Category Archives: New Zealand-2015

New Zealand-2015, North Island

Final NZ Days-Kauri Trees-Days 24-26

April 3, 2016 Edgewise Wendy 4 Comments

Waipoua Forest

Out next destination is the Waipoua Forest where the remnants of ancient Kauri trees, some of them 2000 years old, are living out their belatedly protected lives.

There will never again be native Kauri forests like there were when the English first showed up on these shores. Between the massive deforestation of the past and the diseases and invasive pests of the present, the Kauri’s that are left are barely hanging on. Raised wooden walkways wind through the forest protecting the tender Kauri roots from foot traffic and the diseases carried by boots.

Each of the really old trees has been given its’ own name and a lengthy Maori legend to go with it.

Jeff by "Yakas" the Kauri — Jeff by “Yakas” the Kauri

A guide is talking story to a Maori family in their native tongue and we stop to listen to the musical language for a bit. Plaques along the way tell the stories in two languages for those of us not conversant in Maori.

After wandering around in the forest and communing with the ancient trees there, it started raining in earnest, so drove down to Matakoe and toured the extensive Matakoe Kauri Museum.

One of the things we learned about was the parasitic fungus that grows on Kauri tree roots which can be boiled down to reveal intricate “woods flowers”.

Kauri trees have been exploited for their beautiful wood, and for the sap, or gum, which can age into a type of amber, and which was exported during the 1800’s to make varnish and linoleum flooring, enabling many gum diggers to earn a living. Many tree climbers also worked bleeding the trees for sap.

Even after whole forests have been cut down or blown and buried into swamps by volcanic blasts, the wood and gum is still salvageable. Fossilized gum, like amber, sometimes has insects and plants embedded in it and makes into beautiful carvings.

I actually like the 45,000 year old swamp Kauri wood better than the fresher version. It has a deeper, more interesting character.

Woodcarvers are still able to dig up Kauri logs from old swamp grounds to get usable wood and gum. This museum is definitely worth stopping at if you get a chance. The displays run the gamut from pioneers to logging. The huge tree ferns we have been seeing everywhere make pretty wood too.

Tokatoka, the Volcanic Neck Climb

The day cleared up again as we left the museum and drove south for a short hike up a very steep hill, actually what was left of the center of a volcano.

Jeff made it almost to the top but his fear of heights suddenly kicked in just shy of the tiny summit.

The top was flat, and maybe 8 feet wide and 12 feet long with steep drop offs all around. The view was amazing though.

View of the River From Top of Tokatoka Neck

We had to back track a little ways North to find a campsite for the night. We were not ready to get closer to Auckland just yet. It is so nice out in the country.

Night 25, Dargaville, North Island, NZ

We spent the night in a campground in Dargaville which the owners had retired to about 14 months prior. Nice folks, who went out of their way to find us a motel near the Auckland airport to stay in for our flight out to Australia on Christmas day, the next (our 26th) night. We did our laundry and ate dinner while talking with them under the roofed over barbecue. The campground was nice and quiet on this pre holiday night and I could almost imagine doing something similar in our retirement. Almost.

Final Night in New zealand

The next morning as we headed into Auckland, we ran into our first serious traffic on the whole trip. Apparently everyone and their brother was escaping Auckland and traffic going north was bumper to bumper and barely moving. Our side was fine. We were the only ones on the planet planning to spend Christmas eve in an airport motel. We were also under a tight deadline because we had to get to our room, empty the van, take it to be washed and vacuumed and be back at the Spaceship place by 5pm.

The motel was the only night we had needed a reservation and it was the worst place we stayed. We were the only two people at the onsite restaurant for dinner and the two Indian women working there were watching a movie in their native tongue as we ate. Even though we did not understand the words, the movie was easy to understand- classic man meets woman, falls in love, blah, blah. It was a very strange way to spend Christmas eve.

In the morning we would catch a shuttle to the airport and bid farewell to this great country of New Zealand. We had such a great visit and there is so much more we did not get to see. Twenty six nights was just barely enough to get a good idea of the places we saw and it would be much better to spend a few months here, like the backpackers seem to do. I would have liked to do some long back country hikes or wander around on horseback, do a longer sailboat trip…It is one beautiful country and worth whatever it takes to get yourself there.

The next stop is in Perth Australia for a week with my daughter and her family, and then finally, home to the critters.

-Wendy lee, writing at Edgewisewoods

New Zealand-2015, North Island

Cape Reinga and Hokianga-NZ Days 25-26

March 16, 2016 Edgewise Wendy

Cape Reinga-Day 25

Ninety Mile Beach is on our left side, to the west, out of sight over the dunes, as we head north on Route 1F, the only paved road on narrow Cape Reinga.

Water is never further than 5 kilometers from us on either side. New Zealand did not officially go metric until 1976, but it is still strange that they call it 90 Mile Beach when I measure it at 90 Kilometers on my road map. Our rental agreement with the Spaceship people does not allow us to drive on this beach, but many people in four wheel drives, and even some tour buses, come up here just to do that. A stream bed serves as the beach access road.

According to the signs, you must drive on only the hard packed, recently wet, sand and know the tides so you don’t get stranded out there. I don’t feel a need to drive on the beach anyway, as I prefer the peace and solitude of walking. We opt to come back to this spot after driving out to the north end of the Cape , where the lighthouse is.

Cape Reinga is a deeply spiritual site for the Maori, and the DOC (Department of Conservation) has Maori guides stationed at the park ready to answer questions. Most of the guides we have seen during our month in New Zealand have been Maori’s and all of them have been friendly and ready with their stories. Quite often, they flow into speaking Maori and then have to translate for us. I am glad their musical sounding language has not been destroyed.

We are told that, at this most sacred site, out on a cliff, stands a single 800 year old Pohutukawa tree, named Te Aroha, that according to Maori legend, carries the souls of its’ people as they depart for the afterlife. The link will tell you more about that.

It is awesome to see this legendary and lonely tree still surviving and it does feel spiritual, even to us.

The Tasman Sea and the South Pacific Ocean meet in a visible line north of the light house, with different shades of blue waters headed right for each other, breaking into waves and then churning together.

It looks like a scary place to have to cross in a boat, even without the deadly rocks jutting out nearby.

A buzzing noise starts to intrude into my brain and as I look around for the source, Jeff tells me to, “look up, way up. ” Finally I see it, a square shaped drone cruising around, and then I locate the guy operating it. We wave to the drone as it takes our picture and then wander over to get a closer look as he brings it down to earth. It is a good one, homing in to base on its’ own when the battery gets low or you call it in. Usually they annoy the hell out of me but this guy is being careful not to buzz people too closely and the wind up here carries most of the sound away. Besides, the scenery is just to beautiful to let anything get in the way. We have seen many parks here where drones are not allowed, which I can appreciate. We can see a smaller cape to the west from the lighthouse hill without a drone.

There is a distance-to-places sign post by the lighthouse that everyone is getting their pictures taken at and one guy climbs onto the shoulders of another to put a flag on it.

We are as far North in New Zealand as we are going to get and the time to leave this wonderful country draws near. My least favorite part of any good vacation is when I first realize that I have to leave soon.

On the drive back down the peninsula we stop back at the 90 Mile Beach car park and walk down the middle of the shallow creek, between huge dunes, towards the beach.

Squeals reach our ears before we see the busload of tourists sledding down the huge sand dunes and across the creek. The dunes are steep, with a very long trek up to the top, and it looks like a pretty scary run, but we have done this before in Australia and don’t feel the need now. It is fun to watch them until the last bit at the bottom, where there is an abrupt turn onto the flat which looks harsh and possibly painful.

As we are walking the 3 kms to the beach, various 4-wheel drives pass us, splashing through the shallow creek and we decide there are just too many people around here. We decide to skip this beach and head south again, down the west coast towards some really big Kauri trees.

Kohukohu to Rawene Ferry

After meandering around some little country roads in the general direction we wanted we came to a dead end at a sizable bay. The road just ended at the water.

There was a woman sitting nearby who told us there would be a ferry after awhile and that it was a long way around otherwise, so we got out and waited with her. It was a small ferry, holding maybe six cars, and it ran mornings and evenings until dark so local folks could get back and forth to work.

It was almost Christmas and everyone on the ferry but us seemed to know each other and were wishing happy holidays. We were all dropped off on the other side in the small artsy looking village of Rawene, which I would have liked to spend some time in, but Jeff kept us moving.

Hokianga Bay

We worked our way down through the little bay side village of Opononi and out to the Waimamaku Coastal Track at the mouth of Hokianga Bay. The gathering clouds kept changing the light and there was a great view back towards the village.

We were getting hungry and needed to find a place to camp but this coastal park was too gorgeous to miss. On the other side of the narrow harbor mouth was a giant sand dune lit up by the sun and the water was a glowing blue

Sand Dune Across Mouth of Martins Harbor

Looking out to sea was even better with a shiny pewter sea.

And then looking back up towards the signal tower (think modern lighthouse) hill…Hard to believe this was all at the same time.

There was sea-sculpted sandstone in colors of rust, with embedded balls of minerals…

And windblown shore plants with trails disappearing into them,

Unfortunately, it was getting late, and we had to leave this gorgeous place or miss out on a fresh fish dinner at the local pub tonight.

We stopped on the way and got a campsite at the Opononi Holiday Beach Park, a great little place that had goats tethered out to mow the grass and which wasn’t even listed in our guide books.

The local pub was just down the road and we got a table outside looking over the bay. A statue of Opo the friendly dolphin sits out in front. The link has a great old filmstrip about this famous critter, which is amusing to watch. I was enjoying a beer and watching a few small fishing boats coming back in for the night as we waited for dinner. The fish was good and fresh.

Back at camp we checked out the kitchen block which had a big covered porch and views of the bay. There were three huge handmade wooden tables made of single slabs of the most gorgeous wood, which I think was swamp Kauri.

We walked down to the water and watched the sunset over Hokianga Bay.

Day 26

In the morning , the baby goats were playing, jumping all around their mothers, bouncing off the banks. We stopped in at the info center on the way out where there was a long wall of murals outside about the history of Opononi.

One panel depicted the legs of the extinct 3 meter tall Moa bird. Another was about Opo. There were other panels about shipwecks, the signal light Kauri tree logging and Maori life.

We hated to leave, yet again. Places to go…things to see.

The Wooden Labyrinth

Next, we drive down a long, winding, gravel road through lush jungle-type greenery, with giant tree ferns and palm trees, and pull in at a sign for “The Wooden Labyrinth” puzzle shop. We are met at the door by Louie the puzzle maker, a happy man who hands Jeff a puzzle by way of greeting. Jeff works that puzzle out fairly quickly and Louie hands him another harder one.

While Jeff is working on that one he tells us he started out working on big Main Frame computers at age 19, back in 1969, and retired at 21, to make puzzles full time. He attends international puzzle parties every year where each person brings100 puzzles, and they exchange them with 100 other puzzle makers, so they each leave with 100 different puzzles from all over the world. He has thousands of puzzles in his shop, some his own creations, many from other places. Jeff was in heaven.

Mister Peacock and the Elephant in the Yard

I talked with Louie and fed Mister Peacock bananas while Jeff made his puzzle selections. The elephant in the photo held a donation can for an elephant protection group. Then we went outside to do the maze. There were letter clues to collect to spell an answer to a riddle, and we ended up needing help to solve it, but it was fun. Our prize for finishing was a lollipop, which we didn’t deserve.

Mister Peacock showed us his beautiful tail on our way out.

-Wendy lee, writing at Edgewise Woods Gardens and Critters

New Zealand-2015, North Island

Coramandel to Waipu Cove-Day 23-24

March 10, 2016 Edgewise Wendy

Kauri Forest and Then Up Coramandel-Day 23-24

We left Sapphire Springs in search of a really big Kauri tree that was supposed to live nearby. Kauri trees have beautiful, tightly grained, durable wood and huge forests of them used to cover the islands, but the original stands were decimated in the 1800’s and have not recovered. These days the oldest trees are given their own individual names and protected within parks and people are attempting to cultivate new groves of them.

The sign at the trail head has a cleaning station, with a boot brush and an underground tank with a spray nozzle to clean your boots before you enter the forest.

Every Kauri stand we come across has these stations in an effort to prevent the spread of a soil borne fungal disease, Phytopthora agathadicidia, that is now attacking the trees. It is good to see them trying so hard to prevent the disease, even though the chances are slim that it will help much.

After hiking for an hour and a half we figured out that we were on the wrong trail, and were instead in a young Kauri forest, so we had to go on down the road to the next trail head.

Once on the correct path, we quickly arrived at this tree, named Tuahu, which was huge and towered over the surrounding forest. We met a local man and his well traveled grandson while enjoying the tree. The boy was ten years old and had already been to the Grand Canyon and Mount Rushmore in the States.

As we resumed our drive towards the coast we came to an interesting looking park in a narrow gorge, with swinging bridges over the river, and decided to stop.

Karangahake Gorge

Originally a protected Maori gateway, this steep walled canyon became an industrial gold mine from 1883-1933. Thirteen levels of tunnels were chiseled through the mountain, and rails carried the broken quartz rocks along narrow ledges to wood fired kilns. The surrounding hills were totally deforested to provide fuel. After eighty some years, the trees and ferns have reclaimed the area

Today, the woods have grown back over the old mine buildings and some of the tunnels have walking trails through them,with swinging bridges criss crossing the river.

Giant tree ferns, flowers and lichens add color.

Hahei Beach

We finally make it to the coast and a stop at Hot Water Beach, a very strange place which seems like a normal beach until you realize that there are a lot of people and everyone is carrying a shovel.

We follow a string of folks out to a tightly bunched crowd, all madly digging holes in the sand and sitting in them as they fill with water.

It is pretty amusing to watch this whole process and although I am not digging, I can see where if you had a bunch of friends and some beer, it might be fun. Hot water seeps onto this section of the beach from a couple of 60 degrees C (140 degrees F) springs, for two hours either side of low tide. It is a small area and there is a fair amount of jostling for best position.

A flourishing business has evolved with shovel rentals, paid parking and cabin rentals nearby.

Our campground for the night, the Hahei Holiday Park is just a short drive around the cove. A couple of boys are doing a great job of miming a rope pulled taut across the road as we approach the entrance gate. We pretend to be held back for a few seconds before they collapse to the ground laughing and we give them a “Good job!” and a thumbs up. All the people that work at the park are in the middle of an outdoor Christmas party, so they tell us to park in an empty section and catch them in the morning. A thunder storm is brewing up black clouds as we find our spot and then quick head down to yet another beautiful beach before it hits.

As usual on most New Zealand beaches (except the hot water one) there is hardly anyone around and it is breathtakingly beautiful, with little islands off shore, long vistas, clean water, and clean sand. When the sky starts turning an alarming shade of green, we high tail it back towards the camper van, but the storm beat us back and we get totally drenched. The rain is coming down in buckets, wind is whipping the trees and we pile into the van and wait it out. Dinner does not happen tonight because the storm did not let up until late, so we just had a snack and lay on the bed reading and downloading camera cards for awhile. When it finally stopped raining we got out and set the tent up over the tailgate, went to the bath house and washed up and crawled into bed.

When I went to the kitchen in the morning for my coffee water, I was disappointed to find no table inside, only picnic tables outdoors, and since they were all wet from the storm, there was no where to eat and no one else around to talk to. I ended up using our own little table and chairs, which we hardly ever use, back at the van. This place looks like it is going to be a big party spot in a couple of weeks and they are booked solid. There are lots of different showers, a covered airing room to dry bathers and such and I notice how different the plumbing is here than at home.

The water pipes are all exposed and not insulated in any way, which probably means it does not ever freeze here. They are able to have wash stations and fish cleaning sinks and all outside all year round.

Cathedral Cove

There are hiking trails and cool destinations close by and today we are walking out to Cathedral Cove so we get an early start.

Lucky that we did because the parking area is already getting

crowded and I imagine in peak season it is impossible to find a space. we have packed a lunch , swimsuits and sunscreen, since it is sunny and warming up fast.

We walk through tropical forest with openings into sunny meadows and views of the ocean.

Then down a steep path to a white sandy beach cove surrounded by cliffs and sea caves with the clearest blue water.

At his point we had to duck into a sea cave and change into swim suits.

We waded around and walked through the cool shady archway into another secluded beach with sea stacks.

It seems like this huge shady cave would be an excellent place to cool off on a hot day at the beach. It is open on two sides with great views of the water.

The day was warm and sunny, the water clear and still a bit cold, but we waded around, relaxed, and checked out the caves and cliffs until the tide came in too much. There were a few people here picnicking and a group of kayakers wandered in but it was not crowded yet. I wanted to stay here all day, scrabbling over the rocks and exploring further up the coastline but we had to walk back out through meandering pathways to the van and continue our journey. Darn it.

We headed around the Coramandel Peninsula on the road. There are tracks at the far north where no roads go which would be good hiking.

Colorfully painted beehives are randomly parked all over roadsides throughout New Zealand and we passed some of these on the way. I never saw any that were all one color.

Then we climbed a steep hill and dropped down the other side for a nice view of the west side of the Coramandel Coast.

We started to see fleets of fishing boats in the harbors.

Then there was a whole group of a Cormorant type bird called a Pied shag. I love the way they stand around and dry their armpits.

Jeff wanted to go into Auckland to get more information on the northern part of the island, right into the center of the city.

When the pedestrian lights are GO they come from all directions at once and totally clog the center of the intersection. No cars move, only people. There were a lot of people.

The i-site was a few blocks walk from where we parked, in the base of the big needle tower. Gathering travel information was a bust because the internet was down all over the city. No body knew what to do. I just wanted out. On the way, we watched crazy people suit up in flight coveralls to jump off the tower– from really high up. They were tethered to bungee cords and guy wires but it looked pretty scary. I just wanted to get out of town and our talking GPS kept turning us around in circles. We finally made it out and headed north again. Seemed like we drove all day long and we did not stop until we got to Waipu Cove, except for a quick stop at a super windy beach camp that was full anyway.

Waipu Cove

The camp at Waipu Cove was one of the nicest ones, with a cozy kitchen and shiny new bathrooms. Tonight is our twenty first night traveling around in New Zealand. We have another five days here and then we have a week in Perth, Australia.

We pulled into camp fairly late in the day and as usual, wanted to go right out on the beach. We had to cross a wetland to get to the dunes walk and they had a hand powered rope ferry to pull yourself across on.

I loved crossing the water on the little floating ferry and walking the winding path through the dunes. The wide open and deserted beach was one of the few where we actually found shells. There was no one out there but us.

There is only one other tent there tonight, although closer to the road there are quite a few cabins with folks that look like they are staying for long periods.

We cook our dinner at Waipu Cove and make ready for another day. It is peaceful and quiet and we can see a lot of stars out and hear the ocean. Tomorrow, there are the Waipu limestone caves that we have to explore

-Wendy Lee Writing at Edgewise Woods, Gardens and Critters

New Zealand-2015, North Island

Waipu Caves to Kerikeri-Day 22-23

March 8, 2016 Edgewise Wendy

Waipu Caves- Day 22

Since Jeff is a caver and I only want to explore caves I have never seen before, Waipu Caves is our next stop. As we get close, ancient limestone boulders that have been worn down by running water start showing up in the fields we pass.

A housing subdivision (one of the few we have seen) has lined up a bunch of them as part of their entrance fence. There are also big bird- nest- looking epiphytic plants perched in some of the trees.

Epiphytic "Bird Nests" in Tree — Epiphytic “Bird Nests” in Tree

The Waipu Caves parking area is in a meadow and has an outdoor shower attached to the outhouses so you can clean up after getting all wet and muddy in the cave.

We knew we would be getting wet on this trip so we put on our water shoes and shorts and grabbed our headlamps, cameras and flashlights. It seems a shame to go underground on such a sunny warm day.

The entrance to the main cave is huge and open with a shallow stream running down the middle that disappears under a ledge further in. Nice big Stalactites are hanging from the ceiling and Stalagmites are growing up from the floor. We wander around in the big room, impressed with the condition of such a well known cave. There is no graffiti or trash and the formations are still in good shape.

I can hear people splashing through the water on the other side of the overhang and we duck under to explore the rest of the cave. We have to wade through fairly cold water about knee deep for about 4 meters to reach dry passage again. The people we heard have disappeared. We turn out our lights to look for glow worms and see only a few so we turn the lights back on and keep going.

Eventually we find a room with an entire “sky” full of Glow Worm “stars”. My camera will not take a good photo in such a dark place but Jeff gets it on his. Before we turn the lights out we can see where they are by their glistening threads that dangle down from the ceiling. Once the lights are off you can see their luminescence . They are yet another endangered species that occurs only here in New Zealand.

There is a trail going up the hill that might go to more caves so we go for a walk. Jeff checks out every cavey looking spot he sees and I sit on rocks and take off my shoes and enjoy being in the woods barefoot. The track goes somewhere eventually but we turn around and go back to the van for some lunch and to finish checking out the other cave spots. One has a flooded entrance and you would have to get fully wet to explore it so we pass.

Back on the road again we pass more of what we call Moldy Marshmallows- round bales covered in green plastic. We have seen alot of these.

"Moldy Marshmallow" Hay Bales — “Moldy Marshmallow” Hay Bales

Then there is a giant tree stump in a yard that looks like someone is going to make a tree fort with,

Rainbow Falls

The next stop is strange because we have come out onto sort of flat ground, and there is a sign for Rainbow Falls. We are trying to figure out where it could possibly be in such a flat looking place. It turns out that this area is like parts of Missouri, where the river valleys are all below the main body of land instead of having hills rising up from them. The trail meanders around through a small woods and suddenly the bottom drops out and there is a huge waterfall below us. There is a bench near the top of the falls and we talk to some local folks while their grandkids splash in the shallows nearby. This couple has come across to the mainland to visit after serving as caretakers at a wildlife preserve out on an Island for many months. That is something I would consider doing.

We followed the trail down to the bottom of the falls where there was a deep swimming hole that the Maori used as a fishing trap for tuna (eels), which at one time was a major food source.

Today, the eel populations in New Zealand are seriously threatened by over fishing from commercial fleets, hydro electric dams which prevent their migration, draining of wetlands and loss of native forests. Sigh. It seems to be the same all over the world these days.

Whangarei Falls

We stopped at Whangarei Falls town park and walked a trail along the river to a wooden walkway through a Kauri Forest with some 500 year old trees .

On the way there were kids jumping off a rope swing into the river but the water looked like grey water from a washing machine and was not appealing to me. It was the first water we had seen that actually looked and smelled polluted. The falls were still pretty and the walk was beautiful.

Kerikeri-Day 23

Later,after driving up to the Bay of Islands, we got a camp site at Kerikeri Holiday Park where the woman manning the the registration desk went out of her way to help us find a sailing trip on the Bay the next day. We ended up with a spot on the Gunga II, a forty foot sailboat that would feed us lunch and take us out to an island where we could get off and explore.

In the meantime, we set up down near the river and enjoyed the last bit of warm sun for the day before going up to the kitchen to make dinner.

I was cooking noodles and throwing shredded up carrots and cabbage in with some bottled sauce while a Korean guy was cooking nearby. He offered me some Kim-chi, which I did not know how to use, so he came over and looked at what I was making and told me it was basically the same, only fermented. My food took about fifteen minutes to throw together and he was getting all complicated, so it took him a lot longer. In the end, the two dishes looked pretty close and he said he was going to try my quick way next time. I told him I would try his way as well. It was fun to have this exchange while cooking. There were other people in the huge kitchen as well . The young French contingent was pretty rowdy, teasing the heck out of their boyfriend, and we were all drinking wine and having fun while we cooked.

Sailing the Bay of Islands

Early the next morning we went down to the dock in the village of Paihia to meet our sailboat and 10 people joining us for the day. We stopped at Russel, across the bay, to pick up two more.

There was not enough wind at first so we motored out with a Dolphin escort. There had been Orca whales hanging about the last few days and the dolphins were just starting to come back. Orcas eat dolphins.

We motored close to some small volcanic islands and then into the middle of a very windy part of the Bay. There were islands everywhere and lots of sailboats . I helped raise the sails, which were harder to crank than I expected, and we started moving fast through the water, relaxing to the sound of the sails and lapping waves. The sun was shining, it was warm on deck, popcorn and beer was passed around. I would like to do this more often.

Some of the islands were just volcanic rock homes to birds, one had a few houses on it, others had gorgeous sandy beaches and green hills.

The Captain had been living on his boat for 23 years and had just recently bought a house on land. He told us a story about a round the world trip where one of his fellow captains had relied on satellite connection and a PC to navigate and got seriously turned around because the computers could not negotiate the Maori names of places. Some Maori words are different by only a letter or two and I can see where this might be a problem. There was a story in the local paper yesterday about a guy who tried to sale his new boat up from Wellington and wrecked it on some rocks. when he called 111 for help he gave the wrong place name and took the searchers many kilometers in the wrong direction. He nearly died from hypothermia before they finally found him.

Waewaetoria Island

We were headed to Waewaetoria Island, which had hiking trails and a half moon beach and looked like a magazine spread, with clear aqua marine blue water and a clean bottom.

We anchored the boat and got the dinghies and kayaks ready to launch. The water looked so inviting! But it was still cold and it was driving me crazy. We rode in a small dinghy to the beach but I swore I would swim back to the sail boat after we hiked to the top of the hill and got warmed up.

The views from the top of the hill were amazing and we got nice and warm from the climb. The grass looked like it would be prickly and we were all barefoot walking around but it was actually soft and knee deep. We were assured there was nothing that would bite or sting us here and it didn’t even make our legs itch. I would have never walked in stuff like that otherwise, but they have no snakes or poisonous critters to worry about here.

Once we got down to the beach again, I waded around in the shallows until my lower legs were numb, thinking I could get used to the cold long enough to swim to the boat. The breeze, when I got out of the water and waited to dry on the back platform, was going to make me totally miserable and cold. I bailed out. I hate being cold.

I took the dinghy back, while only one brave soul swam, and we boarded the boat, ate lunch and sailed away from the island. It was a hard place to leave and a well spent day on the water.

We hit the road and drive North on Coastal Route 10.

Tonight we are staying at a camp further up the coast on Karikari Peninsula-not to be confused with Kerkeri, where we stayed last night. This place is one of those Top Ten Holiday Parks and is filled with really loud and annoying Chinese staying in the cabins above us, who do their best to keep us up. Tomorrow, we drive up the skinny northern most neck of the island to Cape Reinga lighthouse.

Our New Zealand trip is almost over and I wish we could stay longer.

-Wendy lee, writing at Edgewise Woods Gardens and Critters

New Zealand-2015, North Island

Wairakei to Rotorua_Day 19

February 22, 2016 Edgewise Wendy

Wairakei Thermal Park

We skirt around the east side of Lake Taupo in the morning, in a chilly drizzle at 9 degrees C , and steer north towards the, hopefully warmer, Wairakei Thermal area. Geothermal power plants have produced electricity from the massive amounts of underground steam vents up there since 1958.

In places the steam is too thick to see through.

Sometimes people have steam vents suddenly open up in their yards, which could be scary, but it can also be useful for hot tubs and heat. We keep seeing these makeshift boxes in peoples backyards with tin roofing thrown over them which mark their personal hot spots.

The Maori used to ( and still do sometimes) cook over these.

The Maoris have all kinds of stories about the power of steam and the nearby Waipato River which are both being utilized today to generate electricity.

The clear blue Waikato River flows out of Lake Taupo , dropping down Huka Falls with the tremendous force of more than 40 cubic meters per second. This river system supplies about 15% of New Zealand’s electricity and is also used to cool the hot water as it leaves the steam plants. Paddlers and jet boats play on it as well. It is amazing to me that cold water and hot steam live so close together.

There are many parks built around all the theraml activity of the region and we hit as many as we can.

Craters of the Moon

You would not want to venture off the walk here because the ground is obviously unstable and new steam vents open all the time.

All kinds and colors of minerals are brought to the surface with the steam.

Specialized Plants Grow In Thermal Areas

You might not think that plants would grow near these vents, but some plants and algae are especially adapted for heat and acidity.

Wairakei Terraces

The original Pink and White Terraces of Wairakei, were historically natural rock silica rim-pools and mineral water baths, but they were destroyed by the eruption of nearby Mt Tarawara in June of 1886. Nearby Maori villages were also destroyed and over a hundred people died that night.

A new man-built replica spa was built and opened in 2011 using the natural hot springs in the area. The new terraces and hot pools are slowly beginning to look more natural with the waters’ own silica and mineral deposits growing new layers.

The owners have built large outdoor hot spa pools and landscaped with traditional looking Maori buildings and sculptures. Although no longer a Natural Wonder of the World, it is still worth a walk through the landscape, although we did not spring for the more expensive Spa and Massage, nor the Maori Experience

Since it was close to Christmas when we were there, the New Zealand Christmas tree was blooming nicely.

Pohutikawa Tree Flowers

This evergreen native Myrtle, or Pohutukawa, is a threatened species and they are trying to replant and protect them.

Driving again through typical New Zealand green farmland, taking a back road…Next stop-

Orakei Karako

This park has a cave amid a thermal area on the other side of a small lake. To get there we board a little shuttle boat with a Maori pilot who flings the boat back and forth across the tiny lake and seems to keep himself amused by the speed at which he flips the boat around and in towards the docks. He is very good at it. It starts raining again, but that is OK, the boat has a shelter roof and it is kind of nice to be out in the rain in such a strange place.

We step out of the boat and are faced with a wet, rocky bald area, with steam rising from it, carved out of the woods, oozing bright orange hot water and green slime.

Orakei Landscape — Orakei Karako Landscape

Wooden walkways lead us around in circles all through the woods and we keep coming out to clearings with more vents, geysers and flowstone terraces.

A Huge Geyser Spouts From This Hole

This is a zoom shot of a where a geyser blows boiling hot water out the side of a hill for a few minutes about every 20 minutes. We ate our lunch and watched it while sheltering under a little open sided hut in the rain. it was like watching a monster come roaring out of its cave .

The actual cave in the woods, that we came here special to see, is closed, and seems to be full of water anyway. They say it is one of only two caves in the world that are thermally active. We were disappointed we couldn’t go caving, especially since it was raining outside, but the rest of the park was fascinating, with all the geysers and bubbling hot springs and mud pools. On the way back out of the park, we notice there is even steam venting through little holes in the gravel parking lot…

Onward towards Rotorua via the Waimangu Valley.

Waio-Tapu Thermal Park

Continuing on, we stop at the Waio-Tapu Thermal Park .It is no longer raining. This place seems to be on a larger scale.

Waterfalls Into Lakes — Hot Water Flowing Into Lakes

Skinny Legged Bird On Hot Water — Skinny Legged Bird

The Pied Stilt looking for insects seems to be in hot water but it is shallow here and has cooled. It is very acidic though.

The are most beautiful greens and oranges along the edges of this hot spring.

Sulphur Yellow Pools — Sulphur Yellow Devils Pool

This was a beautiful park with lots of varied scenery and pathways that got you close without risking your life. There were plenty of places a person could get hurt but the signage was clear enough.

Then we stopped nearby at a roadside thermal mud pool to watch viscous mineraly mud bubble for a bit. Jeff loves watching mud bubble and has many movies. Onward to Rotorua…

Rotorua

We set up camp for the night at Rotorua Thermal Holiday Park, which had a really well organized kitchen, great campsites and best of all, large clean hot tubs fed by hot springs, which did not cost extra.

There were quite a few people with different set ups camping in the non powered sites, like this upstairs roof tent.

The kitchen had five separate cooking stations so you could be with people without being in each others way. Each L had a sink, stove and bench top. Also, there was a long communal counter with hot water, toasters, microwaves and a dining area with a porch. Everybody kept it really clean, too.

The hot tubs fed by the local hot mineral water were clean, about 3 meters square, newly refurbished concrete, and the perfect temperature. They were three in a fenced area open to the stars with change rooms connected. We met some nice folks there and had a good time talking together about our travels. It was the best hot tub yet.

The day had finally cleared and turned warm and the night was the warmest yet. We were glad to have our screened and ventilated tent attachment. We noticed the other camper vans were all steamed up in the morning, while we had plenty of fresh air in ours.

Tomorrow, there is lots more to see around Rotorua and then we will go out to the coast.

Wendy lee, writing at Edgewise Woods, Gardens and Critters

New Zealand-2015, North Island

Tongariro Crossing_Day-18

February 21, 2016 Edgewise Wendy

Tongariro Alpine Crossing-Day 18

In the morning, I stumbled over to the kitchen for some hot water to make my instant coffee/hot chocolate mixture, and we ate a quick yogurt, fruit and granola breakfast to get us fueled for our Tongariro hike. The bus that was to take us to the desert trail head pulled in and we loaded on with about 24 other sleepy eyed folks. There was an earlier bus that came while it was still dark, but we are not here for punishment. We did not realize until now that means we can’t do the side track to Ngauruhoe Summit, because it takes too long. We are going to hike 19 km up and across Tongariro, a big actively venting volcano. Our hike through volcanic fields and craters starts at 1150meters, goes up to 1886 meters, and back down to 1454 meters on the other side.

Crossing Profile

We each have our CamelBak packs filled with 3 liters of water, granola bars, cheese, nuts, carrots and apples to eat, rain pants and jackets, gloves, fleece, the works. The driver starts right away, making cracks about how long it is going to take “you two older folks”. Meaning us. Seriously? Jeff and I might be the oldest but that doesn’t mean we aren’t in at least as good shape as some of these others on the bus. We all get dropped off in a bleak looking wilderness at the base of Tongariro. It was cold, foggy and didn’t look like all that much fun.

We had to put our rain gear on right from the get go, which did not bode well. We let everybody else go rushing up the trail ahead of us since we don’t like walking in crowds and we are not in a hurry.

In order to make the first bus back to the Tongariro Base Camp at the other end of this trail, we have to hike 19.4 km in six and a half hours, but there are two later buses, so we are not worried. As long as we make it out by the last bus we will be fine. How hard could it be? The gently sloping trail winds through tufted native grasses at first.

Then it turns into a wooden walkway and starts climbing up through volcanic rubble with a few springs seeping through. I like the way the Kiwi trail builders always add a wire or plastic mesh to wooden walks whenever they are in a damp spot and likely to grow algae. We have noticed them everywhere we go.

There are tiny alpine plants growing in the rocky volcanic rubble that is strewn about all over the slope. We can’t see a mountain ahead. We can’t see up the trail very far at all.

A lot of the plants are blooming in shades of dark red and creamy white.

A cold wet breeze is blowing in our faces and the landscape is different than any I have seen. After awhile, it feels like we are on the moon as the ground flattens out and the rocks get sparse. It is tradition to add a rock to the cairn.

Climb To The Top

Then the gradient changes to seriously steep with about a thousand steps to climb straight up into the cloud. We lost quite a few people at this point, where the sign warned them it was going to get worse before it got better and it was their last chance to turn back. A lot of younger people than us turned back. We just kept plodding on, huffing and puffing like everyone else.

We were thinking we would never get a view , and how was it going to be worth this trek.

Some folks stopped for lunch, where it felt like it might be the crest. It was so windy and cold that we had to hunker down behind rocks to keep from freezing to death, even with ALL our layers on and gloves. I wasn’t hungry but I needed the stop.

Back on the trail, we had to grab a chain rail to keep from falling down the steep slope that we couldn’t even see below us.

Ans then we came over the top and…Wallah! The clouds parted and we could see!

The view kept getting more amazing, the wind was non existent on this side, the sun was shining- it was like we stepped into a totally different day.

Now we could see down into the Red Crater.

There were hot yellow sulfur vents, iron red colored formations,

and as we followed the rim trail around, we could see emerald colored pools below.

The path down to the pools was really steep and you had to sort of jump like a West Virginia cow, sideways hopping down the hill, in deep loose earth. Some folks had a hard time with this but we have it down, being mountain people.

The water was a beautiful green and not hot at all.

These guys were braver than me. All I could think of was, what is the chemical make up of that water? I hope it did not peel their skin off. We sat here and ate our lunch in the nice warm sunshine, with them for entertainment. After relaxing awhile we got up and started walking again.

It was hard to leave such beauty and go back to desolation…

In a place like this you can feel the power of the earth. I certainly did. As we walked by the last lake a big wind came up, tore my hat off my head, and knocked me down on the ground. Good thing it was in a semi flat area.

It is all downhill from here for the next couple of hours.

We are back in Alpine plants , with hot vents wisping up on the right and yesterday’s lake, with the Maori sacred island, in the distance.

Now that it is clear we can see a long ways out and Lake Taupo is bigger than I thought.

We keep walking, and walking, zigging down the open alpine meadows, through sulphury smelling rocks, with great views. We look back where we were and it is all covered in clouds again. We got lucky.

The path suddenly starts a descent into forest, which was totally unexpected, and we walk and walk and walk. Seems like forever.

Then we are reminded we are still in volcano country by the Lahar Zone sign. If there is an eruption, a mudslide of debris and pyroclastic ooze is likely to take this valley out. Moving along.

All of this continuous downhill slogging has worn me out. I prefer hiking uphill, but it is a good thing the uphill came first. The last few meters on the trail my feet are killing me and I feel like there is gravel grinding my toes off. We arrive at the car park where the bus will meet us and find we are number 6 and 7 back from our group. So there. Old folks, huh? First thing I do is take my boots off my poor feet and sit down on the ground. It turns out I got a nasty blister on my toe right there at the end. I am really glad I did not get it sooner.

It was a great hike and when we get back to base we nab the hot tub (ahh…) for awhile before anybody else gets back. At dinner, we share the picnic table and drinks with our German neighbors as we all talk about our exhausting day. I am glad Jeff managed to talk me into doing Tongariro- it was worth it.

Wendy lee, writing at Edgewise Woods, Gardens and Critters

New Zealand-2015, North Island

Thermals, Redwoods, and Waterfalls_Day 17

February 20, 2016 Edgewise Wendy

Rotorua Thermals

Kuiaru Park, which is a nicely landscaped free, public park, right in the middle of the town of Rotorua, holds ball fields, play sets and walking trails, but is also full of mud pit holes, dangerous steam vents and hot thermal pools.

The trails wind all over between the hot spots and most of them are fenced so little ones can’t fall in.

A new hot vent opened up last week , in the soccer field, so it has temporary plastic construction fencing around it. I would hate to have something like that open up in my back yard but it happens fairly often here.

Of course, there are sometimes fatalities from people being stupid or suicidal ( a truly horrible way to die) but I appreciated the way they tried to beautify and make accessible the unique features. What else could you do with them in the middle of town?

People picnic and jog and walk the trails all over the hundred acre park, through lawns, woods and lakes. The play sets are fun too.

Plus they have free, hot, foot baths, as well as a farmers market area and pool facilities. There were even people camping in their vans for free.

Considering how many of the thermal parks charge entrance fees, it was nice to see such a nice free one.

As we leave Rotorua we notice that cars are lined up way out on the highway. Has something happened? They are queuing for gas. Last night when we arrived gas was $1.62 / liter, now it is $1.42. Makes us wonder if it is a mistake or if something happened in the world (Dec 17, 2016) that we don’t know about. We don’t need gas so we keep going.

Wakarewarewa Redwoods

Now, a stop at the Wakarewarewa Redwood forest that was planted in 1901 and later dedicated to Forest Service folks who gave their lives in WWII.

It was initially an experiment to grow Redwoods as a replacement tree for all the Kauri timber that was cut down, but they grow so slowly that they gave up on that idea.

Now they replant Pinus radiata, also from California, in all the tree plantations instead, which grows much faster. Tree ferns grow happily amid the stand of experimental Redwoods, which are happy growing here, just too slow for commercial lumber operations. It takes only 40 years to grow the Pine and 90 to grow the redwood the same size (about 5 feet in diameter). The trunk of the Tree Ferns can also be used to make things like privacy fences and small bowls.

An extensive network of Mountain biking, horseback and walking trails run all through this park and they have a new treetop walk under construction.

One of the trails leads out to views of a big geyser in the valley below and we did that one first. People pay big bucks to go see this geyser but when we zoomed in we had a great view.

Jeff forgot his hat and the sun came out, hence the shirt on the head get up. He was already getting burnt.

There were mud pots down another trail, buried behind ferns.

The mud pots smelled like boiled eggs and looked like chocolate pudding cooking on the stove. Blup, blup…Jeff is totally fascinated by them.

Wild digitalis and other pretty flowers were blooming on the edges of a recent clear cut in the same park.

We ran across a pack of kids all decked out in protective gear, mountain biking the designated trails. There was an Enduro Race here a couple of days ago and the trails are well marked with degree of difficulty.

We bought some little wooden boxes made of 45,000 year old swamp Kauri trees from the parks gift shop and sat outside at the picnic tables and ate our lunch.

To pretty the place up they opted for sculpted metal cutouts to hide the port-a-potties. It was after lunch now and place was getting crowded so it was a good time to leave.

Saying goodbye to the redwoods.

Okere Waterfalls and Tutea Caves

We parked our van and headed up the Okere Falls trail to the first of two falls. Jeff was saying,

“No way, Nobody goes down that.”

I said that I would, with the right boat and a good guide, probably not in a boat like ours. We kept hiking down the trail towards the caves.

Ledge of Steps Down to Haku Cave — Ledge of Steps Down to Tutea Caves

Walking down the narrow steps feels like an adventure into a hidden little people land.

Steps Down to Haku Caves — Steps Down to Tutea Caves

There are a couple of caves, not very big , but fun anyway.

This one is low and you have to stoop to walk.

Looking Out of Haku Cave — Looking Out of Cave

The next one is taller and has a great view. Over the sound of the rushing water, we hear people carrying on, screaming (in a fun way) and we scramble up the steps again to get a better look. Here comes a raft over the falls.

They made it down and more kept coming. There was a photographer up on the landing that would blow a piercing whistle in response to the rafts to give the all clear.

We watched about five rafts and a guide in a kayak all come over. the falls. Then I went running down the trail to watch them do the next set. Only one flipped upside down and they were fine. They all got wet and they hollered when they hit the cold water, but obviously it was do able. Now I wish I could do it. Alas, that would take time and planning…

After we watch a second rafting company come through with their rafts we finally get back on the road again. The scenery in New Zealand is never dull. There is always something new around the next bend in the road.

Kaiate Falls

We take a little side trip down a narrow road, as in one lane, to visit Kaite Falls. It is starting to rain again so we figure we will make it a very fast trip. A photographer arrives just ahead of us and actually runs down the trail, staying two steps ahead of us the whole time. It is strange. Not as strange as the vibe I get from the teenage boys that were hanging about in the parking area though. They had no car and looked like ours would do in a pinch. I did not get a good feeling.

The trail was steep and filled with numerous really nice waterfalls and the rain sort of held off.

We always seem to find the best swimming holes when it is too cold to swim. This one would have been great on a hot day, or better yet if it was fed by a hot spring. We ran back up the trail and found our van untouched, luckily, but we still got out of there fast.

We ended up at Sapphire Springs Thermal Resort to camp for the night. Our campsite was right next to a rocky stream which would lull me to sleep. The kitchen was fine and we were able to do our laundry right next door while we cooked our dinner. A short walk down the path there were thermal pools and a swimming pool which were disappointing because they were not hot enough. I could not stay in very long, but getting out in the cold night air was worse. Apparently they are never quite hot (I think they were only 32 degrees C) and they got a bad review in the NZ Frenzy books because of that. We slept well and moved on the next morning. Still headed for the coast.

-Wendy Lee writing at Edgewise Woods, Gardens and Critters

New Zealand-2015, North Island

Farewell Spit-Foxton Fizz-Day 15-17

February 18, 2016 Edgewise Wendy

Farewell Spit-Day 15

As we leave Wharariki and the Puponga Farm Park I say,

“Stop the car! I see a face”

There is a an old man’s face in a natural rock formation across the valley. I managed to see this without realizing it was there, which made it that much more fun. There are signs for those that need them.

We soon feel the need to take a small detour to a visitor center located on the hill above Farewell Spit. There is a sign at the center saying it is no longer in operation, it is for sale, but you can still walk the track, plus there is a skeleton in the yard. I believe it is a Pilot whale from one of the many strandings that occur in this shallow bay.

Random Marine Skeleton at Old Visitors Center — Pilot Whale Skeleton at Old Visitors Center

We climb the hill for this view to the north. The tide is out and the mudflats are huge here. We look the other way, towards the west and see the spit. From the air it looks like a slender scythe blade, curving around a bay.

If we were staying longer I would like to walk the spit to the end, but that is not going to happen this trip. There are so many multi-day tracks to do here it is a little frustrating when we have to leave each place. So many places to go…

We get back in the van to retrace our route back, stopping at Takaka town for groceries. When we come out, in the pouring rain again, we have a totally flat tire. Great. We call the Spaceship people for advice as we are supposed to but there is nothing they can do. It is Saturday night, everything is closed. Shops are closed Sunday as well. We eat some cheese and crackers and wait for the rain to let up, which it does, eventually. At least we are in a parking lot with lights and not on the side of a shoulder-less mountain road. After reading the tire changing instruction card, we manage to install the temporary tire, and get back on the road. We have way more kilometers to go than the limit of 90 km stated on the tire, and we have to go back over that steep mountain with all the switchbacks yet, which makes me really nervous. On the way we see evidence of the coming Christmas. I think today is December 12.

New Zealander’s seem to have a sense of humor when it comes to things we see along the side of the road. Apparently Santa rides his irrigation line in where he can’t find reindeer.

We made it over the mountain, with little fog and no rain, and all the way back to the Mapua Holiday Camp by about 10:pm. We parked in the same spot as the night before, and didn’t even bother to tell them until the morning. They had a nice laundry house so we washed and dried our clothes before we left, and played with Joey, the bird. Onward to Picton!

The sun has actually decided to come out and warm us up! There are all kinds of bays, islands and peninsulas on the way.

We bought our ticket for the Inter Island ferry Line for $152. I think that if you plan ahead and know when you will want to sail, you can get discounted fares. We didn’t plan like that.

While we waited for our departure time, we found a service station that was actually open (on Sunday) and he fixed our tire up right. Then we spent a little time in the Aquarium ,right on the docks, which had live animals.

There was also the Edwin Fox Museum, which houses the oldest surviving merchant ship on earth, next door. We had to go line up our van for the ferry though. We were out of time.

It takes 4 hours to cross the Cook Strait and it can be a rough ride. The ferry we were on was so big it had 10 levels, held 1600 passengers, had movie theaters, food, recliners, you name it. We did not feel the water at all, but we spent a lot of the time on the top deck and it was super windy up there. It wasn’t cold though, and it wasn’t raining either.

We couldn’t stay inside and relax. We had to wander the top deck the whole time, going from side to side for the best views. Occasionally we hunkered down behind a bulkhead to get some relief from the wind. There were Salmon farms, Mussel Farms, mountains, sailboats…

You could always see some little piece of land. The mountains are big enough to see from very far off. There are windmills strategically placed in the windiest spot. I am surprised we did not see more windmills on the South Island, but they generate most of their power from water melting off the mountains.

As we enter Wellington harbor we see it is surrounded by what looks to be quite a large city, so we drive off the ferry and get away as soon as we can. I know there are good museums there but now the sun is out again and I do not want to be inside.

The road hugs the west coast for a bit as we head north, with flat coastal farmland on our right. There is a whole lot of beach , more traffic than we are used to, and we keep driving until we reach the little town of Levin, where there is a camp site for us.

There is also a Rosemary Hedge taller than me outside the very nice kitchen block.

Foxton-Day 16

We had a good nights sleep and continued on our way in the morning with the sun still shining. I spot a big Dutch windmill as we drive by the village of Foxton and we stop to check it out.

We took the self guided tour through three levels and then went around the outside on the upper deck. This working flour mill was built in 1970-72 using high quality craftsmanship and impressive handmade wooden cogs and gears.

It also housed a little museum of sorts for a local soda pop, The Foxton Fizz, which has a humorous advertising campaign worth clicking on the link for.

We bought a small bag of freshly milled flour, had a piece of carrot cake down in the adjoining shop and then started noticing all the murals.

Some of the Murals were about earthquakes. Foxton and all of New Zealand, gets earthquakes regularly. I don’t know how we managed not to feel any while we were here. Click the green link to get the latest on that. Apparently Foxton has experienced 29 quakes (above mag 1.5) in the past year and Christ Church just had a 5.8 magnitude earthquake a few days ago, on February 14. That is a little unnerving.

There is a blog by KiwiDutch with some more good photos of the Foxton Murals and other travels as well.

The Town of Bulls

I had forgotten about this little town called Bulls. They have a big sign as you enter that says “Welcome to Bulls-A Town Like No Udder!”

A little Kiwi humor for you.

Volcanics

So, onward towards the volcanics!

Sorry. I had to include some real world ugly roadside with the gorgeous mountain in the background. There was an I-site here and we made reservations for a hike on the Tongariro Track tomorrow, along with two nights at base camp and a shuttle back and forth from the trailheads. I am not really looking forward to this seriously exhausting hike but I am trying to be positive about it.

Jeff got a speeding ticket through here but we didn’t find out about it until after we got home. The road was really straight and the scenery was a bit distracting.

We made a quick stop at at a bridge over a crevasse called Tree Trunk (video link) where really good kayakers manage to run Waikato gorge . We looked down at it and thought NO WAY, but obviously we are just novices and chickens besides. Oh, well.

Tokeanu Hot Springs

We went on up the road and stopped at our first thermal pools instead.

NZ frenzy says you can get into some diverted hot pools here but they look totally uninviting- dirty cement bath tubs with hardly any water in them-that you have to sneak onto private property to get to.

Cement Troughs with Hot Spring Diversion Channel

So we did the walk path around, checked out all the bubbling mud pots and hot springs, and then went inside the building there and rented a really nice (private, clean, and open to the sky above) hot pool for 20 minutes. It was heaven and more than 20 minutes would have cooked us to mush. You don’t get pictures of this…

There were two Maori historical sites we visited. One was Opotaka village/ campsite and the other was a battlefield where they first used firearms to kill each other. The island in the lake is a sacred site and the mountain in the background is where we will be hiking up to the volcano tomorrow.

There were some friendly ducks and pretty flowers at the Maori site.

We are staying near Lake Taupo and there are black swans and small lava rocks floating on the edges. Pocket size and not heavy. Steam vents are visible on the hills all around the lake.

Tomorrow morning, bright and early, we have to be fed, packed and ready for the shuttle bus. The camp kitchen is packed, so I am cooking on the Coleman stove tonight. Our friendly German neighbors are also going on the Tongariro hike and we all turn in early.

Wendy Lee- Writing at Edgewise Woods Gardens and Crtitters

New Zealand-2015, South Island

Kaikoura to Wharariki Beach-Day 14-15

February 17, 2016 Edgewise Wendy 1 Comment

Kaikoura-Day 14

We finally reach Route 1 North, headed towards Kaikoura on the East Coast, with the clouds doing their best to follow us. Fingers of solid rock would block the coastal road if not for all the single lane tunnels they have built. Update: On November 14, 2016, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake wiped out much of this road.

Route 1 Near Kaikoura-Many Tunnels Coast Road

It looks like the weather is going to break enough for us to go out on a Whale Watch boat. We had our doubts with all the rain in the mountains yet.

When we get to the launch site, the water has turned a turquoise blue and we are warned that the sea is a little rough today, but still safe to take the boat out.

We will be going out pretty far into open water and will have to stay inside the cabin until we get to the whales. I usually ride standing in the bow of a boat when it is rough to avoid getting seasick, so this makes me somewhat apprehensive. The tour costs $145 NZ each and takes about two and a half hours.

The boat has nice padded, car type seats and the guide is a Maori woman who entertains us with stories and slides while we motor out on the water. There for awhile the waves are crashing over the boat and we are slamming down into the troughs and it is all I can do to not lose my breakfast. I manage to wait until we are allowed outside before I finally spew over the side, just missing a guy downwind. After that I feel a little better and can concentrate on the one whale we finally spot.

This is a Sperm Whale about 40 feet long. Individuals are identified by the shape and markings of their tails. They come up for air and to rest about once per hour for 10-15 minutes .

This one is a male named Tutu. The females stay in warmer waters because they do not have as much blubber to keep them warm. The males who reside near here dive to 1000 meters into the cold Kaikoura trench to eat large fish and giant squid.

Coming back in, the light on the water raced ahead of the clouds. The next place we stopped, as we headed north, was at Oahou Point, near Halfmoon Bay, to see a bunch of Fur seals. They were all over the rocks.

The seals like to hike up a freshwater creek to a waterfall and hangout there, napping. It seems like it would be a hard trek on flippers.

It is very strange for us to see Seals in the woods.

What? You've Never Seen A Seal in the Woods? — What? You’ve Never Seen A Seal in the Woods?

One seal had just given birth to a pup.

The seals don’t seem too bothered by people watching them and mostly nap the day away. We leave them to it and continue our trip North towards Blenheim.

Organic Winery Gate — Organic Huia Winery Gate

I am impressed by an organic Winery along the way. Growing grapes organically is a hard thing to pull off in the states with all the diseases and pests we have. I hope it is easier here.

We are heading inland again and the hills are looking dry.

This mountain has that volcanic blow-out shape. The house has the typical metal roof and low profile we have noticed just about everywhere.

I don’t know how they manage to keep the mountains from sliding down when they clear cut such steep hills. I am also glad I am not the one planting it back or operating the equipment on these slopes.

We skirt around Picton, where we will be catching the ferry in a couple of days, and head towards Nelson, which turns out to be a major seaport town. The weather has turned cold and rainy again and it is getting dark fast. We were thinking this would be a good place to eat fresh fish for a dinner out but it was a weekend night and everything was booked. We finally found a little place right on the water as we left town. It turned out to be quite expensive, but the food was delicious, and we went all out and had wine and desert too. The fish we had was called John Dory, and there was fresh asparagus, a scalloped potato side, and fresh greens, with a lemon curd and raspberry tart.Restaurant on the Water’s Edge

Mapua

We left the restaurant very full and finally found a camp for the night at Mapua. I think we found the camp listed on our GPS. We drove across a private causeway and stopped at the office, but no one was there. They had left a note to call their cell phone as they were at a party nearby. When we called we were told to just park somewhere near the kitchen block and catch up in the morning.

There were signs in the showers telling us that no togs were allowed in the showers, and that during February and March, clothing was optional in camp.

In the morning we met the resident Yellow Crested Cockatoo, Joey. His one phrase was “Hello Joey” and he loved to have his head scratched. So far, it was not raining and soon we were on the road again, headed towards Abel Tasman Park. The farmland we passed on the way was neatly lined with wind breaks.

Riwaka Spring

We have a thing about springs and waterfalls, so we stopped at the Riwaka resurgence, a sacred Maori Spring coming out of the base of Takaka Mountain. No one is allowed to touch the water where it first emerges but there were some kids further down stream taking a quick dip in the really cold and clean water.

As we continued our journey up the mountain, fog was starting to flow downwards. It got darker and darker towards the top.

It was like driving in the middle of the night, except our headlights hardly made a dent in the dense fog. And the road was a windy mountain road. We even came across a poor guy on a bike.

We finally came down out of the clouds, drove through the little town of Takaka and then stopped at Waikoropupu Springs. it was raining hard as we walked the pathways around to the huge springs there.

These giant springs flow at an average 11.5 cubic meters per second and are considered some of the cleanest springs in the world.

Our goal today is to get to the sea caves on Wharariki Beach and then the Cape Farewell spit, at the northern tip of the South Island. As we drive through the more level land on this side of the mountain there are huge pipes irrigating alfalfa fields in the rain, which seems like a waste. There are also acres of red and white bird netting installed over the Kiwi and grape vines and cherries. Flocks of birds are really bad for eating fruit.

Wharariki Beach

When we arrive at the Puponga Farm car park for our hike to Wharariki Beach, we are greeted by a peacock from the tiny Holiday Park there. This would have been a great place to camp if the timing had worked for us. The guy who runs it is very creative, and has built a magical outdoor bar with hammocks and tree tables.

As we step over the stile, we meet a welcoming committee of sheep,

Our narrow track runs right through the middle of this gorgeously green and picturesque sheep meadow on the way to the beach.

More sheep wonder why we are passing through.

We wind through dunes covered in wind blown looking coastal trees, through sandy tunnels,

over a small creek, and eventually emerge on top of the last dune for a view of the beach.

The sand has been blown undisturbed with very few signs of people out here.

Some of the stacks are surrounded by water.

Others have slots you can get into.

There are seals laying about, tucked into sheltered corners.

There was one one big male seal perched way up on a huge rock, overlooking his domain.

Grandfather Seal Looming Over Young Buck

An obviously younger male seal, tried very hard to climb up the steep rock face to him, which looked extremely difficult using flippers. When he finally got to where he could peer upwards, the old Alpha male just shot him a disgusted look- daring him to take one more step. The young one slowly slid back down the rock, slumping exhausted onto the sand, closed his eyes, and went back to sleep.

Colors and Textrues in Rock — Colors and Textures in Rock

Some of the rocks had fantastic colors and layers of fossils.

There were sea caves all over the place.

It is wonderful how so many dunes are wild and intact in New Zealand.

The wind blows the sand into patterns, wildflowers grow…roadside horses say howdy on the way out …

We could stay here a long time but need to start back. We have to get as close as we can to Picton and the ferry tonight so we can catch a ride to the North Island tomorrow. Good bye Wharariki Beach.

Wendy Lee, writing at Edgewise Woods, Gardens and Critters

New Zealand-2015, South Island

Pancake Rocks to Hanmer Springs-Day 12-13

February 16, 2016 Edgewise Wendy

Day 12 on the South Island

It is day twelve of our four weeks in New Zealand and we already wish we had more time here. The South Island has so many tempting mountain tracks to tramp and such a variety of beaches to explore that we could easily spend months here. We like to play the “what if we lived here” game and imagine what it would be like, but so far have not found any place here that would make us leave home permanently. The oceans are beautiful but too cold, the mountains are gorgeous but many are treeless, some because of the snow and ice, others due to clear cutting ages ago and then sheep farming. I love coming home to our Appalachian mountains after being away, no matter where I have traveled.

The past few days, the sky has colored itself a stormy grey and the rain keeps coming and going but it is not enough to get in our way. I am glad to not be traveling on a bicycle though. We made sure we brought good rain gear on this trip and it has kept us dry and comfortable. We wear quick dry hiking pants and breathable rain pants with side zips that slip on easily over our hiking boots so we can adjust to weather changes quickly. I wear a long sleeved T-shirt, my many pocketed travel vest, with a breathable rain jacket/ wind breaker on top as needed . When it gets colder, I add a fleece jacket underneath and gloves. I have not needed my long johns, but it is the beginning of summer here and I have not trekked any serious mountain tops. I have a set of ear pops to keep the wind out of my ears, which I love so much that I bought my daughters each a pair for Christmas this year. They are made of fleece and have a tension spring built into them that holds them onto your ears without touching your hair, making them almost invisible, and are so comfortable I forget I have them on.

Today, we start from our camp north of Greymouth and continue heading up the west coast in search of cool rocks, wildlife and vistas.

View From Kaipakaki Point — View From Punakaiki /Pancake Rocks

The morning starts off grey and drippy again but it stops raining as we get out of the van at Punakaiki and the limestone layered Pancake Rocks, just a little ways up the coast from camp.

Stacks of Pancake Rocks

The rocks really do look like stacks of pancakes and the path winds through some of the rocks, using the natural ledges as steps, reminding me of the stone Appalachian Trail steps going through Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.

The trail winds around up on the cliff, with a view of rocks jutting out of the Tasman Sea and seals hanging out relaxing on just about every rock down below.

At first they look like rocks themselves, but then your eye gets tuned to seeing them and they are everywhere.

Mama Seal with Babay — Mama Seal with Baby

One rock was covered in black birds that I was hoping may have been Westland Petrels, which nest nearby in burrows, but they are probably a more common shag.

If we had come at high tide we could have seen Blowholes in some of the sea caves here. Thunderous surge pools bring in waves of kelp and mermaid grass, swirling around and ebbing back out.

New Zealand Flax is blooming red along the pathways, and someone has woven a frond into a cool shape.

There is a ground dwelling bird called a Weka hanging out near the path. New Zealand has a lot of birds that don’t really fly, which is why many of them are endangered. It is too easy for predators to grab them on the ground and where dogs are even allowed in a park, they must be kept leashed.

We wander back out of Pancakes along a path that looks a lot more tropical than it feels at the moment. I can’t seem to get used to the palm trees that show up everywhere we go.

The next stop is at the Fox river where there are sea caves and a tunnel that locals used to get to a hidden beach on the far side of this point, before there was a road and bridge built.

After walking through the tunnel we crossed back over the road and were searching for the trail head to the sea cave. It looked like you had to walk right through the private gardens of some little cottages to get there, and I did not want to be trespassing. I saw a guy walking across the road bridge, so I back tracked to ask him about the way to go. He turned out to be the caretaker told us to go ahead, it was a public path. The three cottages were tucked away and very private except for that, but it turned out no one was in residence just then, so we didn’t end up bothering anyone anyway.

The cave was open to the sea on two sides and to land on the third, so it wasn’t too dark inside, and it was much larger than I expected.

A very well hidden path around back of the smallest cottage went through a crack in the rock, over a pile of driftwood, and came out on a well hidden beach. We would not have seen this if folks were about.

Over Driftwood to Hidden Beach at Fox River

It started raining hard again as we read the sign for the nearby Inland Track.

A major portion of the loop was closed due to a recent Typhoon so we did not feel too bad about not hiking it this trip.

We got back in the van, stopping at Cape Foulwind (where the wind and rain was really very foul) for views of large seal colonies, before heading inland towards the mountains once again.

Even the seals couldn’t find any sun to bath in. They were in the water out of the wind. We decide to drive East into the mountains in hopes of escaping the heavy rain that is forecast for the West coast for the next few days. The West coast of the South Island gets most of the rainfall because the clouds come from the west and get hung up on the mountains. Milford Sound averages 264 inches of rain a year, while Dunedin, on the East Coast, only gets about 28 inches. We are hoping to get ahead of the clouds.

Every now and then a little patch of sunlight pokes it’s way through.

The higher ( and closer) the mountains get, the more naked they appear.

Still trying to get ahead of the clouds. At least the roads are dryer and the wind is less.

Finally we come out into a wide valley with the clouds not quite making it over onto our side.

Into the Clear Valley — Into the Clear Maruia River Valley

Once we reach the Maruia River Valley follow it upstream and south along Rt 65 heading East again and crossing the mountains south of Nelson Lakes National Park. It was a shame to miss that whole park but the rain was unrelenting at that point. We did get a chance to check out a wild hot spring on the way over, which was situated at the base of a fresh rockslide. I still would have gotten in except that as soon as I knelt down to feel the water, a humongous cloud of biting sand flies descended on my head.I had to give it up. No way was I getting naked with that many hungry sand flies. The water felt nice though and it was a shame to walk away.

As the sun was getting low we entered Hanmer Springs, which is a resort town with fancy golf courses and hot springs. We took a risk and checked into a Top Ten Holiday Park because there did not seem to be much available near there and we were tired. It had good showers and a decent kitchen but not much else going for it. We slept and left first thing in the morning, before anybody else even got up.

Tomorrow we continue to head East and then we’ll swing around North and go back West towards Able Tasman. We might go whale watching if the weather holds off long enough.

-Wendy Lee writing at Edgewise Woods, Gardens and Critters

Waipoua Forest

Tokatoka, the Volcanic Neck Climb

Night 25, Dargaville, North Island, NZ

Final Night in New zealand

Cape Reinga-Day 25

Kohukohu to Rawene Ferry

Hokianga Bay

Day 26

The Wooden Labyrinth

Kauri Forest and Then Up Coramandel-Day 23-24

Karangahake Gorge

Hahei Beach

Cathedral Cove

Waipu Cove

Waipu Caves- Day 22

Rainbow Falls

Whangarei Falls

Kerikeri-Day 23

Sailing the Bay of Islands

Waewaetoria Island

Wairakei Thermal Park

Craters of the Moon

Wairakei Terraces

Waio-Tapu Thermal Park

Rotorua

Tongariro Alpine Crossing-Day 18

Climb To The Top

Rotorua Thermals

Wakarewarewa Redwoods

Okere Waterfalls and Tutea Caves

Kaiate Falls

Farewell Spit-Day 15

Foxton-Day 16

The Town of Bulls

Volcanics

Tokeanu Hot Springs

Kaikoura-Day 14

Mapua

Riwaka Spring

Wharariki Beach

Day 12 on the South Island

Near West Virginia and Far, Far Beyond