Prime meats

I've spent most of the day out with my friend Mary. A blustery day promising a good old northern style storm from the nor'east later today.

We headed north to the small town of Matakana. When my parents had a beach house Matakana was the nearest town. Until recent years Matakana had a 4 Square shop (a small grocery and general store every small town in NZ has. Every suburb had one when I was growing up and super markets were new), Post Office, butcher, dairy and pub.

These days it has an art house movie theatre, cafe, restaurant, specialty shops, a wine bar representing all the local vineyards and more. Pleasingly the 4 Square shop and butcher remain. Better still, the additions are tastefully done and Matakana retains it's charm and character.

I even caught up with Jennie and her husband who were staying in the area. I can't remember the last time I saw Jennie on her birthday. We tasted some awful local red wines and settled on glasses of outstanding whites and a rose. Matakana does produce some fabulous reds. Let's hope I selected a good one to take back to the hunter.

Then out to Tawhranui, a wonderful wild beach at the end of the Takatu Peninsula, where I mispent many hours of my youth on various surf toys.

As is in keeping with our respective differences, Jennie poked her head out the car window and that was enough. Back to the lodge for them. Not my friend and I, we became part of the boisterous landscape and disappeared over a hill or 2 ;-)

Prime Meats is my pick of today. When we pulled up there were 2 cars parked in front. It seems a blipper can clear the customers from Prime Meats Matakana quickly ;-)

Dinner and a DVD with Mum and Dad will round out my day.