Opito Bay Summer Days – 4 January 2022
After a long year dominated by the COVID-19 Delta outbreak, everyone is incredibly grateful to be enjoying a summer break in Opito Bay. Especially those of us from Tamaki Makaurau who had enough of the 12 weeks of lockdown and others from Waikato, Taranaki, Gisborne didn’t have to do such a major lockdown but nevertheless pleased when we all changed to the orange traffic light system. The isolation of living and working from home meant everyone was so looking forward to an Opito beach holiday like no other! We couldn’t wait to walk along the clean squeaky pale sands of the beach at Opito Bay, Coromandel (not to be confused with Opito Bay, Northland) the place we can relax, unwind and be sociable again.
As we packed for our holidays quickly to get on the road again, going past the once guarded road blocks now free and easy, looking forward to joining our whanau and friends at the beautiful seaside location of the Eastern Coromandel. The anticipation of enjoying the company of others, neighbours and friends, over a glass of wine/beer and home baking treats, celebrating Christmas dinner and New Year’s with freshly caught fish, crayfish or tuatua fritters, was what we all needed and craved for. The sound of tractors, towing boats and the added number of boats with wheels, crawling into the sea floor was an enjoyment to many, especially the die-hard fishing people. Children enjoying the sandcastles digging holes on the 3km beachfront and swimming in the crystal clear waters or surfing the waves, soaking up the sun under the umbrellas with unbelievable summer temperatures, we embraced the 27degree temperatures with open arms and white sunscreened bodies looking forward to getting the beach tan! The odd sighting of dolphins in the Bay or bronze whaler
The Christmas Tree decorations came down today and stacked away for next year. The outdoor games played, the quizzes never ending, watching the odd Netflix movie, reading books and doing the crossword puzzles, sudoku and code breakers with the odd game of table tennis is what makes our holidays at Opito that more special. Turning on the computer today and checking emails reminds us of the life before. Enough said, time to turn the computer off again and leave the phone only checking Facebook friends updates or to take magical photos of those nearest and dearest. Sending gratitude and giving complements helps us be present with others and just enjoy these beautiful Opito Bay 2021/2022 endless summer days, helping us be refreshed and revived for the year ahead!
