About 40 minutes east of Warkworth is Goat Island Marine Reserve, a gorgeous beach that we visited on our first day off last week. We were told that the snorkling and scuba diving is great between the coast and the protected island, with a rich population of fish and marine life. The island itself has a huge bird population, and it is kept predator free to help the native species flourish.
We spent a few hours laying under this big Pohutakawa tree, eating crackers with Nutella and watching the waves.
There were a few who braved the cold water to check out the fish. It was a little too frigid for us without wetsuits.
A wild (?) chicken living with seabirds and ducks in the parking lot of the reserve.We ended up returning to Goat island this past Saturday, with another wwoofer from a nearby farm. Sophie, from Germany, hitched a ride with us to the Matakana Saturday Farmers Market and then to the beach. As you can see, the weather and tide were strikingly different.
At the market:
Sophie and Louisa
There was a lot of good food, fresh veggies, and live Latin music
These guys are wwoof hosts! We tried their chocolates and definitely would love to spend some time learning the trade : )
Dairy and Gluten Free Availaible!
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Chocolate making sounds like a very good idea! The beach and farmer's market look awesome. It looks like an incredible place to be.
ReplyDeleteWhat a journey you are on! I enjoy hearing about your farm adventures - Sheep dipping and duck wrangling.
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