Today we decided to get out for a Sunday drive. We headed out of town and stopped to have breakfast at Cafe Thyme. It was a charming little place and we sat outside on the patio. I had a delicious omelette. The major entertainment was the tiny (clearly well-fed) sparrows as they flitted about in search of leftovers. The table next to us left PLENTY, and the birds gathered and feasted until the waitress cleaned it up.

We continued our drive and stopped at a local vegetable/fruit market. We got a few things, including a ripe passion fruit and a couple Greengage plums to sample. Wow! Incredible!

Passion fruit

We headed up to Waikanae, home of Reikorangi Pottery and Park. We bought some cups of feed (one for quadrupeds and one for the fowl) and headed into the animal area.

The greeter at the door. When his muzzle was later removed, we understood why it had been put on in the first place... he simply wouldn't stop barking!!

We were immediately swarmed by a huge pack of birds... ducks, geese, chickens of all shapes and sizes, guinea fowl, and whatnot.

Birds of a clearly different feather

Regan thought it would be entertaining to sprinkle some of the food on my feet to see what happened.

I tried to feed the Zan, the Himalayan Thar, but the chickens raced into his pen by crawling through a small hole they had dug under the fence and got most of the food.

Kara, the Dama-wallaby, was uninterested in anything we had to offer.

The hunter becomes the hunted.

A chicken is foiled in its attempts to steal food from Ayallah, the Fallow deer.

A very disgruntled kea

A group of Indian Ringneck Parakeets... and the token yellow guy they let hang with them.

Percy the Llama had very soft lips and took food very gently from my hand.

Garwain and Guinevere, the Red Deer pair, didn't seem to be on speaking terms... with their sour looks and their backs to each other from opposite sides of the enclosure.

Are YOU looking at ME??

We continued wandering about the grounds... visiting (and trying to feed) the alpacas, pigs, and other assorted critters. We then walked down to the river and sat on a bench for a while. The chickens followed us... just in case!

Who me? I just.... uh... happen to casually be passing by... and coincidentally jumping up on the bench you are sitting on!

Still being followed!

Crazy Kiwi feet! The water was freezing cold!

Some flowers by the stream

Super chicken... able to leap in a single frantic flutter up onto the high branches!

The old house was filled with all sorts of artwork, old furniture, turn-of-the-last-century photos, and a collection of other memorabilia.

We sat in the garden a bit, having some delicious tea... while surrounded by hopeful chickens. We eventually took our leave of the frustrated fowl and headed to Papaparaumu beach. It was QUITE windy and chilly. We walked along the sand for a while, watching boats be hauled back from the surf onto land by large tractors.

Kapiti Island

Loading the boat onto the trailer

Gulls and terns

We jumped up to Paekakariki Beach and did another short stroll. Fortunately it wasn't as windy.

A friend kept tagging along with us.

Looking back down the beach

On the way home, we bought some groceries for dinner... which turned out to be more of a "snacky" meal with potato herb & pumpkin seed bread, with the left over garlic and Baba ghanoush spreads, a nice chunk of potent blue cheese, and some guacamole with extra avocados, tomatoes and garlic. Regan created a fabulous dessert of chilled summer salsa (fruit such as kiwis, plums, with some fig and quince preserves) and crispy oven-baked tortillas with sugar and cinnamon.

Delicious dessert!