|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
With our flight not until 11am we were able to have a gentle start to the day, leaving the lodge at 9.30 to slowly walk the 2km to the airport in the warm morning sun. However, before we had even crossed the road a pickup drew up and said 'I'm only going to the airport, but I can take you that far', 'fine', we said, 'that's where we want to go anyway'. So we hopped aboard and sat next to a live lobster on the short car journey, to the airport. Put our bags round the back of the airport hut and walked back to the 'Claris Texas Cafe', the focal point of the village, to relax until nearer the flight.
|
|
As the flight time approached, we wandered back to the airport where people were starting to gather to meet incoming planes. The first in was one carrying the check-in lady who had been over to Auckland for her Christmas shopping, which she stored in the office before reverting to her normal duties. Another 3 planes landed while we were there, with the pilots and shuttle bus driver acting as baggage handlers. For our flight out we had something a little larger than the one we flew in on, an extra engine, an extra pilot and four other passengers, one with a large rolled up rush mat. Our own luggage was over the limit but it was not a problem. Fully loaded the pilot gave himself plenty of space for take off, using the grass area before the tarmac, but he was in the air soon after reaching the runway proper.
|
|
Flew over the Gulf of Hauraki and into Whangarei over the estuary and turned in to land at a busy little airport with a proper lounge, cafe and check-in desk - more facilities than we found at Honolulu International. Caught the airport shuttle to the hostel and whilst dropping off our bags chatted to the warden about things to do, he suggested a walk through a couple of local reserves. But before that we walked into town for lunch by the Town Basin, with its expensive boats and yachts, and a spot of food shopping
|
|
For our walk we left the hostel, took a short cut down to Dundas Street and then head up it to Parahaki Scenic Reserve. Using a leaflet we had picked up for navigation, we followed the Ross Track, a rough but solid path, up through a shaded grove by a gently tumbling stream. At one point cut into the hillside was a small entrance to a gold mine, peered in but did not venture far. The track continued climbing up the side of the valley away from the stream until at last, hot and sweaty in the humid air, we reached the Lookout, with views to the west.
|
|
Parahaki is an old eroded volcanic cone rising to 241m above sea level. There are extensive remnants of Maori settlement extending along 3km of ridge and including three heavily defended pa sites. More than 100 household terraces and 300 kumara storage pits have been identified. A part of one of the pa along Dobbies Track has been interpreted for the public. The pa complex at Parahaki was the site of a significant battle and massacre in the 1700's. There are several different versions of the battle. However it appears that the Parawhau people defending the pa were defeated and eaten by a southern raiding party.
|
|
From the Lookout we took the Dobbie Track to the Pa site, a series of earthworks mostly covered in bush, a poster near by described the site but it was difficult to see what we were looking at. From the Pa the path descended steeply to the link up with the Ponga Track and then the Hatea Walk which took us north along the side of the broad slow flowing river to the Whareora Road.
|
|
We followed the road east for about 1km to the A H Reed Memorial Kauri Park where on well made paths we were able to walk through native woodland that included a couple of large kauri trees and a bridge through the tree canopy. Work was still continuing on the paths with one bridge still missing.
|
|
Returned down the Whareora Road and by the river, the map showed a crossing of the river that would have enabled us to walk along the opposite bank, but we never found it so just continued along on the same side until the reached Vine Street and returned to the hostel.
|
|
In the evening the warden led a group of about ten of us to see the glow worms. Starting out at 9pm the walk took us back to the gold mine that we had seen earlier in the day. As we walked along the path by the stream the wall appeared like the night sky with pinpricks of florescent green light. Apparently glow worms like to be near water as well as near the sound of running water. With torches we ventured about 10m into and around the corner of the gold mine, there on the roof were large cave wetas, a cockroach type insect that makes a noise like a cricket. On the way back we also had pointed out to us a small crawfish in a rock pool and a funnel web spider (this is not native of New Zealand but an arrival from Australia, it wasn't very common).
|
|
On again. Walked down with our bags to the bus station and left them at the ticket office before wandering into town for a drink and a quick session on the internet. Caught the 11.15 bus which was well full and running late, the driver sounded a bit harassed. Drove up to Paihia through more hills of green, now with farms houses every few hundred metres, reaching Paihia at 12.30. The bus pulled up outside the hostel and so we started to get off, only to be told we had to stay on until the town centre, the stop was only for passengers who had specially booked the stop!
|
|
At least we knew exactly where the hostel was and so carried our bags back up the road to it. Ate lunch at the hostel before walking into town to take a ferry across to Russell on the other side of the bay. Russell is a small town now but once it was described as 'the hell hole of the Pacific' and for a short while it was the capital of New Zealand, before it moved to Wellington. Climbed up Wellington Street, with a heavy scent in the air to a footpath to take us to the top of Flagstaff Hill, passing on the way a Californian Quail with her single head feather sitting on her brood of chicks just on the verge. It was on Flagstaff Hill that a battle of wills between the Maori and settlers over the erection of a flag pole took place. Form the hill we had views all around, unfortunately dark skies spoilt the photo opportunity.
|
|
Returned to Russell and called in at the information centre to watch another good historical presentation of the area. Returned to the hostel to plan and booked up for the next week, just as well that we did as with the summer holidays approaching accommodation is getting to be in short supply.
|
|
Near to where we were staying was Waitangi, the site of the signing of the treaty that ceded New Zealand to the British Crown.
|
|
From Paihia we walked along the bay shore north for about 2km, crossed a bridge and we were at Waitangi. The area is now owned by the National Trust who have restored the building where the treaty was signed, landscaped the grounds and established a visitors centre with its customary excellent audio/ visual. Also in the grounds was the centennial war canoe and a Maori meeting house.
|
|
We spent the morning wandering through the exhibits and reading about the people and events surrounding the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. In the afternoon we took the Waitangi to Haruru Falls walking track to get back to Paihia. First the track took us through woodland between the estuary and a golf course before crossing the estuary on a boardwalk through mangroves and reading about their unique characteristics
|
Waitangi Mangrove Forest
Mangroves are the only trees which will grow in areas periodically covered by sea water. The New Zealand species, Avicennia Marina extends from the tropics to further south than any other species in the world. Its southern limits in New Zealand are Opotiki and Raglan, where trees are stunted bushes. Mangroves are frost tender and only in Northland do they reach their maximum New Zealand size of 9m.
Special adaptations, such as the ability to secrete salt through leaf surfaces, and seed which germinate before leaving the parent tree, enable the mangrove to survive here. The root systems, with pnuematophores or air breathing vertical extensions above the mud surface, are another adaptation.
Mangroves form a unique and special coastal zone - a buffer between land and sea. Mangroves trap silt among their roots, thus assisting in natural reclamation. Conversely, their removal has led to widespread erosion.
More important, the mangrove swamp is a valuable wildlife habitat - these areas support hundreds of marine and land-dwelling species.
|
|
From Horuru Falls we had to follow the road to get back to Paihia, a bit tedious.
|
|
Took a 'Day in the Bay' cruise with Kings. Left Paihia at 10am, the sea was reasonably calm, just a long lazy swell, but the sky was cloudy so we didn't need the sun tan lotion we had specially invested in. Called in first at Russell to pick up additional passengers, in the harbour a dog was being towed along behind a boat on a wake board, not sure if the dog was enjoying or not, its paws seemed pretty firmly planted on the board.
|
|
Sailed out to the north of the bay passing Black Rocks looking for dolphins but first we found a small hammerhead shark and then Australian Gannets diving from 20m or more for their food. However, after chatting to other boats our captain was able to find some dolphins but they weren't being very friendly and we only caught occasional glimpses of them. Continued out to Cape Brett, on the southern arm of the bay, where the highlight is the 'Hole in the rock', a sea cave that has become so enlarged that it is now an arch way. After some hesitancy, possibly to build up the climax, with large waves rolling through the channel, the captain took the boat through the narrow gap with little space to spare. On the same island was Cathedral Cave which penetrates 70m into the rock and so in thousands of years time will form another hole in the rock.
|
Hole in the Rock
|
Bullnose dolphin
|
|
With lunch approaching we returned into the bay looking for a beach to picnic on, as we approached Urupukapuka Island dolphins were again spotted, this time much more friendly. Donning a wet suit and snorkel I joined other swimmers and jumped in the sea to swim with the dolphins. Though we were able to observe the dolphins at close quarters in the water, we weren't able to get them to co-operate with us.
|
|
|
|
Boom swimming
|
|
Landed on a beach on Urupukapuka Island for lunch, we had already eaten ours on the boat and so were able to spend the time walking up the hill behind the beach to get a view over the bay. After and hour we re-boarded and started our journey back through the islands with a brief description of the islands histories.
|
|
Arrived back in Paihia about 4pm and return to the hostel to get ready for the evening.
|
|
During the evening we had a heavy rain storm with some thunder and lightening, fortunately it had finished by the time we went up to the Waitangi Meeting House to see a Maori cultural performance telling the history of the Maori in song and dance from the time they migrated to New Zealand to the present day.
|
|
Took another Kings tour, this time by road up to Cape Reinga. We were picked up from the hostel at 7.15, so an early start. After the bus had finished making other pick ups we set off north, first to Kerikeri meaning dig dig, the name given by the Maori when they saw the speed with which the first European turned over the soil. Farms in the area raise cattle, with farms carrying 400-600 cows. Unlike the UK where silage is produced to carry cattle through winter here a maze silage is produced to take cattle through the parched summer. Fruit farming is also carried out in the area with kiwi for Japan, vines and some bananas as well as, macadamia nuts. Olives are also now being tried.
|
|
Stopped at Puketi Forest, where we took a short walk through an interpreted kauri forest.
|
|
On and around the west coast of Doubtless Bay with the beach communities of Coopers Beach, which was once the place where barrels for shipping whale oil were made; Cable Bay, where the first transpacific telegraph cable came ashore; and Tiapa, the landing place of Kupe who was the Polynesian discoverer of New Zealand over 1000 years ago.. And on up to The Ancient Kauri Kingdom, a shop specialising in making things from ancient kauri that has been taken form swamps, it's illegal to fell kauri trees.
|
|
Until 50 years ago, the northern peninsula beyond Waipapakauri, used to be sand dunes. Since then, to stabilise the dunes and reduce erosion, special grasses, pines and lupine to put nitrogen into the soil have been planted to produce forest and farming country. The area is frost free and warm giving it about 2 months start on the rest of the country and so is popular with market gardeners and farmers for producing early crops. The Maori have been careful to retain ownership of the land and so only lease it out. Peat swamps are also about providing good fertile land.
|
|
An industry that used to be prevalent in the area was gum digging. The gum they were digging for was kauri gum that had accumulated in the ground from old kauri trees. The gum was used to make varnish. All a gum digger needed for his trade was a 3m pike with which to prod the ground to locate the gum, a spade to dig it out with, a pump to keep the hole dry whilst digging and a sack to carry the gum away in.
|
|
With the grey morning of Paihia left behind a dazzling sun hung over Houhora Harbour where we stopped briefly to disturb the tranquillity of a couple of fishermen failing in their efforts to catch kingfish and john dory, with a couch load of tourists.
|
|
For lunch we stopped at Tapotipotu Bay, a beautiful spot, along with every other coach tour in the area. Out in the bay a pod of four dolphins swam but the swimmers, being at a lower elevation could probably not see them and were unaware.
|
|
Continued on to Cape Reinga where we took a stroll down to the light house on the point and gaze out to where the Pacific Ocean meats the Tasman Sea, in the distance was Three Knights Islands. The area has special significance to the Maori who believe that the spirits of the dead return to their ancestral homeland of Hawaiki by travelling up the peninsula to Te Reinga Wairua (Cape Reinga), enters the branches of trees descends to the roots and then travels across the ocean to Three Knights Islands where it resurfaces again to take a last look at their homeland.
|
Dianne on Boogie Board
|
Drove down the Te Paki Stream at the top of Ninety Mile Beach to our right were large sand dunes, at one time the whole peninsula was like this. The stream has quick sand in it and if the bus had stopped for more than about 5 seconds in would have started to sink in and would have needed towing out. At the end of the stream we climbed to the top of a sand dune to ride a boogie board back down to the bottom. Continued on by going onto 90 mile beach (more like 90km) stopped after a while at The Bluff to take in the views and then again to collect shell fish from the sea. In the sand dunes were wild horses, or more correctly domestic horses left to go wild. Turned off the beach at ? at returned to the Ancient Kauri Kingdom for afternoon tea and for the driver to clean the salt and sand from his bus.
|
|
After a brief stop near Kerikeri to buy fruit at a road side stall we returned to Paihia where we jumped the bus in town for fish & chips before returning to the hostel for the evening.
|
|
A long days journey as we return south on the Westcoaster Bus. A smaller bus than the usual Intercity, it tows a luggage van behind it. It seems we are leaving the north at the right time as rain was on the way and as we drove along a light drizzle appeared on the bus window screen.
|
|
First stop was Kaikohe, a small town that serviced the farming community in the north, then on to Rawene a small ferry terminal on Hokianga Harbour distinguished by its modern musical toilets.
|
|
Although the bus we travelled on was a regular service bus it also took in regular tourist stops such as Tane Mahuta, claimed to be the largest kauri tree in New Zealand. The bus stopped for 15 minutes to enable us to walk and have a look at the tree.
|
Continued on though the Waipoua Forest on winding roads with the bus and trailer swinging around corners until we reached the Visitors Centre and another break to take a look around. To complete the mornings run we left the forest and drove through countryside that started to level out as we approached Dargaville, a town which before the construction of major roads was an important port for bring goods in and out of the area, but is now just a service town.
|
|
After an hours lunch break we were on our way again to meet our connecting bus at Kaiwaka, a larger Intercity bus that would deliver us into the drizzle and evening rush hour. After cross into Auckland City, for some unexplained reason the bus pulled into a lay-by for about 10 minutes before moving on, but at last, about 30 minutes late. Popping from shop canopy to shop canopy to avoid the rain we made our way the few blocks to our hostel.
|
|
|
