2kiwis

We had modest plans for a few walks at a couple of bays on the way north but this never panned out. It was hot from early on and I was having a lazy day so we did no walking tracks. Our first proper stop was at Tolaga Bay where we first watched a battered old tractor being used to move washed up logs away from a path to the beach.

We then walked to the end of the wharf which is apparently the longest in New Zealand and watched various people fishing. There was a king fish visible in the water below, toying with some of the anglers. Heading back to the car we stopped to watch some kids jumping off the pier, enjoying the jumping and the calm water.

Further on we took a diversion from highway 35 and drove down to Anaura Bay. At the bay be took a left and travelled along a road that shadowed the coast, becoming narrow and then a gravel road heading up into some coastal hills. We came at last to a dead end, the road ending at a gate and a private property sign. So we turned around, only stopping to take a few photos of the bay and some enterprising tree decorating (Tui cans strung together and hanging from branches).

We stopped for lunch the next time we got to the coast, the road had been heading inland for a while. At Tokomaru Bay we parked in a rest area under a tree and ate our sandwiches. A campervan was parked between two pines looking to the beach, a family played together on the sand beside a little tidal lagoon and back on the road there were old buildings that looked abandoned. It was a nice little stopping point, even if it felt a little tired and run down.

Back on highway 35 we eventually turned off at the tiny map spot named as Tikitiki and soon after hit a gravel road and then passed through Rangitukia heading for Eastenders Backpackers. We arrived to a large gravel car park with a couple of cars, a large shearing shed and a small backpackers building supplemented with four sleeping huts. We parked and tentatively had a look around, realising soon enough that there was nobody there except for a friendly dog and some horses in the next door field. The dog wasn’t saying anything.

There were a number of instructions in the common room, one saying that new arrivals should check in with the caretaker at the house across the road from the backpackers. We went over, led by the dog, but there was no one home. Back at the backpackers a couple of people appeared, two girls packing up to leave. With time on our hands we decided to go for a drive in the hope that someone else would arrive and be on-site when we returned.

The drive to the beach was a bit pointless, we followed roads to get to an east cape beach that was quite wild and windy. We saw plenty of horses on our little tiki tour, obviously this is one area of the country where the horse is a common mode of transport.

Back to the backpackers and still there wasn’t anyone there. It was still quite windy so we didn’t yet set up the tent, rather relaxing in the common room reading books. Eventually a couple of guys turned up and this time they had an official capacity, there were the caretakers. Both were themselves tourists who had decided to stay longer and help out in exchange for accommodation and plenty of horse riding. They had been out on a ride up into the hills, enjoying the freedom of an afternoon with no one to look after.

As the wind died we took the chance to put the tent up and once this was done we relaxed some more, chatting with the guys. We had three more people sharing accommodation that night, a lone man named Reg who was on a trip cycling around east cape and the two girls we had seen earlier in the day. They had got as far as Gisborne and one of the girls decided she couldn’t leave the backpackers so they turned around and came back.

We cooked dinner, ate and continued to relax, fully entering into the holiday spirit before calling it a night and retiring to our tent. Tomorrow, horse riding.

We had an early start this morning to catch the low tide and a walk out onto a reef to feed some stingrays with Dive Tatapouri. Actually before that, the previous day, we had actually done not a lot due to inclement weather. It had also been my birthday and we did things like go to the movies, a nice relaxing day in the end.

Back to the day after! We were due at the Dive Tatapouri location shortly after sunrise, so I convinced Keryn we should get up extra early to see the sunrise. We drove as close as we could get to Wainui beach and Keryn stayed warm in the car while I waited for the sunrise. The sun rose, I took some photos and then we left.

So, stingrays. At Tatpouri there is a reef that is home to a large population of short tailed stingrays and eagle rays. At low tide it’s possible to walk out and feed the beasties. It was a quite relaxed affair, we arrived and there was already another couple there along with the man who was to be our guide and an English chap already out on the reef creating a burley trail to attract the rays.

However, someone got their tides wrong and we headed out slowly wearing our provided waders. The water was quite high, and at dips in the reef we were in water up to our waist. With waves we had to keep a good eye out to jump at the appropriate times to ensure we stayed dry. Earlier we had been coached in keeping a good steady line for blocking approaching rays, to assist we each had a solid stick to help in keeping the rays from getting closer than was comfortable.

In the end we briefly saw two rays, but the high water and steady swell kept the visibility low. We saw a lot more of two king fish that have learned to track the tourists for the constant bait feeding they get. It wasn’t ideal, and it was nice of the owner to let us know that we could come back again for free if we wanted.

Leaving Tatpouri our next stop was miles away on the far side of Gisborne. Eastwoodhill Arboretum was established 100 years ago by William Douglas Cook, the centenary is April this year. A century of planting has created a large area of beautiful and varied vegetation with well established paths for those looking for a nice walk.

We walked one of the longer paths, looking at the signs that introduced us to a variety of plants big and small. It was a nice summers day and the cicadas were out in force, we found some trees covered in dozens of shed cicada skins.

It was a nice day with few people around and the visit was good. We ate lunch outside the visitor centre and then set off. Further along the road were two more attractions I wanted to have a look at and first up was the Rere Waterfall.

We reached the waterfall car park soon enough and had a little walk to get closer. There was a bunch of guys lazing in the sun, obviously having had a swim. The water didn’t look that nice really, it was clear but that browny colour you get from rivers flowing through farmland and the enriched runoff was causing slimy looking algae to grow on the rocks passed over by the river flow. The waterfall itself was impressive and there was a daredevil path that went behind the falling screen of water, but we didn’t enter, just watched the water.

Some more driving and we came to our final destination on this road, the Rere Rock Slide. Rather than a collection of boulders this was a natural ramp in the river, a good fifty meters of rock that the river slides down and which provides a perfect water slide. We sat of a handy branch and watched as a number of people tackled the slide, those on boogie boards getting up good speed and those on rubber tubes taking a more leisurely ride.

We decided to take up the morning offer of a repeat stingray feeding and headed back out to Tatpouri, we covered a few miles today. The group was larger second time around, in addition to ourselves and another couple of tourists there was also a group of girls taking time out from a 21st party to feed the rays. It was quite comical seeing these young ladies (I’m getting old) all pretty with their party dresses clambering into waders and then trooping down to the beach.

The walk was much better timed and the water was very low, mostly ankle height. We walked out much further on the reef and were treated to a nearly constant visitation of rays. One of the stingrays in particular was quite large, a meter and a half or more wing tip to wing tip and appearing like a black hole sliding towards us. We all got to feed and pet the rays and a couple of the guys also dangled food for the attendant king fish, one getting a nice graze when he didn’t move his hand away fast enough. Our second encounter was much more satisfying.

We had dinner from a viewpoint looking over the beach and Gisborne, it had been a good day.

Leaving Lake Waikaremoana we headed back towards state highway 2, the road to Gisborne. We had one stop at the small town of Tuai and took a brief look at the power station. The building was old and statuesque and in stark contrast the turbines inside were brightly colored and much more modern looking. We’d noticed the building when the satnav took us on an unnecessary diversion on our way in the Lake Waikaremoana.

We had two more stops on the way to Gisborne. First up was the Morere Hot Springs Scenic Reserve. Keryn had found the place while searching for interesting places for us to see on our trip. The springs have been used for bathing since the 1890′s but we were more interested in the DOC managed walks available on the site.

The forest at Morere has a large number of Nikau palms, making it quite different from the usual New Zealand bush walk. The wind through the nikau palms gave the forest a constant creaking sound, and there were often sounds of spent palm fronds falling to the ground. There were a large number of wood pigeon in the palms, often flying away as we came near.

The path we chose to take took us up to a high point in the reserve before returning along the Tunanui stream. Having taken a good look at the map I had decided we should go anti-clockwise, the clockwise path looking much steeper. This proved to be the case, the steep steps seemingly never ending as we tramped along the path. The viewpoint we never found, I think the forest has grown to obscure any view there may have been. Keryn stopped to take a photo of what I assume is some kind of strange fungal mass, a pink and fluffy protrusion from the trunk of a tree.

As we got to the stream level we started to see evidence of a storm that had passed this way a few weeks earlier. The stream was strewn with mud and branches, piles of wood built at curves in the flow. The path was messy near the stream and one bridge had been washed from its foundations giving us a slippery set of rocks to traverse during one of the many crossing the path made.

The springs themselves had some interesting signs showing what they looked like a century ago. On some of the exposed rock walls near the old pools there was old graffiti and I tried to get some photos but the names and dates are hard to make out. After a few too many mud slides the site of the pools was moved downstream to the current site near the road. The pipes that take the water from a few different springs were a distraction from the beauty of the area, but maybe they are only so visible because of the recent flooding.

We didn’t bother taking a dip I’ve never been a big fan of hot pools anyway and compared to the deluxe resort we’d visited in Costa Rica this place seemed a bit dirty, Keryn’s visit to some public toilets was not very pleasant. I think we’ll have to visit in a few years once the stream is back to its usual state.

From Morere we took a diversion to Mahia Beach to find another walk that Keryn had identified earlier. We ended up not taking the walk, I think some of the lingering disappointment from Morere put us off any more exercise. Instead we bought some lunch and parked up with a view of the sea watching a surfer tackle the waves.

Our campsite in Gisborne was at the Waikanae Beach Holiday Park. The place was clean and tidy and right next to the beach. We set up the tent and under some large trees at the far end of the park, nice and quiet. I thought the sunset might be interesting so we went to the beach to see what happened. It was a beautiful sunset, different partially because of light rain falling high up in the atmosphere. The patches of rain were not reaching the ground but the setting sun glowed through the mist like fire in the sky. The beach turned orange the sea mist adding to the pretty picture. Lots of people were coming to the beach with cameras this was apparently not a usual sunset in these parts.