Memories of Childhood

This is my most favourite beach of all time probably because of the wonderful memories i have of a childhood spent here in the holidays staying at my grandfathers house.
The secret tree hut hidden away where make believe games seemed real, where sliding down the hill on a piece of cardboard was an adventure and thrilling all at the same time.....the fact that the ocean and the harbour (above) were so close to each other that you got to enjoy both, made this place unique to other beaches i have been to.......whether you wanted the thrill of the ocean waves or the calm of the harbour......they were there for you to enjoy....



Alot has changed since those visits as a children now thousands flock to this beach over summer, cars travel at a crawling pace and brown bodies are everywhere to be seen, there are now high risers where there used to be beach cottages but having seen all these changes i can;t help but feel a special joy when i finally arrive here...




The memories are with me to pull out and relive and smile at so that the magic of childhood is still felt today.......wouldn't you want to be here, blue skies, blue water and clean soft sand that falls between your toes like silk!!!



This place is called Mount Maunganui or The Mount as it is referred to because of the mountain you see in this picture and there is some of the high rise apartments in the distance.....there is much maori folklore about this mountain.....




If you climb to the top of The Mount which you can do if you have the energy! it is well worth it just for the view.....here you can see the ocean and the harbour......for those that want something a bit easier paced you can walk around the mount and the views are just as spectacular.......
i am lucky to be able to visit this place often as it is only an hour and a half from where i live and my two daughters, husband and partner and three grandchildren live here as well.......as some of you will know there have been two tsunami warnings in nz and because of this this place has been on alert which is a bit scary for a mother who has family there....and as you can see it wouldn't take much for a wave to sweep over all.........but deep in my heart is those memories that i have and are still creating so my happiness still grows......

Being new to blogging i have been told that i should have a name under any quotes, peoms that are not my own.....so please note the quotes in the last post are not mine and i am sorry but i do not have a record of whose they are except for the last one i will be sure to note the names in future and give credit where credit is due......any poems or quotes of my own will have my own name listed under them as well........