Ghosts of Christmas Past

A gentle but still early start to the day with a run. Along the waterfront briefly before heading up the hill to the main road than back along and past the Snells Beach Dairy. Timed it just right; he had opened only minutes before, and I was able to get the morning newspaper. A regular addiction.

Onwards and out to the next bay, Algies, and down again to the waterfront, where just before the wee point separating Algies Bay from the wee beach below the cliff where our Beach House is. High tide, and passage around the point is very difficult. Not possible for small persons, or grandfathers in road shoes!

All along the New Zealand coast line one comes across scenes like this. A pohutukawa has some many years ago fallen as the cliff face collapsed. Rather than being the end of the tree, the fall results in a new lease of life, as the tree helps to stabilise the new shore line.

As a child, many Christmas holidays took me to numerous beaches where there were trees like this, both younger and older. This image reminds me of many Christmas holidays in my childhood.