Sunrise with mist

From my run yesterday morning I was aware of where is the best place in the town of Waihi to go to in order to record the sunrise. I went up on Martha Hill to the Pit Rim Walkway, at the western end of the pit. Although there was more mist to be seen looking south over the main part of the town, the sky was better in this photo.

This is another for my Sunday Sunrise series. Improves on going large, I think.

We returned to Waihi Beach for breakfast, and then went a little south so that daughter C could do a tour of an historic home at Athenree. It is open to the public for a few hours on the first Sunday of the month. Unfortunately, unforeseen circumstance resulted in today's tour being cancelled.

S and Jesafly and I went to the township of Athenree, which is on the edge of the Tauranga Harbour. Quiet and peaceful, and plenty of camera work (especially Jesafly). Then back to Waihi so that the boys and their mother could visit the local museum. Especially Mr H, who is completely fascinated by mines and rocks and suchlike. It was an excellent museum for a small town, and we all enjoyed it.

Next, we returned to Waikino; by car this time. And drove up Waitekauri Road. I'm pretty sure I identified the bush which was at the bottom of the farm, and then we drove past the hill down which my older brother and I careered on a home made wooden sled. On grass. Over the ruts made by the cattle walking around the hill at different levels. We parked outside the milking shed, a more modern one than the old six stall one my father had, but on the same site. From there we were able to look further up the road to the hill where the old family home had been. No longer there; I had been told that it had burned down some years ago. It had been derelict when I visited it more than 20 years ago, and liberated (from the collapsed chimney) the four bricks I still have.

It was then time to start the journey home. Going back down the valley to Waikino, I took a diversion on Old Waitekauri Road, and then up a small road to the Waikino School. Still in the same place. The old school building has long gone. The rugby field is in the same place, and the old house occupied in my day by the Headmaster is also still there. Two boys were as interested as young lads can be when overdue for lunch! I felt really pleased with the nostalgia trip.

After a quick stop in Karangahake so the boys could look into the old railway tunnel which is now part of the Paeroa to Waihi section of the Hauraki Rail Trail cycle and walking path, we called in to a great cafe in Paeroa for a belated lunch. The cafe is called The Old Refinery, and is in a magnificent old building which housed the gold refinery for a number of mines in Thames, Coromandel, Karangahake and Waihi. Apparently, it was only in use for about ten years; from the early 1920s the refining process was done elsewhere. The biggest mine (the Junction mine in Waihi) decided to do like the Martha mine in Waihi and the Golden Cross mine further up the Waitekauri valley than we had the farm, and do its own refining. Not sure what happened to the gold from the smaller mines.

After our late lunch we came home.