Nancy & Tony

Nancy & Tony (Hannah's mum & dad) came to stay this week...
We went the west coast and to our local Thai restaurant...

They are on a lifetime trip through Australia, NZ and then leaving us to head to Rarotonga.

Great to see some familar faces, we had lots of laughs and they love our wonderful country...Tony is particularly fond of the face cloths in the motels!!!

Tutukaka coast and Poor Knights Islands

We headed north out of the Smoke for the long weekend, destination: Tutukaka. The first surprise of the day was spotting a heron's nest in a pohutakawa tree with two chicks.

Tutukaka harbour boasts a pretty marina, with more than a few "gin palaces"

From here we set off to Poor Knights Islands, a marine reserve 22km offshore.

The stunning volcanic landscape was the perfect backdrop for what Jacques-Yves Cousteau described as the best sub-tropical diving in the world

We took the plunge... the snorkelling was fantastic. Huge snapper, kingfish, rays, stripey mado etc.

Our boat took us inside the worlds largest sea cave, Rikoriko, where the light in the entrance gives a stunning blue grotto effect.

We returned full up with subaqua experiences, with the shearwaters following us for company.

The following day we journeyed further north, stopping at Whananaki South, a pristine sandy bay where the oyster catchers outnumbered the people.