What a great weekend that was! Long overdue hot windless weather and clear skies just made for reminding us how lucky we are to live up here. If you didn’t get out on the boat, go to the beach or at least be outside then bad luck or perhaps you might as well shift to the deep-south and take advantage of the cheap housing down there.
A huge pod of dolphins came up the Mangonui harbour on Saturday morning herding smaller fish and bringing the Dolphin charter boats back to where they were moored before they headed out with tourists.
I have the fishing skills of a desert camel and still managed to catch a variety of legally sized fish, so the predictions of no more fish seemed wrong, at least during last weekend as we saw hundreds that didn’t take my bait. Big stingrays were easily seen both in the harbour and among many other species in the clear, clear waters off the Northern coast of the Whatuwhiwhi peninsula where any boatie lucky enough to be there enjoyed the wide empty expanses of blue sea under blue sky.
For those of you lucky enough to follow our coastline from the sea, I can report that long strips of the coastline still remain undeveloped and visually fairly natural, (if one considers open grasslands natural). The built up areas are not nearly as obtrusive as we are lead to believe by various planners whose efforts to keep the built environment contained have been moderately successful.
The preservation of this open unspoilt coastal look of the Far North deserves our consideration. It competes directly with the wishes of rich foreign investors seeking privacy and keen to buy and lock up chunks of our coastal heritage. It also competes with the average Kiwi’s dream of the bach at the seaside.
These two seemingly opposite desires can be managed by policies that promote further development of areas that are already compromised by quarter acre sections by concentrating coastal living into existing residential areas. More intensive subdivision with the necessary sewerage and stormwater services is preferable and allows the currently empty areas to be zoned so they still remain empty looking and real.
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Karikari Beach access denied to all by vehicle.Why?We all have access to Rangiputa,Puwheke,Tokerau,Maitai Bay and Perihipi to fish, swim,launch boats etc,etc,but are denied access to what many consider the finest beach on the peninsula.Will any consideration be given to future access to this beach which many of us has been blocked for no real reason other than D.O.C.s worry about disturbing the Dotteril breeding area by the creek which can be fenced off similar to all other grounds in Northland?This beach is a public beach and I believe vehicular access is necessary so all people young ,old,and incapacitated can once again enjoy one of the best beaches in the REAL FAR NORTH!!!! Awaiting a reply- Mike Rider -Not alone in this request.
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