The last week or so

For the last weeks, we have mostly been working (Agnes), wondering how to entertain 10 month olds (Doug), growing (Thandi). Won't bore with the details, instead will try and put some pics up , whilst Thandi sleeps and grows. Like a time bomb, she may wake at any minute...


Last weekend we went to Cambridge. Cambridge "the town of trees and champions" (NZ) not Cambridge "a city for all seasons" (UK). the town of trees and champions is 30 minutes from Hamilton. It lies on the waikato river. Its at the heart of the horse breeding country and is notable for providing 13 champions at the Melbourne cup. Tiled pictures of the horses are set into the paving throughout the town. Not sure why we didnt take any pictures of them.

Agnes with a mare and some of the 250 pamphlets she took from the tourist information

Like most horse places the was a cocktail of horse sweat, leather and snobbery about the town.

Main street

We took a walk round town and down to the river (smelled like unwashed aquarium sand, not snobby at all)

Heres Victoria bridge:

Victoria bridge

In the interest of the blog, I found some information on this bridge - who knew bridges could be so exciting (Sarah, university ice breaker conversation). This bridge was build in 1907 (James Fulton) - The original bridge floated down the waikato during high water and was fished out at hamilton by the constabulary. This bridge is the first example in New Zealand of construction using the process of cantilevering the two half arches from each bank (very advanced for the day). I must be getting old, because I genuinely found this interesting. The bridge was designed and constructed in America and sent to NZ as a 330 tonne kitset . Later on I read, that after it was contructed, 305 tonnes of steelwork had been erected. No mention of what happened to the 25 tonne deficit, but I liken it to the extra's you always get after putting together any Ikea flatpack.

One week later.....

we find ourselves at a place called Raglan - this time to the west of hamilton, 45 minutes away through the windiest road I have ever driven. This really was a vomit inducing serpent of a road, and Im glad i was in the front driving. Poor thandi in the back facing backwards. She has a strong constitution.

fantastic landscape

on the way to Bridal Falls. Aotea harbour in background

Before we made it to Raglan we stopped off at Bridal Veil Falls/ Waireinga. I have a video of this which I will try and upload later. Until then here is a picture to whet your appetite.

Bungeeeeee

Stats: 55m high
Volcanic basalt overlying sandstone (not volcanic, obviously)
Falls belong to the Pakoka River
Water not safe to swim in...

After a hike down to the bottom of the falls, and back, we drove to Raglan (Whangaroa “the long pursuit”). The beaches around Raglan are best known for their regular surf breaks. The nearby Manu bay featured in the film "the endless summer". Actually we didnt go there.

Thandi will be tough like a kiwi

We mooched around the town wondering about sand mining instead... The local beach is black; in fact many of the beaches are black in this area. The sand is called ironsand, eroded from volcanic rock. The dark colour comes from the high levels of titanomagnetite (iron, titanium and oxygen complex). Extracting the iron is extremely difficult because of the titanium (high melting point). I wont bore you with the process of obtaining iron from ironsands, but an interesting fact is that sands might be getting lighter in colour as a result of it. Titanomagnetite is magnetic and heavier than the sand it is mixed with (presumably calcarious based shells), so it is easily seperated. The sand which contains no iron and is light in colour is returned post extraction, but not the black sands. The contemplation of which is much better than catching a barrel along the 300 m left point break at Manu beach - right Dave?


Thats all for now - till I get the video working.

Whale rescue training. I kid you not, glad I'm not a taxpayer in NZ