All along the Waterfront. Down-under Christmas !

I took a stroll "Down Town" along The Strand, early Sunday morning, in my home town of Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty .  We are blessed to be surrounded by water where ever we go in NZ, either by Ocean, Lake or river, there is always water.  Our little city is on the shores of our inner harbor and they are only now, taking advantage of that.  It is lined with cafes and restaurants galore, and on a Sunday morning the evidence is everywhere.  I gotta give a huge thumbs up to the street cleaners, they do an awesome job of sweeping and washing away they excess of the night before, all before most people are up and about.  

Down under, Christmas is a hot affair, with lots of sunblock, insect repellent, BBq's, swimming, and beach sports.  Its that time of year when we get out our Togs ...(aka: Bathing suit, swimmers ) and wear nothing but bare feet or Jandals ...(aka: Thongs, flip flops)

It also features one of our native trees, the Pohutukawa or as we call it, the Kiwi Christmas tree.   It is in full bloom at the moment.  These trees grow to be huge and are mainly near the coast, with many being hundreds of years old.  They have a beautiful flower which carpets the streets and lawns in deep red. They are everywhere in the North Island!

 There is one very special Pohutukawa in the very top of our North Island.   A gnarled, twisted Pohutukawa on the windswept cliff top at Cape Reinga,   has become of great significance to many New Zealanders. For Maori this, venerated Pohutukawa is known as ‘the place of leaping’. It is from here, they believe, that the spirits of the dead begin their journey to their traditional homeland of Hawaiki. From this very point the spirits leap off the headland and climb down the roots of the 800-year-old tree, descending into the underworld on their return journey. 

We love our Pohutukawa, it means Summer and Christmas have finally arrived.  

We also have the largest Port in New Zealand here, and there are always Cargo ships lined up to carry containers in and usually logs out.  We also have ALOT of Cruise liners and they are a sight to behold coming through the entrance.  They usually leave around 7pm at night and the locals line the entrance to the harbour on Mount Maunganui to wave them goodbye.

On one side of the port.  This is where the majority of container ships are unloaded, on the other side of the harbour is where a lot of our logs are loaded on and the Cruise ships dock

Anyway I won't rabbit on any longer, I'll let the photo's speak for themselves...well, maybe a few comments below them?

Looking toward the hills of home

And looking back toward the Port

At one end, there is a fresh fish market.  They have their own Trawlers, which dock right beside the shop and unload.  People flock here for their fish and chips, and eat them out on the large tables by the water.  

These photo's are taken "Down Town" along the waterfront.  The council have turned it into area's where you can picnic and the children can play .   I'm not sure if you are familiar with the Hairy McClarey books, but these bronze statues feature the characters from those books 

A water fountain that sends jets up when you least expect it.

Last Summer, we had these sea steps put in, they were an instant hit, what a difference a bit of concrete makes.  Family's picnic and kids leap into the tide,and people just sit and soak their tired hot feet while looking at the view

Behind the waterfront view

A railway line runs right through the middle between the shops and the waterfront. 

 Here is where a lot of the bars and cafes are.  At Easter time the streets around this area are blocked off to traffic for 3 days as we have a huge Jazz festival.  People from all over come and there are bands playing everywhere.  It makes for a great atmosphere...everyone is "Happy" !!

One of the best things about where Town is situated is that the airport is just across the harbour, meaning there are height restrictions to the buildings, which means no enormous skyscrapers !!!

The airport is just across the water.

I had noticed some "Trees" lining the length of the waterfront so went to invesigate

They were community projects from around the Bay.  Little paintings done on Plywood and screwed to the trees.

This is from the childrens ward...they have done theirs in Metalic paint and it really sparkled in the morning sun.  There are way too many to put here but it gives you an idea.

Right at the very end of the waterfront, is a Restaurant that looks out over the harbor.  If you look closely you will see some old piles in the water...

Zoom in closer and you can see these awesome little Turns, (I think that's what they are)nesting right in the top.  Open to all weather, they endure. 

So here's to all you guys on Steemit, I send you wishes for a Happy and safe Christmas from Down Under.  A truly very Merry Pohutukawa Christmas to you all