BREAKER BAY
As I write in New Zealand in an overcast 17C/62F, John is going out to milk the cow in Ilinois in -17F (-21C). not good. So far all is well. They are all alive at least. But cold, cold.
My sister and her family have a house on Breaker Bay. I went to visit her yesterday.
We carried wicker chairs and a cup of coffee onto the foundations of an old boathouse and watched the world go by. We saw seals and dolphins. Lots of birds. Birds with chicks in the rocks too. It was a perfect day for a little paradise exploration. 
Mostly we just sat in the sun and watched.
The beach which is all rocks is tiny and slim. With little houses clinging to the bottoms of the cliffs. Small and playful they were probably Hectors dolphins.
A perfect little beach house in New Zealand.
Breaker Bay is directly opposite the rocks that the Wahini ground herself on in a terrible storm. She breached the hull and went down in terrifying slow motion, very close to shore but too far for the 51 poor souls who drowned that day. I was too small to remember much but I can recall many conversations over the years. And the television footage. An awful day. My father always called the sea a cruel mistress. But I could never understand why someone would even get on a boat with such storms coming in.
However, to be fair, we are living in a world of incredible weather technology. The Wahini Disaster was in 1968. We cannot judge backwards. We are much, much better off now. And getting better every day. The little people are much more informed now.
Still, that day was a disaster any way you look at it.
My new favourite weather app is called Windy. Even that little app would have saved this captain from his decision to reverse back up the channel and into the rocks in 100 knot winds and 0 visibility. Poor fellow.
There was wildlife of a different sort peering in the kitchen windows when I got back to the house on the hill. Escaped.
2018 is here for us all now. I thank you all for a wonderful 2017 and wish you all the best you can make for 2018. Remember a good life does not just happen. Let’s make it as kind as we can. Consciously kind. Imagine a year of kindness. The worlds barriers would melt.
I hope you have a lovely day.
Love celi
WEATHER:
ILLINOIS, NEW ZEALAND
Monday 01/01 0% / 0 in
Sunny. High -1F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.
Monday Night 01/01 10% / 0 in
A clear sky. Low around -10F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.
Sun
7:17 am 4:35 pm
Moon
Full, 100% visible 4:32 pm 6:32 am
WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND
Tuesday 01/02 20% / 0 in
Partly cloudy. High 72F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph.
Tuesday Night 01/02 20% / 0 in
Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 63F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph.
Sun
5:51 am 8:57 pm
Moon
Full, 100% visible 8:53 pm 5:43 am
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
46 Comments on “BREAKER BAY”
Leave a Reply
JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER:
DO A LITTLE SHOPPING:
Thank You So Much For Your Kind Help with Maintaining This Blog
thekitchensgarden 
Ah Celi!! Simplistic but beautiful and rustic scenery!!! love all these pictures!!! It was -20 here at our house this morning and we have 9″ of snow!!! It is cold, crunchy, crispy ~ haven’t had this bitter cold for years ~ supposed to be bitter cold all week and cold for most of the winter. Hopefully it kills all those stinkin bugs!!! Glad to see you’re enjoying your vacation!!!
Nine inches! A lot of snow in that bitter cold. 2014 was that last time it was this cold but it was much later in the winter.
“Consciously kind. Imagine a year of kindness.” It would be so refreshing.
Happy New Year
OMG! That is way too cold for man or animals. I bet you must be worried. Hugs
We have survived those temperatures before though never this early in the winter – my anxiety comes from not being there to help my animals in this extreme cold. John is doing well though
What a delightful little hideaway beach and so very pleased to see the NZ beaches aren’t drowning in discarded plastic detritus which seems to be plaguing the rest of our beleaguered planet. Conscious kindness, what a wonderful theme to carry into and through 2018. Best wishes for a wonderful and rewarding 2018 to all on the Farmy and in our precious fellowship. Laura
One of my grandsons jobs is to pick up rubbish in the beach. This is a voluntary task every time he visits and others also – this does help the beaches stay nice
I wouldn’t say all beaches in NZ are rubbish-free, but most people here are brought up to be ‘tidy Kiwis’ and to ‘leave only footprints’. It makes me cringe to see people overseas leaving all their rubbish behind, as they do in Australia when I have been out with family there. It’s not hard to take a bag to the beach with you to collect all your rubbish. We also collect anything else left behind by others.
Happy new year to you too, C! Enjoy the rest of your stay with friends and family 😊
I love that window and the beautiful view!
Isn’t it lovely!
Wow, Ceci! The ‘New Kid’ sure takes clear, colorful pictures! Almost like being there…just missing the sounds and perfumes of the sea. And those delightful chickens! Do they cluck with a New Zealand accent? Sure look fat and sassy!
They are very fat from their Christmas feasts
Happy New Year!
I can almost imagine Sheila sauntering down the slip and paddling in the bay. I’m sure she’d prefer the weather.
Sheila at the beach would be great. When I get home we will start our walks again to keep her moving
Happy New Year to all in the Farmy Friendship Circle. I send my best hopes to John & the animals for a warming trend right away. It is going down to 7F here in Asheville, NC, tonight, way too cold for any of us & an ice event occurred yesterday aft. spoiling many NewYear’s Eve festivities. People are abiding indoors today. But I have been out several times melting birds’ water & spreading peanut butter all around for the squirrels, wrens, robins & crows I’ve seen devouring it. My small family is here & my neighbor is coming over for Hopping John (black-eyed peas, collard greens & “pot likker”) for good luck in 2018 in just a little while. I came in here check on our far flung correspondent in New Zealand & am glad to find this post & to see the wondrous photos.
I am glad I was IN when you popped inside. When I get home I must get the wild birds water set up.
Hey Celi. Being a little farther north again than your farm and weathering -35’C windchill today I am betting that IF you were to ask your John to give up everything and move to New Zealand … he be there in flash! 😉
Meaning of course if you were to ask him NOW … 😉
I see what you mean! I have not looked up windchill equations – I would be on the plane straight away.
Superb photos. I feel like I could pick up that shiny intriguing fragment of shell than looks like it has a dragon inscribed onto it. And, you managed a photo of a dolphin fin! Not easy to capture so as to be recognisable. We enjoyed seeing a pod yesterday but didn’t even attempt capturing a pic. Happy New Year ♡
Aren’t the colours amazing, EllaDee?! I would’ve loved to see the (plate?) it came from when it was whole; ) Perhaps it came from a shipwreck?!
Also need to ask Miss C if there is any chance of seeing Lapis in the beach rocks down there… SUCH an amazing shade of blue: )
Oh wait, my apologies: I truly though it WAS a dragon! (too much imagination; ) but Juliet mentions Pau Shell! Omg, is that what it is? lol. Wow, there are so many different colours… WAY more than the Pau I’ve seen in the jewellery up here. SO incredibly beautiful, isn’t it? Your Fuji is wonderful, Celi… The intensity/saturation of colour you capture. Wow. Just WOW! Thank you: )
That is a piece of shell from a paua. A shell fish .
Yes, a little slow off the mark, but I did get it eventually; )
Pack up John and Sheila, and move back to your home land. Sheila would look gorgeous on one of the many beaches.
Wouldn’t that be just the thing but John Would never leave his home.
Wonderful photos, as always. There is absolutely nothing to beat simply sitting and looking, with a cup of coffee and quiet conversation. That new camera does have a special way with colour, something lavish and almost vintage about the intensity. I’ve enjoyed the comments about Sheila in NZ and have visions of her swimming in that bay, surging along majestically, only a snout and ears above the water. Have a kind New Year, Miss C.
Kindness for 2018. Yes, it matters and it makes a difference. Love hearing about the —bach? or is it a permanent house? I’m in town overnight, then back to my bach today, back to the sea and the breakers and all the wildlife. It’s so good to hear that you can just sit, hang out, and watch, and miss at least a little of that ferociously cold weather back in Illinois. Love the paua shell heart among the rocks. Nicely captured! Kindness shines.
Here in frozen Missouri, I’m warmed and watching along with you. Great photographs! Inspiring message. Best to all Farmies,
Thank you Albert! Have an excellent day!
Delightful photos of Breaker Bay: very New Zealand to my way of thinking and remembering. Love the craggy outlook and the view from that bed by the window. Basking in temps from low 20s C in the morning here to 30C + by midday . . . . oh, the 44C+ promised for next weekend [that’s close to 110F methinks] does worry one a wee bit re possible bushfires . . . the other end of the spectrum! . . . . may it all work out reasonably for your year to come . . .
love all your photos and your words about kindness are so very very wise.
Great pictures.. Have A Happy New Year !
My children get upset with me when I talk about home, because they think they are my home, and they are. But they forget there’s another, before-them home. Do all your homes feel like home in the same way? Do you have various heart homes too? You sound like you are “at home.”
The word home is such a difficult word. I only really feel at home in New Zealand- the us has never felt homely to me. Though the animals do if that makes any sense at all
I need to read up about New Zealand. The names of all the places are so familiar but so distant also. I have spend some time in Maine and the native names there are reminiscent of the native names in New Zealand. Wiscasset , Arrowsic etc. What if the natives of Maine who named the rivers and byways were descendants of New Zealand? How would they have traveled that distance? I mean we all came from somewhere….
Happy New Year dear! And Happy New Year to Our John and all the characters here. P
What beautiful pictures sweet friend. And good for you – sometimes you need to sit and just be. You work hard – you so deserve some down time to sit. Love you friend – have a great New Year. XOXO – Bacon
Great photos, I love just sitting watching the world go by, preferably with a nice glass of wine! Happy new year to you and yours.😀
You are forced to let go and enjoy the moment where you are. Hard to do I know. The animals will do fine. Sounds like everything is under control and we know how resourceful and smart animals can be. I bet Sheila’s bed is up to the moon by now! Enjoy and safe travels home. You will be home before you know it.
Kindness is very under rated. Wishing you joy for 2018.
beautiful up close photographs as well as all other scenery. Happy travels.
Best wishes for the new year, Celi — and yes, kindness would solve the world’s problems in a flash. Such lovely photos of a lovely spot on the earth. Breaker Bay is ethereal looking. And yes, horribly cold but this, too, shall pass. Enjoy the warmth when you have it. — Mame 🙃
Hey dear Celi … we are being hammered by the wind in Akl as I type! Nasty … Breaker Bay looks lovely … I hope you are having a great holiday. Happy New Year 😃
Lapis, carnelian, amethyst too
Beach tones gemstones
of every hue.
Lichen all encrust the rock
with hidden beach shrub,
Surf tossed scallop
Frond of kelp,
An seed come distant shores.
Driftwood mixed
With Pau shell bits
But wait is it a sign
We do recall that Yes
There may be dragons…
Boulders smooth
the low tide shows
So close and yet so far
Those wicked teeth
All razor-sharp
What scored Wahini’s spine
Rust-stained aggregate
A steep descent
To periwinkle hue
Breezes toss the curtain’s skirt
While Hector’s Dolphin gambol by
Flip a tail up to the sky
Of perfect crystal blue
All this
On only one sweet day
In summer time
on Breaker Bay.
It has been very cold here, too. At least I don’t have any cows to milk. I have been breaking ice on the pond for the cows for about 2 weeks and I have to remember to dump the chickens water out in the evening. Geeting up early to give them fresh water is hard because I am not normally an early riser. Have a great and wonderful 2018!
Dumping the Undrunk water is so important- I bet there are little piles of ice all over.