Okura Estuary Reserve

On Saturday Larry and I went hiking in the Okura Estuary Reserve.   When we entered the trail we were at low tide, so it looked like this:

We spent a little over an hour hiking through trails that looked like this:

When we came out of the bush, that trickle of a stream had changed to this:

The tidal changes here are something we have learned to be mindful of.   I'm always a bit amused when we drive across the Harbor bridge at low tide and see all sorts of boats sitting stranded in the mud.  But once the tide comes back in, they are up on top of water again.

According to http://auckland.kingtides.org.nz/about/faqs/

"The tidal range (difference between high and low tide) reaches 1-2 metres on the East Coast and 3.5 – 4 metres on the West Coast. High tide and low tide also occur at different times on Auckland’s East and West Coasts. This is because the tide has to travel from the Waitamata Harbour up and around Northland to reach the Manukau Harbour – a journey that takes about 3½ hours."

While the ups and downs of life are not generally as regular or as predictable as the ocean tides, watching the sea water ebb and flow in these patterns every day has taught me to trust that when I am having low periods I don't need to panic or despair.  If I just hang tight and ride it out, in time the high waters will come again.

What is an Estuary?