Royals

This morning I woke with the sun - check the extra to see the morning view from the van.  I literally pushed open the back door and took the photo without even getting out of bed.  Great camp spot.

I headed south and whereas I would usually stop in Palmerston, buy a coffee, and go back to Blaze's cross, this morning I decided on the spur of the moment to keep going.  I turned off randomly in Waikouaiti just to see what is there.  I never realised how big the township is - only ever having driven through it on the main road before.

I discovered Hawksbury Lagoon and took myself for a walk around it.  The sign told me it was a 90 minute walk.  oops, it took me nearly twice that as I had to keep stopping and sitting on the seats provided to enjoy the bird life. 

What a wonderful place!  Swans, cygnets, geese, goslings, pied stilts (what are their young called?), mallards, paradise ducks, royal spoonbills.  Possibly more that I can't remember.  All co-habiting happily.  I could have stayed all day.

Eventually I made it back to the van, then I took a drive down to Waikouaiti beach.  A nice spot there too.

On my way back north I did make the obligatory stop at Blaze's cross to wish him a happy Christmas, then wound up at Moeraki township because I felt like a late lunch at Fleur's.  (World famous restaurant)