Yesterday I took my son (age 11) and four of his classmates on a school trip to a place called Staglands. It's an hour's drive along a very narrow and very windy horrible road that leads from the town we live in, over a huge hill and into a remote valley called the Akatarawa Valley. It's a stunning place of native bush and wildlife, and Staglands itself is a kind of animal park, set in the bush, with animals you can pat and feed, as well as protected native birds.
We had a great day, when we left in the morning it was overcast and grey, the hills were hidden in mist, and when we stopped at the top of the mountain we couldn't see home or the coast anymore. But by the time we arrived the sun had come out, the cloud burned off, and it was a stunning day. On the way home we stopped at the top again (as much to ward of car sickness as well as take in the view! lol) and we could clearly see our home town and the coast.
I thought I'd share some of the photos with you guys. :-)
From the top of the mountain, in the morning, looking down to the coast.
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From the top of the mountain later in the day, told you the coast was there! :-)
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Maximum zoom on my camera, that's Waikanae, our town by the coast.
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