Forecast for the day was variable and so it was decided that we would visit the West coast and the Kauri forests today instead of on the way back to Auckland tomorrow.
Breakfast included fruit number 26, a Golden Kiwi fruit. Obviously a derivative of the usual Kiwi fruit but it has distinctly different taste, and possibly a little sweeter. The fruit itself has no hairs and has a more pointed shape at the stem end. We have drafted an email to Waitrose to request they start stocking them by the time we return, suggesting Cowbridge as a store for the trial run. Our host indicated that they are also developing a red one, so I guess we will have sampled one of those before too long.
Starting a little later than we intended we took the ferry across to Paihia and then headed across the North Island to the Tasman Sea coast where the oldest Kauri trees are found.
This drive takes you across farmland which has a very British look to it from a distance. Some even with fields and reens looking very much like the Gwent Levels. It's only when you get up close that the different plants indicate the origins being a land mass that has been separate from the rest of the world for many millions of years - fern trees, cycads, cabbage trees and cordylines are native here. This was in someone's garden, I think it has been imported from Torquay!
The shapes of the hills too are based on eroding volcanoes rather than glacial activity. Mind you, reading through a Wild Flowers of New Zealand last night it seems that quite a lot of their flora is introduced and looked very familiar. Those Victorians have a lot to answer for. There were quite a few endemic orchids but we haven't seen any of these in the flesh.
Reach the Kauri forests.
Visit one of the most ancient Kauri trees in Waipou, Tane Mahuta - Lord of the Forest.
The trunk girth is 13.8m and the canopy of the tree has lots of other plants growing within it, like the ferns and cordylines. There are boardwalks to reach it, only about 5min from the road, as they are having a problem with Kauri dieback.
Drive on a little further to see the Four Sisters and The Father of the Forest - Te Matua Ngahere, which has a girth of 16.41m - flipping huge! Not as tall as the last one but a lot more difficult to get your arms around.
The top
The four sisters are growing next to each other and their trunks are thinner, but all very tall.
As we parked up to visit these the car park is free but they ask for $2 for security as the car park has a history of break-ins!
Because of the Kauri dieback we have to disinfect our shoes as we enter the forest walk - reminiscent of Foot and Mouth precautions.
This forest is a magical place. There were very few people about and the rainforest is more like tropical than temperate. It was quite windy today and where some trees had fallen against others they were making a creaking noise that was quite spooky.
Some small ferns.
Some interesting moss
Some fallen sliced up Kauri tree - what a beautiful colour.
Returned to the car, which still had all it's wheels.
On our way back we stop at Hokianga Harbour area. The area is quite remote and very peaceful. The sand dunes here are quite big and open (unlike some near home).
There were some short walks walks from here and some longer ones!
Note the time estimated for the last walk... 5 days!
Once again quite a few land plots for sale and some very large houses being built with somewhat spectacular views.
We keep seeing what we think is a Australian Harrier, they're as common here as Buzzards across farmland at home, but we have yet to take an acceptable photo. The roads are narrow and bendy with very few opportunities to stop (big ditches at side of road), and when we have managed to stop they seem to disappear just out of view. We did pass some marshland where there were dozens of Pied Stilt, an Egret and a few Mallard. A bit of a 'burnt-out' photo I'm afraid.
Along the road past Koikehe and into the land with forest behind, we saw a number of goat skins draped across the farmland fencing - was this some kind of ritual? Or a warning to keep off the land?
Found out later that goats are a real problem here (a bit like the ones at Lynton and Lynmouth) eating the forest vegetation to extinction, so are killed as pests.
A recommended side trip by David and Brad to Rawene brought us the small village and the Boatshed Cafe.
- you should know us by now, there ususally has to be coffee or tea and cake involved somewhere. This was an enormous slice of coconut and chocolate cake with some fruit, mint and a Nastursium flower on the side as well as cream.
We didn't manage to spot what bird had walked across the cream, but it had left clear footprints that tasted deliciously of raspberry! The Nastursium flower was very tasty too. I have to add that we did share this and not have one each. The sun was out again and we sat outside on the patio above the water - a very pleasant interlude.
Eric guarding our table number until the cake comes.
There are quite a few Historic Houses around here, and apparently we could have used our National Trust card to get in free (if we'd packed them, which we didn't). Fortunately, or unfortunately for us the ones close to where we were going were only open Sat and Sun in October, and this was a Friday. Would have needed another side trip to KeriKeri to find an open one. no time for that on this trip so will have to come back again!
Got lost on the way back to Russell because on the way to the Kauri forest we'd taken a short cut given to us by David, but hadn't noticed where it came out the other side. This made it difficult to find on the way back. But we found our way eventually.
Back in the village we had another look for the Blue Penguins along the road to the Pompelier Mission, but no luck. Later see a sign in the village saying that the Blue Penguins have gone; the fish they eat survive on plankton and the plankton is disappearing because of pollution, so the fish have gone and nothing for the Penguins to survive on. I guess they might be around in some places as David had told us roughly where to see them but had said they are nesting at the moment. So perhaps it's just that they're scarcer than they used to be.
Dinner on the waterfront as the sun goes down, managing to obtain the last available window seat.
Food was good, if a little on the expensive side. A (tiny) appetiser of cured fish - Kupokaka (or something like that anyway, plus the Spanish word for a particular way of curing fish?). Although we had said one of us was a vegetarian, we watched as the realisation dawned on the waiter's face that I might not eat fish either (as you would expect if you are a vegetarian). He said he would arrange for something else and came back about 10min later with a blue cheese appetiser - of course being the very awkward vegetarian that I am I had to say I don't like blue cheese either - the non-vegetarian ate it instead! However, the Risotto was very tasty and the steak with duck fat chips was enjoyed by the meat eater.
And so to bed for our last night in The Bay of Islands. Definitely somewhere to return to, so relaxing and lots more to see and do.