Coastal walk to Opua

Today I walked from Paihia to Opua on the coastal walkway and Sigrid came along with me. We headed out about 10:30. There had been a brief shower earlier in the morning but it looked like the sky was clearing up. As we got just outside of Paihia the skies opened and it started to pour. We sheltered under a palm tree until it stopped. It didn't last long so we headed back off on our way following the road for a bit before getting on to the walking path. We were a bit wet but quickly dried off. Once the rain stopped it didn't take long for the ground to dry up and the rest of the day was fine and clear.

The walk went up and down the coastal bluffs, around the little bays, through bush and mangrove swamps. Some very neat tree trunks growing out of the sides of the bluffs.




Three hours later we arrived in Opua -- a nice little harbour.


There isn't much there besides the harbour, the car ferry to Russell and related marine businesses. But there was restaurant called the Blue Water Bistro and we had our lunch on their deck overlooking the harbour. It was very pleasant and I had raw salmon with a ponzu dipping sauce and a glass of Oyster Bay sav.

After resting while eating our lunch we headed out for the three hour walk back to Paihia. By this time the tide was out so the walk looked quite different with water out of most of the bays and out of the mangrove swamp. Sure did get some good exercise today.

Put my feet up on my little deck area with Sassy on my lap or at my feet for about an hour and half and then Sigrid and I went out for my farewell to Paihia dinner. We went to "Only Seafood" which is, as you may have guessed, a seafood restaurant. Located on the beachfront, it is in an old wooden house and has a lovely garden and is bright and airy inside. I had the flash-seared tuna with lightly picked cucumber for my appetizer. Lovely fresh tuna. Then for my main I had the fresh fish of the day -- which I forget the name of -- pan-fried with lemon, olive and parsley. It came with a side salad of leafy greens with beetroot. The fish was excellent -- so simply prepared and delicious. A glass of Wither Hills savvie was my wine of choice. For dessert I had the raspberry creme brulee. A very nice meal to end my stay in Paihia.

Tomorrow morning the shuttle is picking me up at 10:15 to go to the airport in Kerikeri to get my flight to Auckland. I will be there overnight and then it will be time to return to Toronto.