It's those Muriwai Gannets again - less and less each time I go.

Water

Bluff Oysters - my first (but not last) for 2010

..
Bluff oysters - a local delicacy , not available all year and the “season” just opened.

These purchased fresh (never frozen) battered and savoured at my nearest beach (Orewa – ten minutes from home) . Well done my local fish shop at Silverdale .

Now that’s what I call the way to end a working day especially a Monday  and yes I admit it I ate at least six before I got the camera out - so bite me !!

Sheep

..

We have over 30 million sheep in New Zealand,

a large reduction on the numbers 30 years ago

(there are only just over 4,000,000 of us).

Never the less still more than enough for our Australian neighbours

to make up plenty of jokes relating to Kiwis and sheep,

but at least we don't throw our national symbol (the Kiwi) on the barbeque!

baaaaa

Canterbury sunset

..

It's that most popular of Kiwi take aways again !!

Back at the beach for a fish and chip dinner  ---heaven
Hard to grasp that 1.4 million people live but half an hour from here,

 good of them to stay at home and leave the park to me and the

almost no others spread over it's 30+ beach acres ........

Back at Muriwai

m

It was so nice at Muriwai last week that I decided to go back last night for another look.
It was extremely windy and the tide was out so no prospect this week
of seeing fishermen getting washed off the rocks.

I keep meeting very pleasant Canadians (either living here or on holiday) at this location.

(if anyone is interested taken with either a 20D and 17-40 4L or a 50D and 70-200 4L IS,

RAW files tidied up with Elements 8)