We left Whitianga today after a trip to the library to send yesterday’s blog and headed for Katikati. Here there are lots of murals painted on nearly every available large blank wall. They are all numbered and I guess that the information centre has a list of murals for you to find; I saw several groups visiting each in turn, taking a quick picture and racing off to find the next. Perhaps there was a record time they were trying to beat.
Tauranga is a large bustling port and has grown enormously since we last visited 4 years ago. Needing a bit of exercise we circumnavigated Mount Maunganui at the head of Tauranga harbour, about a 5km flat walk with lovely views of the rocky coastline surrounding the mountain on a lovely hot, breezy afternoon.
After a hearty meal at the ‘Horny Bull’ overlooking the harbour, it was back to our comparatively luxurious unit at Macey’s Motor Inn.
-
- A two masted gaff rigged schooner leaves Whitianga
-
- One of the many murals at Katikati
-
- This whole wall is a giant mural in Katikati!
-
- This isn’t Victor Meldrew, but a sculpture in Katikati
-
- Part of the beach at the base of Mt Maunganui, Tauranga.
-
- Looking like a Churchill painting, this is the walk round Mt Maunganui, Tauranga.
-
- This figure represents the Maori God of the Sea, Tauranga harbour.
We really like the open air art work. What huge murals, they must have taken ages to paint. We want to be in the sunshine and warmth too. There might be snow here at the weekend.
S & J XX
Surely the Maori God of the Sea was actually Diana! (Silly comment!).