I've spotted another mural in Kaeo, this one on the front of a closed building that looks like it's being used for the local Youth Group. I think the colours and work are probably representing the nearby Whangaroa Harbour.
At Totara North, last time I visited I drove past the local museum and stopped to admire these murals painted on various buildings.
Painted by artist Chris Wilkie who joined up with local Bruce Sanderson, they illustrate the area's history such as the Lane and Brown timber mill.
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The local Kauri milling industry which employed many settlers to cut down trees - apparently the man in this man is Bruce's dad, an Augustus Earle lithograph of early Maori in their Kainga (home) near the beach.
Bruce's great great grandmother Te Waka Heremaia from Rawhiti is also featured.
A bit more information about this little town: Totara North is a small settlement on the northern side of Whangaroa Harbour. It is home to around two hundred close-knit residents and has a primary school with 38 pupils, a community hall and gardens, The Gum Store bar and cafe, a now derelict timber mill, a wharf, a shed for crayfish processing and a boat ramp.
The steep bush-clad hills of this northern side of the harbour tumble almost all the way into the sea and offer little flat land on which a town could grow, but prior to the 1990's when the last privately-owned kauri trees were milled, Totara North's proximity to the sea, the kauri trees and kauri gum fields, allowed it to exploit its nearby kauri forests and to become a thriving and prosperous community and a hub of commercial activity and enterprise in Northland. (information taken from from Whangaroa.co.nz)
I couldn't help but take a photo of this baby when we were having lunch with the other half's cousin in the weekend. This olds mobile was parked at the Whangaroa Harbour wharf. Wouldn't you just love to cruise around in it?
If this photo looks a little bit lop-sided it's because this little old church in Whangaroa was up the top of a very steep driveway near the top of a hill. I struggled to walk up the path and when I did I had to steady myself with a small tree nearby.
St Paul's Anglican Church has been in this spot for approx 125 years and when it was opened in 1883 people came by boat or walked for miles to get to the services. St Paul's has quite a history; it's witnessed the slow decline of the timber industry, a fire that burned the school that was originally in front of it and the building of the Whangaroa big gamefish club rooms and marina.
Unfortunately the doors were locked but services are still held today on the first Sunday of each month.
This morning we drove out to Whangaroa and enjoyed another nice lunch with the other half's cousin at the Marlin Hotel. On the way out we stopped on the side of the road so I could take this photo of an oyster farm out in the harbour.
Do you like Oysters? I love them, in fact I'm a huge seafood fan I prefer them raw but the other half likes them battered and fried but to me that takes the natural ocean taste out of them.
After a week of thunderstorms and rain we finally have blue skies again. December 1st is the first day of Summer for us kiwis but it certainly hasn't felt like it. We are off to look at a boat to possibly buy on Sunday morning for fishing and this boat ramp in Whangaroa's harbour is one place we can easily launch off. Here's to more Summer days!
Two weekends ago we drove up to one of my favourite places - Whangaroa Harbour. We arrived just before lunch and were quite hungry so we decided to try the historic Marlin Hotel and see what their food was like. We were served by 2 very friendly hosts and ordered our food- the other half had fish and chips (best batter we have ever tasted so light and crunchy) and I had polenta with steamed veges. Absolutely blown away by how delicious it all was.
Apparently the hotel was first established around the mid 1800's when it was named the Masonic Hotel but was badly burned and re-built in the 1920s.
We were told that the fish on the walls were once real and were caught by local fishermen many years ago.
Whangaroa Harbour - just beautiful - probably one of my favourite ever spots here in Northland. So quiet, peaceful, more of a seasonal holiday place but also a great fishing area.
On the welcoming sign into the harbour it says "Te Wahapu O" meaning The Door to Whangaroa "Whanga" meaning wait and "roa" meaning long. Not sure of that translation - maybe it means The door to waiting there for a long time? who knows but I wanted to stay there longer it was so lovely.
Totara North is one of those tiny settlements in the upper north island just out of the Whangaroa Harbour. Apart from a few warehouse buildings and fishing boats it didn't take us long to drive through...however being from a small town myself discovering places like this is what I love the most.
We spotted this old redecorated shipping container down by the wharf near the water's edge. Whoever is responsible is very clever don't you think?
