Summer rays arrive: Liz Marchant with her son Tyler and his friend Ikahn Learwood, both four years-old, revel in the freedom of Plimmerton beach.
?Hallelujah, it?s about time,? says Tawa resident Liz Marchant. After returning from holiday in Tauranga, staying beside Mount Maunganui, Liz and her son Tyler were enjoying the freedom of Plimmerton beach. ?It?s just great at the beach because you don?t really need to bring anything, they just make their own fun,? says Liz. According to data from NIWA, New Zealand has experienced its warmest decade ever, but you wouldn?t know it during this Wellington summer. People that didn?t escape the capital city over January have been stuck inside going barmy, with some days resembling mid-winter. However, last week the gloom was thrown aside and the beach beckoned. ?We have been to Te Papa twice to keep busy, and also to the indoor pools in Porirua, and the pools in Johnsonville,? says Liz. Temperature trends reveal that 2009 was the fifth warmest globally in 130 years, although scientists have recently revealed that the earth will cool for the next 10 years before warming up. At Plimmerton the 22 degree weather was stunning and the beach was humming. Sasha Sinclair lives in Plimmerton and her friend Sonia Dredge travelled over from Whitby for a day at the beach. ?We have been going insane, every day it was nice we were here ? which was only about three,? says Sasha and Sonia, in a mood for relaxing. After returning from holiday in Matapouri Bay, Sasha laughs about the fact she went out on ?one of three good days? and burnt her back. Sonia?s family escaped to Papamoa in Tauranga for the break. Sasha?s son Kane is six months old and her other son Zach is two and a half. The mothers met at anti-natal classes and have been friends ever since. Sonia?s son, Hunter is the same age as Zach. ?Plimmerton is the best beach to be at, and Pukerua Bay is also nice, we go to Queen Elizabeth Park often as well,? says Sonia.
