Sunrise over Tawharanui

Out along the foreshore of Snells Beach for another Sunday Sunrise. I gave great thought to going somewhere different this morning; opted for the standard run to Whisper Cove at the north end of Snells Beach, as it is a good distance for me these days, with only three or four hills.

I like the large version.

Tawharanui is a peninsula which forms the north-eastern limit of Kawau Bay. When our children were young, we would take them to Anchor Bay, a surf beach on the far side of the peninsula. Few others would be there except at the height of the holiday season. Enough large old pohutukawa trees to shade us while enjoying the picnic.

Since those days, a joint project between locals and the Council has resulted in the establishment of the Tawharanui Open Bird Sanctuary. Predator proof fences separate the end of the peninsula from the farm land and residences. What was (when we were going regularly) a regional park, like any other regional park, is now home to many species of birds. Some 89 different species have been recorded in and around the sanctuary or just offshore.

I can see that some visits are going to be coming up.