... to Shag Point/Matakaea

Just up the road from Karitane and 9km east from Palmerston is Shag Point/Matakaea. I had never been there before this Labour Weekend. I like that the Maori name is being used. Whoever suggested Shag Point was severley lacking in imagination.

It was blowing a fair gale. There was a minibus full of international tourists taking selfies and two other keen photographers. They were trying to capture (photographically speaking) a common old seagull. The gulls were hovering in the gales. I also saw a couple of divers in a sea thick with kelp and one big, fat seal basking in the sun amongst the birds. He did look up a couple of times and I did wonder how fast he could swim and 'run' compared to my damaged meniscus affected 'run'. Fortunately, I didn't need to test the belief that I could get away from him if I needed too.