woolleys bay

this is Woolleys bay, a beautiful bay on the Tutakaka coast north of Whangarei. It just so happens that Harland's mum's cousin has a bach there and they offered it to us for a week. With some good surf along that coast it was unlikely that we would turn this offer down! Arrived on sunday after stocking up with food at Keri Keri farmers market. Loved it there from the start with the bach being just across the road from the beach.

Sandy bay is the next bay along, about a three minute drive from our pad and where we spent most of our time. Doing what? Surfing of course!
On Monday Harland's mate Jason and his flatmate Maria came to visit and we spent some time surfing, since Maria, who is from Uruguay, had never surfed before I tried to pass on some of my knowledge to her and she really enjoyed being swept in to shore by the waves!
On Tuesday we went to Mermaid rock Pools, they were beautiful but unfortunately didn't come out that way on any of my photos. We snorkeled around in the rock pools and Harland saw a stone fish which is poisonous...

is that a mermaid?? haha

Above: Harland riding a wave. Unfortunately we have yet to get a good photo of me surfing(but I have done it, I promise).
After Jason and Maria had headed we kept surfing (surprise) until we were to tired to paddle. I did my best surfing on Monday and Tuesday, but by Wednesday my arms were too tired to paddle! a great feeling, knowing that you've given it your all!

Below: my leg when I came out of the surf on Tuesday. A surfer dude in the car park was very impressed and I felt cool:)
Below: Harland got a surprise bottle of wine which we enjoyed on a blanket on the beach at dusk.

Jenny came down for a visit on Thursday and spent the night. We walked to Whale Bay, and she got the privilege to watch us surf:)

We actually ended up heading back to Paihia a couple of days before planned as a cyclone was moving in... Whale Bay (the most photographed beach in Northland) I can see why.