As you might expect with any trip into the rainforest, we started with rain, and lots of it. Donned full waterproof outfits. Our shoes had just about dried out after yesterday's muddy foray so it was nice to see well prepared paths as we left the car park. About 100 m further on in the forest...a stream with no bridge or stepping stones. Nothing for it but to wade through ankle deep water - sighs resignedly.
We, in fact, had three separate walks centred around the visitor information sites and car parking areas. First we headed for the Honeycomb Caves which are inside the protected part of the reserve only accessible with a permit. We walked into this area by crossing the Oporara River (there was a bridge this time) and followed it upstream for about an hour, stopping regularly to discuss the plants on view. Thankfully a number of the streams were crossed by bridges as the water was rising all the time, and they were looking quite dramatic.
Eric sees no sign of Elves, Orks, or Gandalf himself, even though one of the bridges is over the River Nimrodel. It's where the Elven lady of the same name lived in Lord of the Rings. It was given this name long before the filming of the book took place in NZ. Originally the river was un-named. It had to be given a name when they opened up the track to the public as it helps if they need to rescue you.
The area is Karst country - that is it has a lot of limestone - but this is laid down on a bedrock of granite, so in some areas granite boulders form good waterfalls.
There is also a layer of mudstone on top of the limestone. As with the ecosystem in Doubtful Sound, there is very little soil here and the trees have shallow horizontal roots.
There are large numbers of trees blown down by a cyclone that happened the day before Easter this year. The damage is concentrated in narrow swathes in different unconnected sections of the forest. Bill tells us this was because there were lots of mini tornado type events. He was out on a tour at the time, they have not had a cyclone here before so it was unexpected, and he said it was pretty scary. He lives in a valley about 20km away and the lane to his house was blocked with huge fallen trees that he had to cut through with a chainsaw - he wasn't able to get through to his house for 10 days.
Just before reaching the cave system itself we stopped at a large overhang that had originally been a cave and had since been carved out of the valley sides by the glacier, which had also eroded the stalagmites making them fluted in appearance.
Eric thinks we are wusses for not wanting to go and see the Moa bones in the cave just over the suspension bridge.
As we were too scared to go into the kilometre long tunnel section we returned to the car with the intention of having a bit of lunch. As it had now stopped raining and the wind had dropped we had a change of plan at the car park and headed off to Mirror Tarn. This is a small lake in a bowl formed by the collapse of the area into a giant sinkhole. As its name suggests there can be spectacular reflections of the surrounding forest in the water. Today the reflections were clear but they were not perfect because there was still water dripping from the encircling trees, creating a fairly consistent ripple effect across the lake. The resulting reflection was reminiscent of an impressionists painting of what the view should look like.
You may or may not have spotted that the photo is upside down!
The tree ferns were looking spectacular with their fronds or Kopua just unfolding .
Some photos of the Filmy Fern and Kidney Fern in situ instead of on a piece of paper as in earlier blog!
Walking back from the tarn a Whio or Blue Duck is spotted sitting on a log on a shingle bed in the middle of the river. This is an acutely endangered duck here.
We decided not to wake it up as it was looking very comfortable.
We pass a Red Beech with a very colourful trunk, and then a Totara tree, also with an interesting trunk.
Back to the car park and now it really was time for lunch. Eric was agitating for some food at this point.
OK where's the food?
I'll help opening this hamper.
Eric pondering whether he'll sample the black olives.
A good spread and just because you're in a rainforest doesn't mean you should do without a nice tablecloth.
The Vege sandwich appeared to have ham in it. Luckily it was only mis-labelled rather than completely wrong.
A New Zealand Wood Pigeon is seen flying across the car park whilst we eat. Unlike our Woodpigeons, the ones here are scarce and protected. An inquisitive Weka comes to see if there may be any scraps on offer. Obviously knows this place is a common picnic spot.
Southern Bush Robin is also about.
Lunch over, we take on the third walk of the day. This time it is to the Oporara Arch. Following yet another section of the Oporara River, this time we head upstream, with some pretty muddy sections. The river was some 30-40' below us and almost straight down. The walk is up to our usual gentle amble standards as there are far too many new plants to look at, have our guide name and provide some detail of their particular characteristics. Bill is a font of knowledge.
Here are 3 Orchids, a Spider Orchid , and 2 Tree Orchids with no common names.
We reach a bend in the river and see a spectacular arch curving across the river about 100' above us. As the guide makes no mention of it we assume we are going to get a better view of it a bit further along. We are very wrong. This arch, as big as it is, is simply a taster for the amazing structure a few steps and a short climb further on around the riverbend. This time the arch is the same height but stretches back for about 200m. Light is visible at the far end and the river is running through it in a torrent. The structure was originally a cave, but the ends have collapsed to form this long open arch.
At the entrance to the cave/arch there are some interesting plants, a spleenwort and a particularly nasty stinging nettle. The nettle, like its Australian cousin, leaves both it's silica sting and some poison in the wound and whilst the initial pain subsides after a few hours, can return any time later when the affected part gets hot or cold. This annoying effect can last for many months.
There are the remnants of stalagmites hanging from the roof
and on the opposite side all three layers, granite bedrock, limestone and mudstone are clearly visible in layers.
Walking back from here our guide hears a native nightingale, but no view of it.
As we return to the car the river is now noticabley higher.
If we'd come when the weather was dry we wouldn't had half as much of an exciting day.
We are dropped back at the motel at 4pm, a good value five hour tour as it lasted seven hours. Feet are wet so go to explore the delights of Karamea shops to see if we can find something to wear while ours dry. Not hopeful since the whole area has a population of less than 600 and there only three shops and a garage. The information centre (which is also the farm supply shop and garage) has some flip flops but they are the wrong size. She directs us to the hardware shop across the road. Emerging from the iSite we wonder where the shop is as we can only see the small supermarket and a shop with lots of plants outside. We know it isn't the former so we venture into the latter. It is the correct choice - the shop is like an Aladdin's Cave, selling all sorts of things but not many of any one thing. A pair of tidy trainers is found ( Welsh speak for 'just what was wanted'). There is only one pair of size 9 on the shelf, but on closer examination they were both for the right foot. Ask the lady for the other one - 'it's on the shelf' she says, looks, no it isn't - there's only the other right foot shoe in the same size. She thinks that some of the young lads that frequent the place may have carried one shoe round with them and put it down somewhere else in the shop! - a search follows. No luck. Decides that someone has come in, bought two left foot shoes and left without noticing (unless of course they had two left feet!).
Back to the motel for dinner and preparation for our trip back to Greymouth ready to catch the Tranzalpine train on Sunday.