A Canadian in New Zealand - Day 14 - Waipoua Kauri Forest, Tane Mahuta, Four Sisters, Ripiro Beach

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On my way further south to explore the west coast of the North Island. It is the day of the trees as I visited Waipoua Kauri Forest. The highway twists and turns thru 20 km of mature kauri. Notably, there are two short hikes to see several majestic specimens. Firstly, is the 2500 year old Tane Mahuta - God of the Forest. This is New Zealand's mightiest tree with a total height of 51.5 metres and a trunk girth of 13.8 metres. Next were the Four Sisters, four kauri growing together. Impressive trees for sure. Further south, just before Dargaville, there is Ripiros Beach in the small community of Baylys Beach that I had to visit. At 100 km in length, it is the longest driveable beach in New Zealand; longer in fact than the more famous and popular 90 mile beach (which is not really 90 miles!). For some reason it just does not get the love and respect of its northern counterpart. I would suspect the sleepy nature of Baylys Beach may have something to do with it. After a quick lunch at Dargaville, I arrived in Warksworth. Tomorrow I hike the Tawharanui Regional Park.

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Photos

New Zealand road in Waipoua Kauri Forest
Where are the shoulders?