. We ate lunch in the Gumdigger Cafe, named after this trade. Kauri gum is also protected now, but the museum had many pieces from earlier collections. Here is one example of a display case.

Many of the pieces were polished like amber, but some were carved into sculptures, such as this one.

At breakfast this morning, a large bowl of feijoa fruit was on the table for our enjoyment. Very tasty. We learned the fruit was from the hedge just outside the house. Not fair. When we came back from our museum tour I took this picture of the fruit trees just outside the B&B. Also not fair. Especially when I think about the weather we will return to!

Posted in Travel | Tagged Kauri, New Zealand, Photography, Travel, Whangarei | 4 Comments

Leaving Paradise

Posted on March 1, 2026 by If It Was Today

We were driving out of Ahipara this morning when Jan said “we never made it to Cape Reinga Lighthouse”. A pause, then we simultaneously blurted “we’ll have to come back”!

But I’m getting ahead of myself again. Yesterday afternoon it started to cloud over with occasional showers. The setting sun was mostly hidden by the clouds, but the sunset was still pretty impressive.

We loaded the car just in time for our 10:00 AM checkout, but we weren’t ready to leave Ahipara just yet. We found a public parking lot by the beach, and enjoyed one last walk along Ninety Mile Beach. At least for this trip. No pictures of the beach today – you already know how amazing it is. But as we were loading the car, the steps were littered with frangipani flowers knocked off by last night’s rain. We picked up a few to freshen the car, and to remind us of our amazing stay.

We’re staying just outside of Whangarei for the next few days. The B&B is in a private area with a small walking trail, so I decided to explore after we unloaded the car.

I spotted an interesting plant that we’ve seen before. I looked it up and discovered it’s a narrow-leaved cotton bush that is a host of the monarch butterfly.

Once the pods ripen and split open, it’s easy to see why it’s called a cotton bush.

There was also a brugmansia plant at the start of the trail.

The trail was wet after last night’s heavy rain, so I turned around fairly quickly. Walking back up the stairs to the start of the trail I took this picture.

I’m enjoying a beer from Urbanaut as we investigate options for the next three days. Only one more week in New Zealand. 😦

Posted in Travel | Tagged Ahipara, New Zealand, Ninety Mile Beach, Photography, Travel, Whangarei | Leave a comment

Another Day in Paradise

Posted on February 27, 2026 by If It Was Today

We did nothing again today. I figured I wouldn’t be able to find any new and interesting pictures. I was wrong.

Last night, after I posted, we watched the sunset from our patio. I’ll come back to the actual sunset later, but this was the view from the patio, just after sunset. It gives you an idea of just how lovely this is.

This morning we started our beach walk a little earlier, trying to avoid the midday sun. Not a lot earlier mind you, but at least a little. I’ve talked before about the patterns in the sand. Today, they were even more distinct than previously.

Because we started earlier, we could walk longer. At the 4km mark, we stopped to stretch. I did my stretch by the water so the surf could wash over my feet.

There are sand dunes along portions of the beach, and I decided to climb up and see what was on the other side. It was an RV camp site. When I turned around, I could see Jan, way down by the water. Note the colours of the water behind her.

And then, of course, I had to run down the dunes. Great fun.

The sand on the beach here is very hard, so vehicles have no trouble driving long the beach. Turns out that it’s also hard enough for bicycles.

Years ago, on one of our first trips to Paris, we went for an evening walk the day we arrived. The Eiffel Tower looked so inviting, and quite close. We decided it would be easy to walk to it. When we eventually gave up and turned around, it didn’t look any closer than it had when we started. Ever since then, it has been something of a running joke with us. Some things are much farther away than they look! The beach in Ahipara has a hill with the same effect. No matter how close, or far away, it always looks the same.

I opened this post talking about watching the sunset yesterday. I took many pictures … of course I did. When we reviewed the pictures, it turns out that Jan and I have very different ideas of the best sunset picture. So we’re looking for help. I’m going to post both pictures, without saying which one I prefer. We’d love to hear from you, with which one you like best, and why.

Tomorrow we head south again. It has become clear that we goofed. We only booked three nights in Ahipara. Next time we’re thinking a week would be more appropriate. Who knows, we might even make it to the Cape Reinga Lighthouse. Or, we might just walk along the beach again.

Posted in Travel | Tagged Ahipara, Cycling, New Zealand, Ninety Mile Beach, Photography, Sand Dunes, Travel | 16 Comments

Ninety Mile Beach

Posted on February 27, 2026 by If It Was Today

Today, we did nothing. Unless, of course, you count having breakfast and coffee while looking out over the sand and surf. Or walking for over an hour along the beach. Or having lunch with the same ocean view, reading a book, and going for another beach walk. If none of those count, then we did absolutely nothing.

The beach here is amazing. It is wide and flat. I took this next picture standing at the water’s edge, looking directly toward the shore and our cottage. It is a very wide beach.

The beach is even longer than it is wide. Not actually ninety miles, but nearly 90 km. It stretches to the horizon, and beyond.

One thing that you don’t see in this picture is people. It’s wonderful to have a beach like this to yourself. Well, not exactly to ourselves. You do see vehicles going along the beach. Not many, but nearly as many trucks as people.

Once you get past the cottages, the shore is lined with sand dunes.

The surf creates all sorts of interesting patterns in the sand. I think it’s because the different colours of sand have different weights, so they settle out at different rates. Or maybe not. Either way, it’s wonderful to look at.

Towards evening, we went for another, shorter beach walk, and we came across a fairy dancing on the rocks.

As we neared home, we spotted a white-faced heron looking for dinner.

And then it was time to sit down and tell you all the things we did on a day where we did absolutely nothing. Once again, here is my view as I write.

Just like yesterday, I looked up and spotted riders along the beach. Seems like a thing here.

Tomorrow we plan to absolutely nothing again.

Posted in Travel | Tagged Ahipara, Horses, New Zealand, Ninety Mile Beach, Photography, Travel | 4 Comments

Oh My!

Posted on February 26, 2026 by If It Was Today

We drove further north today. We planned to use Ahipara as a base to visit the Cape Reinga Lighthouse, near the northern tip of New Zealand, and to explore Ninety Mile Beach. It was a comfortable drive, just over two hours, so we planned to do a little exploring along the way. But before we even left Paihia we spotted a market beside the road. We had time to kill, so we decided to check it out.

The market is timed to coincide with days when cruise ships dock in the Bay of Islands, so there are a lot of craft stalls, in addition to a few with produce. One particular spot caught Jan’s eye.

The woman uses all natural fabrics, and plants for the dyes. The leaf shapes you can see are from actual leaves. Jan bought a merino wool wrap that is absolutely gorgeous. Then it was off to the first of our two waterfall stops.

Of course there was also a hiking trail, so we stretched our legs. This tree along the trail was particularly interesting.

Then we headed to Kerikeri to get lunch on our way to Rainbow Falls.

By now it was getting late, so we headed for Ahipara. The place we are staying in is called Gems Seaside Lodge. When we opened the front door, we understood why. This is the view from the room.

We unloaded the car, got ourselves organized, and then…

If you look closely at the previous picture you can see what looks like sand dunes in the distance. That is exactly what it is. It is one of the things that I may have to explore, if I ever get tired of walking along the beach.

It’s called Ninety Mile Beach, but it isn’t actually that long. Apparently it is “only” 88 km long. You can see it stretching into the distance.

It isn’t just about the beach. The front of the house had a gorgeous frangipani plant, still in bloom.

I said that this wasn’t just about the beach, but let’s be honest here, it’s mostly about the beach. This is where I’m sitting as I write this blog post.

As I was writing, I looked up and saw this.

I started this post by saying we had two things in mind when we booked here – Cape Reinga Lighthouse, and Ninety Mile Beach. After seeing the view from Gems and walking the beach, we’re thinking that Cape Reinga Lighthouse may need to wait for another visit.

Posted in Travel | Tagged Ahipara, New Zealand, Ninety Mile Beach, Paihia, Photography, Travel | 7 Comments

Waitangi Treaty Museum

Posted on February 25, 2026 by If It Was Today

We returned to the Waitangi Treaty Museum today. Tickets include an option for a second visit within a few days. Two days ago we took the guided tour and cultural display, so today we visited one of the museums. There is so much fascinating detail about how the Maori and English struggled to come together, recognizing each other’s culture and needs. I think it’s fair to say it’s ongoing, but I get the sense that New Zealand has made more progress than many other countries. I’m not going to try to summarize our visit to the museum, other than to say it is well worth seeing.

After our visit we headed up the hill to the golf course restaurant. I don’t play golf, but I was told the food, and the view, were both excellent. We were not disappointed.

Yesterday Jan spotted a t-shirt that that was perfect for me.

In case the picture isn’t clear, here is a closeup.

Tomorrow we head north again.

Posted in Travel | Tagged New Zealand, Paihia, Photography, Travel, Waitangi Treaty | Leave a comment

Bay of Islands

Posted on February 24, 2026 by If It Was Today

In an earlier post, I suggested that there were hundreds of islands in the Bay of Islands. Today I learned I was mistaken. There are only 144 islands. We took a boat tour of the islands, though obviously not all of them.

For the past week, the weather has just been “okay”. Today, it was perfect. (Thank you Heather!) Clear skies, warm temperatures, and amazing colours, on the islands, and the sea.

There are so many islands that you can get views of islands, between the gaps in other islands. Some of the islands allow you to anchor your boat and camp. If you have a boat in New Zealand, that is. Damn!

The highlight of the tour was a visit to “Hole in the Rock”, which is exactly what it says it is.

Someone asked if our boat would fit through the hole, and the skipper said “just”. If the tide, the currents and the swell were just right, we could go through the hole. Today, everything was right and we went through.

To give you some perspective, here is our boat.

There were several interesting perspectives as we sailed around the rock. In this shot, the island looks like an elephant.

Further along, you could see a lady’s face in profile.

One of the features of these tours, is the possibility of seeing local sea life. We came across fish “schooling” where they basically swarmed and broke the surface. Very cool.

We also saw New Zealand fur seals, sunning on the rocks. Apparently they hunt at night, and during the day they nap in the sun. A bit like me.

But the star attraction were the dolphins. In Deep Water Cove we came across a pod of bottlenose dolphins. The skipper estimated there were upwards of 50 dolphins, playing around our boat. Sometimes, very near the boat. Here are a sampling of the pictures I took.

We took the tour with our friends, Heather and Larry, who we met on a river cruise in Europe. They also joined us in Italy last fall, and we met up again this year in New Zealand.

We weren’t the only boats on the water. On our way back to Paihia we passed a two mast sailing ship.

We arrived back in Paihia mid afternoon, so, of course … wait for it … we headed for the beach.

We spotted a few interesting bits of seaweed washed up on the sand.

Tomorrow, it will be … very difficult to top what we did today. But we’ll do our best.

Posted in Travel | Tagged Bay of Islands, Beach, Dolfin, New Zealand, Photography, Sea weed, Travel | 4 Comments

Waitangi

Posted on February 23, 2026 by If It Was Today

Today we visited the Waitangi Treaty Grounds – the site of the first treaty signed between the British Crown and the Maori tribes. We took a guided tour, which included a visit to a Maori war canoe carved to commemorate the Waitangi treaty, signed in 1840. The canoe is housed in a special building, decorated with symbolic carvings.

The war canoe is taken out once a year on February 6th, the date the treaty was signed. It is huge, requiring at least 80 people to row it, but it is also rather fast, having been clocked at over 25 knots. It is also richly decorated.

The prow has elaborate carvings.

They have also preserved the stump of one of the three Kauri trees used for the war canoe. This picture gives you an idea of how large the trees were.

We were also treated to a Maori cultural demonstration, including how guests were welcomed, but only after they confirmed that they came in peace.

Later in the day I wanted to check out a trail very close to our hotel. It started with a paved path, that quickly changed to a gravel path…

And then the trail ended… maybe?

Unless, of course, I was supposed to continue over these rocks.

I decided I was on the wrong path, so I backtracked and found another path. It also started fine, but then went straight uphill and into bush.

This was when AllTrails beeped in my pocket, notifying me that I seemed to have gone off the trail. It didn’t actually say “you idiot” but I was pretty sure that is what it was thinking. Still, I was very glad for the warning. But before I turned around, I came to a lookout, where I spotted someone parasailing. That looks really interesting.

After turning around yet again, I was back to the starting point. This time I continued over the rocks until it came to a proper beach. I finally knew that I was on the correct trail.

The rocks weren’t easy to walk on, but they were interesting to look at.

All my wrong turns meant that I ran out of time and had to head back. It also made me thirsty, and since it was Monday, my mind turned to Monday Beer Club, and a flight of NZ beer.

Then it was off to dinner. We decided to eat at the Wave, which looked like a traditional restaurant. At least until the meals started arriving at the tables, delivered by…

Fortunately a person came and placed the meal on the table, but the robot smiled and thanked you in a sweet voice before it turned and headed back to the kitchen.