Moutohora - Whale Island

It was a muggy ol' night last night and the mugginess has continued a-a-a-a-a-l-l day and into the evening, suggesting that tonight will be another sheet-kicker.

I took advantage of the laundry facilities here at this funky little campground.....linen, towels, tea-towels, clothing, the whole kaboodle.  Unfortunately, the sun wasn't forecast to shine so drying was done to about 80% in a dryer.  The final 20% was by draping all kinds of everything over whatever I could find.......camp chair, umbrella then, thanks to a camping neighbour, a clothes airer.  The whole process took the best part of 4 hours - it felt like the old days when mum used to get the twin-tub out in the kitchen on a Saturday morning and slave over it for the whole morning.  It reminded me that I shouldn't take things for granted.  

Rest of the day was spent drinking tea, reading, drinking tea, wandering , drinking tea and reading some more.  The glorious monotony was broken at 5.00pm when my next door neighbours invited me and my other neighbour to join them for happy hour, which actually lasted 2 hours :)  A great ending to a different but necessary day.  And to cap it off, this scene as the sunlight faded.  I learned that it's Moutohora - Whale Island, and it sits just a few kms off the Whakatane coast.  I have to confess, it did confuse me; as the only island visible I'd thought it must be Whakaari - White Island, but it seemed so much closer than I remembered and the shape didn't seem quite right either.  Silly me.  Whakaari is a lot further out and was simply hidden under a blanket of cloud for most of the day, though I did get the odd glimpse.  Maybe tomorrow the cloud will lift...?

Extra is just a rolling wave against the blanket of thick cloud.  Actually, I think Whakaari might be right out in front in this shot....