A rare long weekend escape saw Dave and I heading 3 hours down the coast where we had the rare good fortune to be spoilt at a friends holiday house, situated a volcanic stones throw from the Lake Conjola lagoon and the beach of Manyana.
Summers are very busy, being popular with families, but it being a cold and wet winters weekend, we had the place more or less to ourselves.
The lagoon's sandy shore is laced with black volcanic rock and slabs of what looks like cooling lava. The sky above the ocean was an amazing indigo over the white wind-whipped waves, framed by the pale green tussocks of grass waving over sand dunes. Walking round to the stretch of beach, the wind was so strong you could almost lie on it.I suspected I may get a mouthful of sand if I tried however.
There is a gorgeous island just offshore called Green Island, which you can reach at low tide. It looked the perfect place for a little castle ruin and the exploring figures of the Famous Five.
There was a tern fishing nearby; releasing itself like a white arrow into the waves. Even over the roar of the sea and wind, there is the constant sound of wrens and scrub land birds singing amongst the gnarled trees behind the beach.
I also got to explore the very charming and hip town of Milton, with it's treasury of second-hand shops and cafes and quaint old buildings. I had a strong urge to move there, it's such a lovely town.
I saw so many beautiful vistas of rolling green hills and trees. One fig tree in particular in the township itself was just magnificent. I was like a child standing at the base of its trunk.
The weekend happened to be the festival of the Scarecrow with people both in town and surrounding farmland proudly displaying a vast array of scarecrows. Lots of creative people around, which may explain the large shoe in a field. The old woman and her children had all been turned to cows however.
Thank you Maria for fattening up both my stomach and spirit with good food and company and for sharing with me this very special part of the world!
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