We have breakfast early today as we have a long drive to reach the last sleep of our holidays. One night on a chestnut farm about an hour south of Auckland. This will mean we don't have to drive through Auckland again, and can visit the Botanic Gardens on our way to the airport.
We know the drive will be mostly through farmland but have found that there is one of those wetlands of International importance (Ramsar site) close to where we are staying. It is apparently the largest bit of wetland in the North Island, and home to Australasian Bittern, Spotted Crake and Marsh Crake amongst others. The leaflet tells us there is a National Wetland Visitor Centre due to open in 2007. We head for there first and then plan to do the 50km drive loop tour of the highlights outlined on the leaflet.
The drive is fairly uneventful, although initially we find ourselves close to the coast and with views of the sea far more frequently then we were expecting. Hey, who's complaining.
The road eventually turns inland but the farmland is not flat at the moment. There are more of those duvet hills, but this time with sharper edges. Some parts also look like The Peak District and Dartmoor. There are buttresses and wind-sculpted rocks.
We go past a sign for Waitomo Caves - I remember someone telling us that these are glow worm caves - apparently you can sit in a rubber ring and float through the caves in the dark - eeaargh - good job we missed those. Also see the native NZ pampas grass. It is more yellow with drooping fronds. We had been told about it but this was our first sighting this trip.
Look for somewhere pleasant to sit and finish off the remnants of food we have in the boot. Suddenly we are on a major highway - one with two lanes each side and a barrier in the middle, and it has a very smooth surface. Plus a cycle lane down the inside. A novelty for us - First road we've seen like this in NZ. Navigator says take next turn, follow this down small road over brow of hill and magically a picnic table appears alongside the river.
Interesting snacking - crackers, butter, jam, cheese straws, kiwi fruit (one gold one green), water, a can of sprite and a Mars bar. Well at least the water and Kiwi Fruit are healthy!
Keeps us going for a while and empties the car of excess rubbish.
Arrive at Rangiriri and stop at information centre to ask where Wetland Visitor Centre is. Map on leaflet says on shores of Lake Kopuera.
Although there is an iSite 'i' outside the building, the information centre is a laundry and appears to have no info. Ask some people outside where wetland centre is. They've never heard of it - the one lady says there are wetland signposts and boards along the road to Te Kauwhata but knows nothing about a centre. Fetch iPad to show them, it says it's on edge of this lake - lady still says, no, that lake is on private land and no access to it. Mmm-wonder what's going on here. Decide that as marker posts are there we will try following the tour loop. First stop works anyway, scenic viewpoint over Lake Waikere - board explains how it was formed - and then how it has been ruined by human activity - one of the most polluted lakes in NZ. Tells us that there is another lake (Rotokawau) on the South Western shore, a peat lake, one of the best examples of it's kind - but the board informs us that you can't see it from here! Doesn't tell you if or where you can see it either.
Manage to see the next point - oh, it's 400ha of land that used to be part of the Whangamarino Wetlands, but was drained and converted to pasture under a government subsidised swamp drainage scheme! (when that was allowed, it wouldn't be anymore).
Next we see a big green sign saying Whangamarino Wetlands and lots of bog and wetland just to the side of the road. Nowhere to stop, though can see what look like three or more hides in the middle of the bog (but no paths!)?????
Find the river about 500yards further along the road, a small gravel pull-in and a stile into the bog, but still no path. Without wellies not sure if safe to wander in. No information board here with map or anything else for that matter!
Moving on we look for signs of the 'good example of a restiad bog' here. The bogs in NZ are formed from rushes not Sphagnum moss, and apparently the restive bit refers to the type of rush. A fire burned 2000ha of the bog in 1989 but it recovered and resulted in good populations of the swamp helmet orchid, which is only found here. Exciting. Apparently they are still here in smaller numbers, but of course we can't see them! We can see some bog in the distance but much of the closer bit has been taken over by willow.
The next stop is a weir they have built to restore water levels - but we can't see this either! Give up on the tour and find accommodation for the night.
Our hosts tell us that the intended National Wetland Centre was never in fact built - some local dignitary put a stop to it, allegedly. More long stories to tell here...will have to wait...go for dinner in a local tavern with our hosts. On return - a NZ Hawk (Kestrel) flies over the garden - first sighting of this bird on the trip!