Shelley Munro, Author of Paranormal Romance

I’ve participated in Thursday Thirteen for quite a few years now. I’m shifting things up a little this year – changing the rules. Instead of doing a list of thirteen items each week, I intend to vary the length of my list.

Five Places I Visited Over the Christmas Break

Hubby and I ran away for Christmas and took a cruise around New Zealand and over to Melbourne in Australia.

1. We walked around Mt Maunganui and enjoyed a sunny day at The Mount. After our walk we relaxed with a few drinks. (photo of the beach – top far right)

2. During our stop at Wellington, we visited the Weta Workshop, famous for all the movie special effects. This is Golem from Lord of the Rings.

3. On Christmas day, we stopped at Port Chalmers, not far from Dunedin in the South Island. With not much open, we decided to go for a walk to counteract those Christmas goodies. We took photos of the Holy Trinity church.

4. Our walk took us upward as we tackled a hill. The road down was through shady bush.

5. The seas became rougher after Christmas day as a storm passed. The dining rooms were quieter and many people were sea sick. I didn’t get sick but I “visited” the middle of the ship because the range of motion is less there. The glass of ginger ale helped to settle my stomach too!

What did you do over your Christmas break?

This week I thought I’d take you on a whistle-stop tour of New Zealand. We’ll start our visit at Mt. Maunganui, a beautiful beach area on the east coast of the North Island. The area is named after the extinct volcano, which dominates the vicinity.

The hill is Mt. Maunganui, and this beach is the perfect one for families since it’s very safe.

This is a view from the path that travels around the base of the mountain. It’s a busy walkway, especially during the weekend when we visited. You can also climb to the top of the mountain, which takes about an hour. A little more if you stop to take in the vista on a regular basis. We’ve done both walks. The views are great, no matter which option you choose.

The Mount (as it is known locally) was inhabited by the local Maori tribe before the Europeans arrived because it was an excellent vantage point and they received early warnings of possible attacks from other tribes. During a walk around the base you’ll see evidence of early habitation. This is a midden (a dump for waste), which is full of empty pippi shells (clam-like shellfish). Just as an aside, my father has several of these middens on his farm, and over the years we’ve found Maori stone adzes.

Mt. Mauganui is known for its surf beach, and this is a view of the beach, looking back to the mountain. During the Christmas/New Year holidays the population swells since it’s a popular holiday location.

Are you a beach fan?