Our first stop was at the Hastings Farmers' Market, which is so popular it is held every Sunday - sun, rain or hail. The queues for coffee were too long for us to wait, but we bought two lovely croissants from a French baker's stall. We picked up coffees in town at the cinema cafe. Something we don't see at home is milk being sold in reusable bottles. It is decanted from a bulk container so is labour intensive. We stopped for lunch at Palmerston North. There are several wall murals in the city but none were very good. The art deco style "Ladies Rest" was built in 1937. Inside there are arm chairs in a lounge area, original tiles and some original plumbing. When first built it was just rendered, but the current colours work really well.
I scootered 4kms along the bike path to Fingal Bay. This bay is outside Port Stephens but I was surprised to see a Surf Life Saving Club because the sea was absolutely flat. The sand spit can wash away during high tides stranding people on Mount Stephens.
Virginia Lake is only a kilometre from our motor lodge. It used to be the town's water supply, but after a better water storage facility was built the local council held a competition for a design for gardens around the lake. The Winter Garden has lots of colouful foliage in a glasshouse. At the mouth of the river there are two old breakwaters. The sea rolls onto a black sand beach covered with driftwood. There is a seaside holiday park for motorhomes and campers. Near the park there is yet another art deco style toilet block.
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