Tuesday, January 30, 2018, Auckland, NZ day 2, Kiwi Countryside

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We took in the North Island’s splendid beauty during a scenic excursion to the West Coast. 
Our first stop was at a private sheep ranch where we saw their beautiful land, home, and flower garden, then fed tamed deer, watch sheep shearing, and a demonstration with their sheep dog.














 










Our guide (and bus driver!) then drove us through the wine regions of Kumeu and Huapai to Muriwai Beach. Here, we admired unspoiled natural vistas of black sand, rugged terrain, pounding surf and the bright red flowers of the pōhutukawa tree, New Zealand’s own Christmas tree. This lush area harbors a wide array of birdlife; the takapu, or gannet, is the most prevalent and draws bird lovers from all over New Zealand. From the cliffs overlooking the beach, we walked about 400 yards to a viewing area, where we enjoyed close-up views of this native seabird colony. 







Young gannet trying out his wings without flying.



Vintners place netting over grapevines to keep birds away.  And they plant rose bushes at both ends of every two or three rows; these are used as indicators of disease.  The rose bushes are somewhat more vulnerable to some disease, so when the vintners see the rose bushes struggling they know to take precautions.

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