I ♥ Auckland - Maraetai ( pron: my - right - eye )

For the last few months I have been wanting to take photos of a sunrise, which means of course that I would need to be facing East.   You know how it goes : "Sunrises in the East and sets in the West". There is no shortage of sunsets where I live, after all our district is known as the "sunset coast".
 
Last Saturday was my birthday, and of course, I got to decide what I wanted to do. Conversation between hubby and I on Friday night:  Me, " Hon, do you know what time the sunrise is tomorrow?"
Hubby: " No, but I can soon find out, I'll google the weather." Few minutes later..." Sunrise is at 7.00am tomorrow, why?" Me: "Well, I would really like to go and watch the sunrise at Maraetai, and take photos, what do you think?"  Hubby:  "We would have to get up at 5.45am, it's about a 50minute drive, do you really want to do this?"  At this point I think he was really hoping I would say no, and that we could go another time. But no it wasn't to be, so at 6.00am we left and started the 50 minute drive to Maraetai. It was pitch black, cloudy and quite honestly I was starting to doubt whether there would be a sunrise.

And guess what,  there was no sunrise, plenty of showers, Nor'easterly wind blowing, this combined with a high tide gave for some very exciting waves and some great photos....
Maraetai is a lovely part of Auckland, with houses sitting on a hill right across the road from the beach. It is very popular in the Summer with boaties, fisherman and families out for a day at the beach.

Looking at the wharf from the road. 7am no sunrise.....

Sitting on the steps at the wharf, as the waves came in under the steps the steps would move. Made for exciting photography

Taken looking down from the side of the wharf..

Around from the houses there is a small sea wall, the waves pounded against the wall, lots of sea spray.

This is taken from the beach with the coastal road to the right..

The name Maraetai, always caused lots of humour in our house. When I was young my Dad used to play this game with us, asking us where different suburbs in Auckland were. Once he had got us going, and all wound up with excitement because we got all his questions answered he would come up with the classic line:  " Where is Maraetai" and of course we would tell him what suburb it was next to. He would look at us with a sly grin and tell us we were wrong., look at us and say " No , Maraetai ( my-right-eye) is next to my left eye", and we fell for it everytime.....

One of my favourites, this was taken looking down from the road onto the rocks below.