The Dunes & Bethell's Beach

Waiti Stream, originally uploaded by tkw954.

For scale - those are people on the dune. They look like red and white specks.

Swimming, originally uploaded by tkw954.

I didn't know what to expect on our short excursion. Certainly not a gorgeous fresh-water lake nestled between the biggest sand dunes I've ever seen and rolling green hills dotted with cattle.

I could have stayed here all day, although my intention was to go to Bethell's Beach to play in the waves. Had we gone to Bethell's first, there would be no contest - I'd stay at Wainamu and walk home across the dune in the dark. Next time, I'm taking ALL of my gear on the hike to Wainamu (I had edited my beach gear before leaving the car - only brought hiking boots, sarong, and sunscreen. Note: hiking boots are NOT REQUIRED. CAMERA REQUIRED.)

Another note - after swimming exclusively in salt water for the past year or so, I noticed that swimming in fresh water required a LOT MORE EFFORT. Unfortunately, Travis and I couldn't perform the second part of our experiment. We treaded water in Lake Wainamu to see how high we could get our shoulders out of the water. Our shoulders just barely made it out of the water. At Bethell's, the waves were too churney and choppy to conclude the experiment. I'll have to try it out at Herne Bay. Maybe tonight.