Puponga

I took a walk along the deserted beach to the old jetty pilings at Puponga this morning. The tide comes in really quickly here. When I arrived I could walk right out past the pilings with perfectly dry feet. By the time I left, the pilings were almost covered with water.

And I was only there for about 45 minutes.

My intention had been to photograph the pilings as the tide came in, then drive to Wharariki and walk out to Archway Rocks. Nope. Not happening today.

It started raining while I was on the beach. I ignored it at first and then realised that I'd left the windows and the back doors of the van open - with my bedding and towels hanging out to air. Oops.

By the time I got back to the van the rain was so heavy it was hard to see through, and everything was saturated. I've spent most of the day trying to dry things out - between rain storms.

I'd grizzle, but actually the slow pace of the day, and staying in one place, has been really good for me. Finished one book, read another and started on a third. Radically different ones too. The first was set in USA in WW2, the second was dystopian (post apocalyptic) and the third is 'Flight Behaviour' by Barbara Kingsolver. I'm not a big fan of hers so I'll see how I go with this one - if I don't enjoy it I'll change to the last book I have with me - Gillian Flynn's 'Gone Girl'.

The wind, which has been up and down all day, has really risen again. IF it dies down I may walk into Wharariki this evening and try for some sunset photos.

Today's joy is sitting in my van watching the parent birds feeding their babies on the grass around me.