Feb 9 midday

Down the hill to two neighboring churches: St Mary's and the Cathedral. I didn't notice which religion. Little St Mary's is a wood gothic like Old St Paul's in Wellington. From 1886. Nice windows. Nice wood beams, arches.

Next door, the new cathedral soars in a way most new churches don't. Big stained glass windows and a lot of light despite all the heavy stone.

Through downtown and over the harbour bridge and away we go. Stopped for lunch at a roadside cafe/gas station complex. The pies up here aren't as good as in Southland -- not even the "gourmet" pies. ... We stopped at Whangarei Falls... According to Chunlin, it looks like Snoqualmie Falls, but I wouldn't know. Snoq Falls probably doesn't have tropical plants around it.

Local kids playing in the water above and below the falls.