Himatangi Beach Again

Today is the first day back to work after the Christmas break for many Kiwis, although many more are still at the beach enjoying an extended break. January's usually a quiet month in New Zealand's cities and work places.

We came home yesterday, after rounding off our trip with a few days at our old favourite, Himatangi Beach. I love Himatangi – it’s a small place with such a laid back feel and it never really changes, yet every time we go we have a different experience. And going there is always a guaranteed rest.

We arrived at Himatangi just a few days after a 27 year old man drowned there - he got caught in one of the strong rips that this area is notorious for. I can certainly vouch for the fact that the ocean is pretty wild in these parts and I have a healthy respect for, fear of and awe for it.

I’ve got to give a lot of respect and thanks to all the surf life savers who patrol our beaches every summer. These amazing people (many of whom are volunteers) dedicate huge amounts of their time and rescue thousands of people every year.

On reflection, despite the number of times we’ve been here, I don’t think I have actually ever swum at Himatangi Beach. We’ve paddled, we’ve built driftwood teepees, we’ve collected thousands of shells, we’ve played rugby in the sand, I’ve been for walks and even runs by the sea....but I’ve never actually swum here. 

After spending several days swimming, boogie boarding and surfing in hot weather in Taranaki, I think we all assumed we'd continue with similar activities at Himatangi. 

However on this latest visit, we chose not to swim due to the large number of blue bottles (known back in England as Portuguese Man O’War) which had washed up in great big swarms everywhere. Although they’re not deadly, they deliver a nasty sting and none of us really wanted to risk it (although Alfie did take a little persuasion due to his current addiction to his cat-scratched boogie board).

But Himatangi Beach is an amazing place and we didn't mind not swimming. Instead, we did all our other favourite things – we built sand castles and teepees, played rugby, tennis and mini golf, spent countless hours at the playpark, drank coffee, bought ice creams at the dairy, had dinner at the Cossie Club, read books, fed Victa the reindeer, had water fights, collected shells, etc – and just really appreciated having a few more days of holiday together before we had to go home. 

See you next time Himatangi....