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Tauranga is known throughout New Zealand as a beautiful resort community. The weather is sunny and temperate throughout the year. There are many fine shops, restaurants, and beaches. It is just south of the Coromandel on the west coast. A good friend of ours, Diane and her family, lives there. (Click here to read about Diana.)
We had a wonderful and memorable meal at Soho Restaurant and a spa stay at Durham Motor Inn. The Inn is easy walking distance to the harbour and restaurants. By the way, if you want fine quality New Zealand woolen goods at reasonable prices, be sure to stop by the Kaimai Wool Shed on State Rt. 29 just outside Tauranga.
I woke up early on Friday, March 24, and went for a walk. The sun was rising over the harbor. As I mulled over the previous evening meal experience and Diana's visit and thought about how fortunate I was, this poem came to me about Tauranga. I wrote it on a park bench surrounded by flowers with the noise of fountain water in the background. As I wrote, the city began to come to life.
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Tauranga
Last night your streets were filled with life
The restaurant and bars
Overflowing with revelers
Now at 6 a.m. you are asleep
But only for a moment for the Sun is rising
And life returns
Glass buildings reflecting Old Sol's glory
What a difference a few hours make
Last night at Soho we filled ourselves
With delectable treasures from the sea
Now, no one moves about the entrance
A fishing boat heads out
A lone figures reaches up
To water one of the hundreds of hanging floral baskets
Gulls and birds my companions
Unfamiliar songs coming from the palm above
Chug, chug, another boat departs for the day
Clang, click, clang, a train passes not 50 feet away
Disturbing my morning revelry
Ah, silence returns
A cool breeze freshens the soul
As I head out to meet the day
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