Classic Flyers Airshow 2020

A few examples. Was a great show and a very impressive turnout of support.

Roaring Forties Aerobatic team in the Harvards (Texan) against a very dark sky.

Info

 A very beautiful Aero L39 Albatross. Made in Czechoslovakia. Apparently designed to be easily maintained, flown and is relatively inexpensive. 

 Top. P-40D Kittyhawk. Bottom in silver is the Mustang P-51 D. If I recall flown by a woman pilot who flies for Air NZ.

 Black Falcon aerobatic team get ready

 Pressure suit for anti gravity in tight turns and pull ups

 The Mustang

 This beautiful glider was towed along the runway by a large Audi to launch and then it has a small jet engine on top for that extra boost. Impressive.

 RNZAF Black Falcons

 This is a first. The Texan Harvards (air trainers from WW2) lead out the Texan Falcons (current air trainers). 10 aircraft in this small airspace is challenging. Look closely the falcons are flying with air brakes deployed!

 This takes some guts and extreme skill.

How does anyone survive the training program for this.

Baylys Beach Northland

We lucked out here. We choose what looked to be a remote place on the northern west coast and chose Baylys beach from the map.

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There are plenty of walks in the area and about 800 permanent residents.

There is a surprisingly good cafe/bar/dairy and the beach is amazing.

Very clean, no seagulls to speck of and you can drive a vehicle on the sand for well over 100km.

But the fossil layers are well worth checking out.

The info link tells the story. 

 Largs chunks of Lignite and semi fossilised Kauri fall out of the banks

 See the face

 The motel. Excellent.

Nothing to See Here

Dargaville

 A big brown river that runs either to or from the Kaipara Harbour

 A old post office with some character 

A a bloody lovely BLAT at a grubby little shop (from the outside at least) but friendly people and very busy inside.

Hokianga

With a massive sand dune guarding the entrance this is the first you see of Hokianga harbour as you come toward it from the Waipoua forest (Where the Kauri die back is happening)

 Little settlement of Omapere on the point

 Very rural New Zealand with a 'does it all' shop in Opononi

 Coffee and breakfast at the cafe in Opononi.

This is the part of the Hokianga that was made famous, in NZ, because of a friendly dolphin called Opo

Wairere Falls Kaimai Range

Hell of a walk this one. Right out of the car and up 420 meters climb over 3.5k's with some of it almost vertical.
I guess it depends on how fast you climb it. We did it under half the stated time required and that probably explains the extreme amount of sweat I had to cope with. Frankly this is about my limit now a days for exercise. Rob did it a lot easier than me.
Highlights of the walk are the amazing rocks and beautiful; bush at the top. The falls were not exactly pumping seeing we are in the middle of a drought.

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This is the river bed while close bye are rocks that are 10 times this big.

 Rob near the top and falls over the edge in the distance toward the West

 Looking East back up the river bed at the top.

 The old boy with the Waikato plains in the distance

Air Show

Classic Flyers Airshow

Lots of shots to sort but this move by the NZ Air Force Black Falcon Aerobatic Team was something else.

Wandering Around

Stunning day in Tauranga

 New Farmers building on the way up

 Random back street art

 New one on the way

 Old one in sunset mode 

 Wrecked boat among rocks around the Mount

 Brian, a visitor and mate from the USA. His home town was minus 3 degC this day.

He loved the Mount vibe.

Beach Hockey on main beach

New Years Eve

Jay and Pop went to the party on the park

 Jay flossing his teeth..don't tell mummy

 Yum little donuts

 Waiting for the fire works

 A good show