History lesson followed by a short walk

Started the day with a breakfast of muesli, fruit and a stack of pancakes, being well regarded by our canine companion. 

Eric drools over the pancakes (metaphorically)

We had to make a decision as to what adventures today would hold. Decided that the weather looked better on Monday for a flight to Cape Reinga, and discover that the three potential sail boats are not running today so we will leave that for later in the week.  The weather is supposed to be taking a turn for the worse, so we will have to see.

Our back up plan was a visit to the historic houses in the Keri Keri area that we had missed on our previous visit. A bonus being they accept our National Trust cards so it's free entry, and we actually brought them this time!

First up is Te Waimate, where we follow in Darwin's  footsteps, as he spent some time here over Christmas during one of his voyages.  

The house was built by Maori and is made of Kauri planking and there was an English style farm started here.

The guide tells us some interesting stories, explaining some of the Maori culture as well. There is also some discussion on the rugby. The building is part of a missionary farm and one of the first games of cricket in New Zealand was played on this very lawn.  

Eric admires the view from the verandah at Te Waimate, much as Darwin had.

In the garden Eric plays hide-and-seek with Darwin's dog, he thinks he's called The Beagle.

There is a clapperboard church next to the house and the fence surrounding the cemetery is covered with lichen.

Next it's away to the Kemp House and Stone Store at Keri Keri.  

The buildings are in rather a lovely setting next to the river, but the Maori chief had warned the missionaries that if they built the house there then it was likely to flood.

The bit under Eric is freshwater whilst the bit where the boats are is part of the Keri Keri estuary inlet, and so saltwater. 

The missionaries built the house by the river anyway, and of course it did flood. But has been restored by the equivalent of the National Trust in NZ, and they found out all sorts of interesting things when they did.   We know this because to see Kemp House you have to go on a guided tour. We bought tickets at the Stone Store, which is set up like an old-fashioned grocery store, including the staff being dressed in clothes of the era.  The one that is supposed to represent the old whaling captain is a right character - turns out he is doing the tours today as well.  He is a New Zealander now but originally came from America.  He was full of tales and humour, sometimes a little too much full-on! Quite a character.  We finish the tour and manage to only buy a soft drink from the store (everything is very expensive).  

The side of Kemp House

The front of Kemp House

Eric admires the gardens

The Stone Store - they had to ship the glass out from England - it cost £660 in 1825. 

Eric does a rendition of Roll Out the Barrel outside the Stone Store.

If you have good eyes you may just be able to make-out a blackboard in the doorway behind Eric telling you how much various things cost to build the store.

Returning to the picnic site near the car we enjoy a late re-past and see a Barbary Dove (introduced to NZ from Africa).

We have been told that the river walk to Rainbow Falls is relatively easy and a very pleasant way to spend the afternoon. We almost get lost straight away, before meeting a walker coming the other way who tells us it's a one hour walk to the big falls (25m drop apparently). Even though it is on the outskirts of the town we are suddenly in native bush that could be miles from anywhere.  We stroll pleasantly for an hour, with lots of flowers and lichens to see. 

Clematis - but not sure if native.

The Spooky Old Tree?

(and his friend)?

The Kawa Kawa plant that our tea was made from last night - apparently you need to pick the ones with holes for the best taste (?!)

Eric marches out across the well-formed path.

The epiphytes on the trees are amazing.

We finally find a waterfall of small proportions that does not quite match the description of Rainbow Falls.  

"Nice waterfall but that doesn't look 25m high"

Continuing on we find a sign that says they are half an hours walk away!  I guess NZ tramping is a lot quicker than our snail's pace. 

We meet a gentleman coming the other way - he has walked from Cape Reigna at the top of the North Island and is making his way down to Bluff, at the tip of the South Island. It's called the Te Araroa Trail, and it's going to him five months to walk it. He did the Appalachian Trail last year. He's about our age or even older - makes you feel inadequate or what?

There are lots of birds in the bush but none will stay still long enough to photograph.  We see Kakereki (parakeets) , the ubiquitous Tui, fantails, NZ woodpigeon, plus some small birds that we do not recognise.  Then we see this duck - about 25m up a tree! 

We think it is a male Paradise Shell Duck.

We trek on (and on, and on) eventually reaching the falls.  

"Now that's more like it"

No sun out today so no rainbow. Or at least not from this viewpoint.  Find out later that you can drive and park a mere 10 minutes walk from three 'magnificent' viewing platforms above the falls! Oh well, the exercise will do us good.  Now all we have to do is walk back. Sigh. 

Tree ferns are lush.

On returning to the B&B we find that the scenic flight and drive to Cape Reigna we booked at breakfast is now leaving earlier tomorrow than we anticipated.   We have to catch the seven am ferry from Russell to Pahia - that's a fifteen minute walk from the house, and we need breakfast too - a rather loud groan is heard...

To Russell

A day of travelling today.  Weather is still favouring us although there may be some rain later in the week in The Bay of Islands. The hunt is on today for a shop that sells a camera card connector for the iPad, so our first stop is Orewa.  Too full from breakfast to have coffee and cake in our early morning stop last year! Orewa is too small a town for our purchasing needs, so we press on to Whangerai. As we head further north the clouds are gathering... still dry and some good views despite the cloud.

It's Saturday and Whangerai is pretty busy. Park in the Town Basin and ask where to find the electronics shop. It's back the way we came! Find the relevant shopping area - it's like a very scruffy and busy McAthur Glen  with lots of fast food restaurants (hope that gets your imagination going!) saying that, the people are very helpful and we find the required item. 

Lots of winding roads later we arrive at the Helena Bay cafe and gallery. Some lovely 'pictures' and sculptures to buy for the garden outside. 

First priority is coffee and cake (breakfast has worn off by this point). The view from here makes it a stunning place to have a drink.

Not sure if Eric is more interested in the view or the cake.

Yum!

Slurp!

Of course a visit to the gallery shop is obligatory.  Spend a bit of money - well we are on holiday!

Follow the old Russell Road onward, with a couple of beach stops on the way. 

This tree was in front of one of the bay's...

The road winds up and down and around 90 degree bends

Getting close to Russell now

Arrive in Russell. Another wedding - this time on the pier

Arrived at the B&B - Eric decides to do a bit of tree climbing to get a better view. 

The verandah view is as good as we remember - and the weather has improved too. 

There are night time nature walks. We book ourselves on one for this evening.  While waiting for our guide we spot some rare Brown Teal on the wetland area. 

No moon so very dark in the bush. We have torches with red filter on and walk quietly so that we may see one of the Kiwi that have territories here. No physical sightings but both the male and the female are calling, and close to us in the bush - they make quite a noise when they are moving around. Other delights on the walk include sheet web spiders (wouldn't want to walk into one of their webs in the dark!), Weka, Weta (both cave ones and tree ones - they are insects a bit like crickets or grasshoppers but huge - about 4 to 6 ins long with long legs and that's without the antennae, which are almost the same length again.)  lots of Ruru calling and glow worms - the place is lit up like a Christmas tree.  We stop to have a Kawa tea - slightly medicinal but quite pleasant - apparently related to some other hallucinogenic plant - but we don't see any flying Kiwi! 

Tiri Tiri Matangi - for real this time.

A new day dawns and the weather looks splendid. Sunshine, very little wind, and a calm sea. Just what we need for our trip today.  

Down to the marina at Gulf Harbour to await our 360 Discovery Tour. 

Would be good if it was this boat. 

Just look at those Maori warriors on the prow.

But no, here comes our boat now...

Tiri Tiri is an island sanctuary that is predator free for birds.  Unfortunately Eric will not be with us today as no dogs are allowed on the island either, just in case they eat the poison put down for any potential bird predators that may arrive, and we wouldn't want him to be ill now would we!

We also had not realised that this week is still school holidays, so there are quite a few children about. 

After all our bio-security checks are done we're allowed to board the boat and set off into the Hauraki Gulf

Twenty minutes later we arrive at our destination. 

Following disembarkation those of us on a guided walk are split into smaller groups, each with a volunteer guide. They must have read our thoughts as the first thing they did was to split off the groups with children, giving each a guide (phew!). A choice of two distances is given for the guided hikes, we decide to go on the one with the least people.  Two Americans, us, a man come to test the foghorn and our guide - Roger. We set off up the Wattle Track to the lighthouse. Roger is very knowledgable about the birds, including their calls and ecology, and about the trees and plants. They ring (or band) all the birds here including colour ringing. So many have been done that they ran out of plain colours to use and are now using striped ones. They also DNA test all the birds. 

First birds spotted are a pair of Kakaraki (Red-crowned parakeets) flying just above us.  Then some Tieke (North Island Saddleback), that sound like a car starting up.  In pretty quick succession we see a Popokotea (Whitehead), Pukeko, North Island Robin, NZ Pigeon, Bellbird, Tui, quail, and Hihi (Stichbird). 

Bellbird

Stitch bird nesting box - the birds enter at the bottom on the side. The stitchbird are apparently very promiscuous and the nest is designed to prevent the incursion of other males.

Stichbird - sorry blurred photo as not able to download from camera yet so relying on phone camera.

Ditto - Saddleback

We also hear North Island Kokako, there are several breeding pairs here. A little further along the track we see an owl sitting in a tree above us, this is the Ruru (Morepork). 

No Rifleman or Fernbirds spotted though. 

The area with the Takahe in is taped off as the female is on the nest and they don't want them disturbed.  There are also little-spotted Kiwi on the island, but we won't see these as they forage at night and are very shy. 

We pass a Nikau Palm with three stages of flower formation from the same tree.

The birds love this plant.. A Kohwai

And this plant has flowers that come out in spiral 

Tree fern

The silver fern is used by Maori to guide a path in the night - you can see why as the canopy was quite dense but the least bit of light makes the back of the silver fern fronds shine. 

A Pohutukawa  tree that is 800 to 1000 years old

Some of the other forest trees:

Towara

Puriri

 And a koru - fern unfolding

Views along the way are pleasant in the extreme.  

There's also lighthouse

And the foghorn the man had come to test. We went to watch (listen?). Had to put fingers in ears, but even then the sound from the diphonic horn made the whole of your chest vibrate, even though it was much smaller than the old Nash Point lighthouse foghorn.

Inter-tidal - can you spot the crab.

A very relaxing day.