The Raft

Today was an absolutely gorgeous summers day so  after having the  family up for breakfast, we decided we would check out the newest part of the Tairua _ Pauanui Trail. This  is the third part of the trail which will, when completed stretch about 25 kilometers over wetlands and estuary. It has been constructed by local volunteers and comprises of  sand and metal tracks and many meters of boardwalks. It is a walking or biking trail.
This photo is of a bridge which has recently been completed. The pontoon or raft that Poppa Pete is standing on was most probably used to help in the construction and is attached to the boardwalk by a series of ropes so that it can be pulled  to the riverbanks. The two grandsons on the bridge dared Poppa to jump on and pull himself out into the middle of the river,  so he did. 
The river is very deep in the middle and we saw some really big fish.  We thought they were Kawhai . Fortunately nobody had a fishing rod, or otherwise they may have ended up as our dinner. Instead we walked back to town, had a game of Mini- Put Golf then went for a refreshing dip in the surf. A Good Day!