However, we still seem to be the last people to leave the campsite (ANY campsite) because we end up chatting to different co-campers. Today for example we didn't get on the road until about 11:30am having spent the morning pouring over maps of NZ with Frank and Eva who had many great suggestions for where to go and where to stay (and where not to get robbed). Whenever Frank mentions some story of theft Eva playfully laughs and rolls her eyes at him. We understand his concern though as he is carting around a very expensive bike in their van.
Side note: Frank and Eva were with us on the kiwi walk and were overjoyed to see one. Despite being avid campers and nature enthusiasts this was their first ever kiwi spotting. They claimed that we were their good luck charm, but we were sure that they were ours!
We could have spent days talking with them. Frank is so knowledgable about the native flora and fauna and he and Eva have travelled extensively (throughout the world and NZ).
We head north towards the Waipoua Forest which is home to some fabulous walks and to some very large and VERY old kauri trees. We start with a two hour hike to a lookout point (conveniently called Lookout Track). The trail heads up, up, up for the first hour, through some young kauri forests and manuka trees. It comes out at a high point that overlooks the entire forest and delivers us views all the way to the ocean.
Our next hike leads us to Te Matua Ngahere (or "Father of the Forest" in Maori). This tree is the second largest living kauri. At nearly 17 meters (yes METERS) around and 1500-2000 years old this is SOME TREE. We sit there for about 20 minutes taking in the impressive view. Nearby are the Four Sisters. Four inseparable kauris that have naturally grown this way. All around these trees are boardwalks so that you cannot step on the shallow and delicate roots. It is difficult to imagine trees this size having shallow roots!
Mere minutes down the road from the Kauri Walks we again pull over. This time the walk is only a few minutes long, but it takes us to the mighty Tane Mahuta (God of the Forest). Maori legend says that Tane Mahuta was the son of Mother Earth and Father Sky. He broke apart their eternal embrace bringing life and abundance to the earth. Tane Mahuta is over 2000 years old. Sitting in the presence of this great tree Jenn is almost brought to tears at all that the tree has lived through. A nearby woman comments along the same lines, saying, "I get the sense though, that he knows about everything that's gone on over that time".
From there it is a long and very winding drive through hills and pastures, by cows and shorn sheep, alongside several mountain groupings, and around mud slips of earth that spill out onto the road (aftermath of last Friday's cyclone). We are headed to Rawerie to try to make the 5:30 ferry to Kohukohu. We do, just in the nick of time!
Onwards we drive to Ahipara which is the entry point to the 90 Mile Beach and towards Cape Reinga (the most northerly part of the island). We find a super campsite, tuck into some quick noodles and leftovers and head on down to the beach to see the dunes and enjoy an evening swim!
That a picture of you doing the NZ Kiwi bird dip K?
ReplyDeleteMore photo's of that tree. I never even knew it existed, but that's awesome.