Discovering the East Coast down to Mahia in BWL

It was a beautiful day in Gisborne on the 22nd of August 2022 and Andy very kindly offered to take me for a flight in his immaculate 1960 model Cessna 172A ZK-BWL

My ride for my Mahia adventure, Andy Stevenson Aviation's Cessna 172A ZK-BWL

Young Nicks Head

Waipaoa River mouth

Waipaoa Railway Bridge

Young Nick's Head

Wetlands project behind Young Nick's Head

Mapere

Whareongaonga Bay - Landing place of Te Kooti and the other exiles after their return from the Chathams

The defunct Wairoa-Gisborne railway

Notice the track fallen down the slip on the right side of the photo

Another washout on the railway

Takararoa

Approaching Lake Rotupounamu and Mahanga Beach

Mahanga Beach

Looking across Maungawhio Lagoon towards Mahia

Looking east to Auroa Point and beyond to Table Cape/Kahutara Point

Opoutama Beach looking towards Waikokopu

Mahia

Portland Island

Rocket Lab 

Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab

Portland Island... the old airstrip that serviced the lighthouse was on the left hand side of the point... See https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2013/04/rural-east-coast-flyer-marshalls-air.html

The lighthouse has been replaced by a simple light beacon

The northern end of Portland Island

The northern end of Portland Island

The western coastline of the Mahia Peninsula

The western coastline of the Mahia Peninsula - Hekerangi Point

The western coastline of the Mahia Peninsula

The western coastline of the Mahia Peninsula looking to Long Point/Taramahiti Point

The western coastline of the Mahia Peninsula

The western coastline of the Mahia Peninsula- a pod of dolphins

The western coastline of the Mahia Peninsula

Reservoir dam for the Gisborne water supply 

Land use East Coast

Poverty Bay

Young Nick's Head again

Waipaoa River mouth

Tuaheni Point and Tuamotu Island

Port of Gisborne

Port of Gisborne

Finals Grass Runway 32

Thanks to Andy for an amazing flight over some of New Zealand's secret beauty