The Lay of the Land

Over the weekend, Paul and I hiked up to the site of a former Maori fortress or "Pa" in nearby Taradale. Sure enough, they knew a thing or two about picking a good spot for a lookout, as you could the ocean and Napier Hill (that hill below next to the ocean with all the houses on it) where we live to the east as well as the surrounding valleys and green hills in all directions.

The next day (sorry we forgot the camera that day) we found a secluded sandy (as opposed the pebbly) beach surrounded by cliffs about 30 minutes north of us by car. We were the only ones there, or at least so we thought until we saw some very deep footprints in the sand. A few minutes later a beautiful horse and its equally beautiful rider came galloping by. Apparently you can rent a horse and take it on a coastal trek. I'm putting that near the top of my "To Do" list. Now if I could only grow my hair long enough so it would cascade down my back and billow in the wind as I rode along the beach, then I'd have my own Harlequin book cover!