Paihia and Russell

We were at the start of our morning walk when we discovered a disoriented and upset runner called Padraig. He had been running, I'd even seen him having a dip, and now he didn't know where he was or where he had run from or to. We tried to help but were increasingly worried by his complete lack of short term memory. In the end we got him an ambulance and the story ends with him coming good after a couple of hours. (He visited this afternoon with his wife Christine.)

After this delay we set off on a ferry ride to visit Russell. Lyn found a nearly-finished Mass to pray for Padraig and then we lay around and ate our picnic lunch. After driving all day yesterday and the drama of the morning we were not up to anything strenuous. On the way back Lyn spotted dolphins. 

Back at Paihia wharf we booked a cruise for tomorrow after Lyn had carefully enquired about the size of the boat, state of the sea and wind speed - twice. 

Then we went for a swim in a sea so calm and shallow that the main threat to life and limb is the pebbles and shell on the "beach".

And here are two photos off the net.

The wharf at Russell and the little Paihia/Russell ferry - the May Belle

Russell's pleasant but not very exciting beach.

There you go!