Deco Echo Church In Wairoa

Near the Mahia Peninsula we came across this interesting church in Wairoa...

Initially I thought this was, at last, finally, an Art Deco church

N. B. the tower and its rounded top

The 1950s construction date suggested it was, at best, a Deco
Echo (as they say in San Francisco), however

An education/administrative wing had been added to the port
transept (which way do they point to Jerusalem in this
hemisphere?)

At length, particularly looking at the tower, I concluded it had
been designed maybe by one of Albert Speer's associates, who,
after the war, had emigrated to NZ; Vicki concluded it was
the ugliest church she had ever seen

More Of Mahia Peninsula

The next day, March 4th, we took a drive on a bit of the peninsula...

As always, different rock formations yield different beaches,
coasts

Pacific in name only this day

Local info

Local fisher-persons

Another slip, this one going all the way down to the beach

Real log home, most unusual in NZ

A startling find

And an incipient bra fence

Overlooking a beach strewn with used car and tractor tires

Wild, beautiful place

Mahia Peninsula, Oraka Beach

After the soak we found a free regional campground at Oraka Beach and spent the rest of the day and night there.

Approaching Mahia Peninsula; white cliffs, etc.

Another job for the department of transpportation

At the pleasant little Oraka beach campground

Great Norfolk Island Pines all around

Younger persons kite surfing in the lagoon

Awaiting her turn

Tidal bore on the lagoon; it got bigger

Pohutukawa trees around too; we'd see many, many more on
the east coast and after the East Cape

Late bloomers 

Morere Hot Springs

After Napier, March 3rd, we continued driving the east coast, out to the Mahia Peninsula. But first we stopped for a soak at Morere Hot Springs, an historic old hot springs resort now developed and run by the Department of Conservation. It is most unusual in that its springs are salt water, mineral-laden, but ancient sea water from a deep fissure. The Reserve has a number of hikes through a beautiful native forest, ample historical information, and pools of varying heat and privacy.

Entry

Picnic pavillon in the family area

Family pool, heated, but not hot

On one of the hikes; note the Nikau palms, more about which anon

Creek

Kauri trees, among others

Friendly feathered friend

Creek, flowing from the springs

The upper pools, varying temperatures, adults only

Among the ample historical information

Botanical info too

A baby kauri

A silver fern tree, the national emblem

Southern-most palm species in the world

And best of all...