To Auckland via the Firth of Thames

Saturday morning started again with a large breakfast, but in the lower dining room, watching birds in the vegetation outside the window. We then wandered about the grounds which are nicely planted with natives between the buildings, before heading off in the car mid morning. We drove south initially to follow the river upstream below our walks of the previous day. Heading north on back roads, we skirted Lake Waikare and emerged on the western shore of the Firth of Thames to lunch among the tourist vans on the edge of seabird habitat. Driving north we found the perfect icecream shop in a quiet seaside village. For a perfect sunny Saturday, it was very quiet, so close to Auckland.
Back on the motorway through the city, it rained a bit but had cleared by the time we reached Stanmore Bay on the north side. Being ahead of our expected arrival time, we had a look at the beach and area that two of the cousins have retired to, then headed to meet Margaret and Peter. What a pleasure, with familiar smiles and features which don't come out in photos, although I was recognising them from old photos, in fact.
Diane and Doug collected Robin from the airport and we all had dinner together with their son Steven who had come up from New Plymouth. It was quite a reunion of 4 cousins who had not seen each other in half a century.