Daily Photo – Old wharf near Ōtākou

I seemingly had the road to myself, the harbour’s captivating reflections keeping me company as they appeared out of the passenger window while I swung in and out of bays. Boats, boatsheds, swimming pontoons, harbour markers, and the hills of the western harbour bounced off the water like glass. I passed the famous Wellers Rock just as Harrington Point Beach, Taiaroa Head, and the harbour mouth came into view.

A ray of golden light flooded a rustic wooden wharf, its weathered, spindly piles casting sharp reflections into the glassy tide. A fishing boat sat moored at the jetty, gently swaying on the calm sea. The deep blue water shifted to a clear, sunlit turquoise near the shore, mirroring the bright afternoon sky. I pulled the car over, grabbed the book I’d been reading, found a patch of grass in the sun, and read for a while. It was all rather delightful.