Matakohe, Pahi & Wellsford

Thursday (the 12th birthday for my lovely grand-daughter Madi) we left Tinopai and headed back to Matakohe where the award winning Kauri Museum is. It is Northland's largest undercover attraction with exhibits covering over 4,500 square metres and even though I tend to be a speedster in museums we were there for over 2 hours. You could easily spend 5-6 hours there I think as there is so much to see with outstanding displays depicting the harvesting of the Kauri by the early settlers and following the Kauri story and its uses right through to the present day. There is a lot of machinery with some working displays and wonderful life-like mannequins modelled on present day people who have either worked in the kauri industry themselves or are descendants of those who did. Some of the short film clips are really interesting and we had a really good laugh when we watched the film of the old-time tractor race - it was so funny and is a must-see!
And of course there are plentiful carvings and fine furniture to admire.

Fred, Joe & Len

2 unusual museum pieces!

From there we diverted to the 9 hole Matarua Golf Course to see if there were any changes to it from the last time we looked and turned back! Then it was covered with sheep and it was hard to make out the fairways - well this time it wasn't much different. Less sheep but lots of dung and the greens have to be fenced off - it's really just like one big paddock so even though the green fees were only $5 we again turned around as I can't bear the thought of hitting sheep and it quite puts you off your game.

That's one big fig ( or tiny table decoration)!

Pahi is a quaint little historic settlement on the upper reaches of the Kaipara Harbour with a wharf, an old hotel and a magnificent giant Morton Bay Fig tree. The ground was very wet underfoot from all the rain that we have had but it was a good place to stretch our legs before heading on to Wellsford where we stayed the night at the local RSA. The sound of traffic was a little wierd at first after all the quiet nights we have had with maybe just the sound of the waves lapping but the cars didn't keep us awake.