now for some breaking news… 

the quite decent waves are rolling in and peeling right off.  it’s a beautiful sight, even for a non-surfer like me.

now is the time to go for a surf:  the end of the summer, no crowds on ohiwa beach (though neighbouring ohope beach is still quite packed out).

if you are one of those who surfs for the solitude among other reasons, now is the time to visit aurum at ohiwa beach!!  the pacific beckons!!

if you are visiting new zealand for the first time, i would love for you to make aurum your north island base.  it’s so lovely to come back "home" to.

there are several destinations a 2-hour drive away: rotorua with its geothermal attractions, the remote and largely unspoilt east cape, and the cities of gisborne and tauranga.  there are many other places of interest and world-class beauty much closer, otarawairere beach and hikutaia domain for example.  and this area is rich in maori culture as well.

whether you are a new visitor to aurum or a returning one, you will begin to unwind as soon as you arrive.  it feels like Home.  the sense of relaxation that comes from feeling free to just be yourself, like you feel when you walk into your own space after a long day at work, deepens the longer you remain here. 

aurum was developed to enable people to stay for a month, longer if they like, although some only have a few days. and it is designed to be a place where visitors can have the space to come home to themselves, a beautiful experience.

ever been to an active volcano?  ever walked a geothermal area? 

we are spoiled for choice here.  visitors can fly vulcan helicopters from whakatane, rotorua or tauranga.  i have done this flight, which is spectacular.  if the volcano isn’t spewing forth too much sulphuric acid, the helicopter lands and you can have a bit of exploration.  there are things of geological, biological and historic interest to take in, in addition to the raw power and otherworldliness of it all - scenic beauty in a class of its own.  the day i flew we couldn’t land as the helicopter would get an acid treatment.  (and so would we!)  i still remember the clarity and beautiful aqua colour of the water surrounding the island…

or make a day of it, weather permitting, with the lovely boats and crews of white island tours.  you will likely encounter a dolphin or two along the way.  and the interest starts as soon as they hand you your most unusual ticket…

the volcano has smoked every day for the almost 20 years i have been here, except for two years recently when a lake formed atop the active .  however, smoking has since resumed.  aurum’s visitors have just to wander down to the "front yard" beach and see who they can see.  sometimes whakaari/white island hides, but almost always an inactive volcanic island, whale island, is visible.  there are trips there too, but that’s for another day.

an excellent two hour ocean adventure awaits visitors to our area.  trips leave from whakatane daily, depending on the weather and the numbers.  your destination is Whale Island, Moutohora.  a wildlife sanctuary has been established around this dormant volcanic island.  explore the bays and learn the history of the and the ongoing conservation work.  best of all, you are likely to encounter some of the following: common or bottlenose dolphins, orca, fur seals, little blue penguins and gannets.

to find out more, freephone 0800 733 529, or visit www.dolphinandwhale.co.nz

i’m baking again.  guests who arrive are treated to chocolate yummies, or yummy chocolate. 

which goes down nicely with an espresso, which i have finally mastered.  (i find it amusing.  before i couldn’t get the milk to foam to save me; now i can’t imagine it not becoming silky with bubbles.  i don’t even try, it just happens of its own accord.)

today’s version of chocolate yummies is what i call my "adult" cake, with bourbon and ground almonds, topped with a rich ganache with espresso.

now i have a table with an umbrella at which to drink and eat and feast on the views.  what a glorious day it is.

in opotiki on a wall is a mural of a muddy boy. but he sure looks happy.

last summer opotiki’s awesome mega mud slide was created, and many a happy muddy child and adult slid down this slippery slope.  (this year they have added a shower, thankfully, as we’re talking thoroughly muddy!)  the mud slide is one of many activities in opotiki during the fun unplugged  summer programme, designed to get kids and grownups unplugged from their computer games and outside enjoying nature and friends. 

launching 27 january, fun unplugged offers horse rides, and  horse races on local beaches, the nationally known beach sculpture competition, hunting and fishing competitions, bush walks, the fantastic waiotahi country market, country hall dances, river activities, a locally produced pantomine with very enthusiastiastic actors, etc etc etc. fancy a pig hunt or some eeling, perhaps?  if you can think of  somethieng else to do, council is keen to organize somebody to provide it for you!

so come along and have some fun!

peaceful, spacious, expansive views.  understated luxury, modern appliances and exquisite bedding blend with country antiques in relocated cottage with wraparound deck. originally a "sleepout" with enough room for one single bed and the ability to walk around 3 sides of it, then expanded to a shed for processing local pohutukawa honey,  then possibly serving as a sleepout/respite for teenage boys from violent homes, providing them a safe and calm place to do their schoolwork, and then serving as a shed, then deteriorating, which is when i bought it.

a bit of love was all it needed.  it began a new life as a much more spacious sleepout, then as a venue for meditation and prayer, and various spiritual workshops, marae style. it has also served as a bit of a honeymoon sleepout for more than several couples.  and then it was reinvented as an art gallery for a local collective of artists, a successful and rewarding experience in its time.  while lovely in its bush setting, it got little sun.

i hatched the plan of adding a toilet & shower and a kitchen sink & bench/counter and renting it out.  well, one thing led to another, and the"whare" as it was lovingly known was relocated to a sunny, treetop "possie" (position) and a new tiled bathroom built alongside it, and the upper room was created.  it has had a new gas cooktop and a convection/microwave/grill oven added for the new year.

also new this year is the day spa next door…

and the lovely bush bath awaits, with the stars and moon above, the estuary and sea below…

come on, you deserve it.

swim

take a beach walk anyway

lie back and listen to the rain on the roof

experience the magic of hikutaia domain, opotiki’s best kept secret.  a few kilometers into the hills down opotiki’s woodlands road lies farmland.  there is a small lane, lined with native plants, which appears in a paddock.  those who turn down this lane will be treated to the rare beauty of a new zealand native botanical garden, an amazing collection of plants from throughout new zealand.  and those who take a certain path will encounter the majesty of taketakerau, a beloved puriri tree more than 2000 years old.  nikau palms, tree ferns, haunting bird calls, highly recommended.  take your video camera along if you’ve brought one, or your camera if you haven’t.  there is a small picnic area and toilets at the entrance.  a meanderer could spend an hour on the clearly defined, easily managed paths, or a quick homage to taketakerau can be done in 10 minutes.  on a rainy day,  the bush is even more magical. 

and on your way back, call in at the honey place for our lovely local honey, made with love by alan, barb and the bees.

grab a coffee or a meal in opotiki

opotiki’s newest and by far the most elegant eating establishment is Rostcard’s, opening this weekend.  opulent beauty, an elevated view of opotiki township, and wonderful wine, coffee and food.  and if you are looking for a quiet place to spend an evening, or for a lovely atmosphere for drinks at night with a friend, Rostcard’s is it.  Rostcard’s is also open during the day…

beauty is here.  if you look to the east, you may see purple mountains or a green sky or a golden cliff face, a rainbow or a sunrise.  if you look to the north, the volcano may be hiding or it may be illuminated by the setting sun; it may be smoking, or pseudo-smoking, a cloud trailing from it as if it were its own.  to the west lies bush, through which fingers of light may be filtering, or from the beach, ohope is to the west.  the golden sun as it sets is breathtaking some days.  to the south is an acre of bush, or, in the night sky, the beloved southern cross. and today the pohutukawa blossoms transport me to another level. 

if you pause to take in the beauty, stillness results.  and in the stillness lies the real beauty, the beauty within.