Hoi An

 

I love Vietnamese food, it's my favourite. I have Chinese ancestry on my mother's side so I love most Asian food as long as it has a bit of spice and chili. While in Orewa we found this restaurant - Hoi An so we were excited to try it.

Inside the restaurant - this was in the late afternoon so they had only just opened for dinner. We were the first ones there. 

Two of the manus sitting through the main windows but there was another menu inside.

This was what I ordered; Vietnamese vegetable rice paper rolls on the bottom and I think it was a Pork noodle salad on the top. I would definitely go there again and order.

Linking up with Skywatch Friday and Tom's Signs.

Girl

 

Photo taken of a girl on Orewa Beach last year

It seems that we have had a great late Summer finally happen. After all the rain and Spring temperatures we now have warmth and sun and heat. I have pumpkins growing in my vege garden along with kale, spinach and various herbs and they are loving it. I'm not looking forward to Winter but with Autumn due in March, we are feeling a definite slight change in the air in the early mornings.

Linking up with Weekend Reflections, All seasons, The Weekend Roundup, Shadow Shot Sunday and Mosaic Monday.

Airborne

 

I love this sculpture that we saw along the waterfront on the Moana Reserve while we were on holiday in Orewa last November Named "Airborne" it apparently at the time cost over $160,000 and was created by Kiwi artists John Mulholland and Philipp Ripa.

Linking up with Through my lens, Tuesday Treasures, My corner of the world, Wordless Wednesday.

Downbeat

 

Another one from Orewa, this one is a restaurant named "Downbeat" on the main street, looks like it's located in a nice sunny spot with plenty of tables outside. There's not alot of information about them online, apparently they sold the business a few months ago but it looks like they mostly play jazz music. Photo taken in the morning just after they had opened so not many people about.

Linking up with Weekend Reflections, Shadow Shot Sunday and the Weekend Roundup.

Manly

 

Just outside of Orewa, which is just north of Auckland (when we holidayed there last November) we drove to a nearby town of Manly. Back in the days when my grandparents lived in Orewa they use to drive through here on the way to my nana's doctor which was here but further up the road. It's changed alot over the years.

Linking up with Skywatch Friday and Tom's signs.

Orewa Library

I am a BIG library fan, I've found many treasures over the years in books I've taken out. This library in Orewa I thought was extra special, it's not often they have free books you can take home with you. 

Linking up with Mosaic Monday, Blue Monday and Tuesday Treasures.

Walking

Photo taken in Orewa, Auckland - November 2023

Because I work nights it's not often that I get out for a morning walk it's nice to the see what's happening and what people are up to. 

I forgot my pair of jandals so I ended up buying another pair from one of the local shops. These are something that most people in New Zealand wear throughout the year. Such a classic Kiwi icon.

Linking up with Skywatch Friday, All Seasons and Tom's Signs.

Christ Church, Waiwera

Just outside of Auckland and Orewa is this little seaside town of Waiwera. Once upon a time there use to be the thermal resort which has now been demolished. This little church is right next to the beach. Christ Church was built in 1914 as a private chapel by Major John Whitney and then gifted to the Auckland Anglican Diocese in 1915. It is still being used today with regular services being held.

Linking up with Through my lens, Tuesday Treasures, My corner of the world and Wordless Wednesday.

Someplace Else

Another one from our week in Orewa, north of Auckland. This little restaurant is along the main road and from memory I think it use to be a shop/ice cream parlour in the 1970s when my grandparents use to live in town. It wasn't very busy at the time in the morning but hopefully by the afternoon it had some customers.

The beach was right across the road near where we were standing, that's how close it is to the town and roads etc.

Linking up with Weekend Reflections, All Seasons and the Weekend Roundup.

Walk on by

 

Along the main road in Orewa, north of Auckland there are many restaurants and cafes which are a brief walk from the residential areas where people live. Part of my ancestry is Filipino/South Chinese so I love any types of Asian food especially that which has chili/ginger/garlic in it. I would've loved to have tried this Korean eatery but we didn't have time.

Linking up with Skywatch Friday and Tom's Signs.

The Ship and Anchor

Another of the restaurants we ate at while we were in Orewa last week was this one - The Ship and Anchor along one of the main streets in town. It had been raining all morning so we managed to get out just as it was starting to ease up. We were one of the few people in there at this point. 

One of the murals on the wall behind our table - I'm thinking it's paying homage to the country's early trading ships and settlers.

I'm a huge seafood fan so I ordered Garlic Butter Prawns with salad on the side - a perfect meal.

The bar area with 1 of 2 televisions on the wall screening Sky Sports - the owners must be cricket fans.

One of the other murals next to the bar area featuring the ocean and sealife.

Of course I had to order a cocktail with my meal  - this one is an espresso martini.

Linking up with  Mural Monday, Mosaic Monday and Blue Monday.

Red

This week while we've been on holiday we've been walking around Orewa, which is the small seaside town we have been staying at. My grandparents lived here in a small house a few streets away many years ago when I was little and it's been amazing to see how much the town has changed - it really has grown.

Linking up with Weekend Reflections and the Weekend Roundup.

Orewa beach - stunning on a sunny winter's day

While on the way back home today from an orthodontist appointment I stopped in sunny Orewa beach for a quick walk. Couldn't resist - stunning scenery!