April 2016

Hello everyone,

Kia ora !


After a last week of lectures in central France, which allowed us to spend a few days in our farm in the Massif Central, and to enjoy a last , delicious pot-au-feu), I embarked for a new half-way round-the-World journey, Paris, Los Angeles, two days in Tahiti to meet photographers who participate in our future book on Polynesia, and then Auckland, to join Banana Split in Whangarei's Town Basin Marina.

So Kia ora, as they say in New Zealand, welcome to Whangarei, a city I really liked ten years ago, and that appeals to me even more this time: a small town where you can find about everything you need, extremely nice people (it is the first time a supermarket cashier told me "I was a real pleasure to meet you"!), a pontoon where Banana Split is moored a few steps away from restaurants, merchants of ice creamand a pretty clock museum: when, on board Banana Split, I need to know the time, I just have to lean towards a porthole and check a giant, luminous clock that rises 30 m away from the boat; by day, I could go check the huge sundial in the square, it works well these days, since the autumn sun we have here.

In the small town, I said, you can find about anything. Palm trees and gingerbread houses, small quiet valleys, "campervans" painted in bright colors. I even saw one that was covered in quilts. And even in a Carwash... a "Dogwash" you put your dog in a kind of shower tray, you put insert dollars in the slot, and presto here's your doggie soapy all over and a happy fellow. Too bad I don't have a dog.

Whangarei also boasts great walks to be taken along the river, or in several nature reserves such as the steep hills reserve Coronation Reserve, from where one has a beautiful view of the valley ,or even as far as pretty Whangarei falls.