Hokianga & the far North

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To continue where Willy left off/

We met Sue, who has a puzzle shop in the middle of the forest. Her husband, a Dutchman called Louis is very into puzzles. They've traevlled abroad to puzzle parties and had been in San Francisco and Yosemite earlier this year. Anyway we stopped, talked for a while and then made a cup of coffee on our camping stove on their back lawn - 1st time in 9 years that she'd been offered coffee by any of their customers. We followed a Dept of Conservation (DOC) track from there into the forest and saw our first kauri trees - absolutely incredible trees - very tall and very ancient, about 5 feet diameter. We stopped for lunch at a view point across the ancient jungly forest - there are so many trees and so many tree ferns and such an exotic feel to it all.

We went back to the shop - and could have spent ages browsing and chatting, but it was full of people, so we left and set off for Hokianga, which is on the caost of a fjord or drowned valley or similar. We had a paddle in the sea, but nothing more as the beach was incredibly steep and you could feel it almost knock you off your feet even just paddling. Quite bizarre - across the other side of the harbour were sand dunes with no vegetation which made it look a little like snow.

We headed South to see the real kauri trees - we saw Te Mahuta, which is one of the oldest living things on the planet - about 2000 years old. Diameter 53 metres - over 100 feet tall and with a huge number of other vegetation growing luxuriantly in its branches.

We camped in a site in another kauri forest - and had it pracically to ourselves, apart from the birds - blackies, sparrows, pheasant, and parakeets.


Bed at dusk and up at dawn again - and back in the kauri forest at 7.45 - visiting the second largest kauri and a stand of 7 old kauris well before any of the other tourists. All these trees were well over 1200 years old - and it was all the better to have the entire forest to ourselves.

We got back to the car park as the first tourists were arriving and off to visit the Trounson kauri Park. In adddition to the kauris these forestas are remarkable for the under growth lots of tree ferns some 20 to 30 ft tall, numerous other shrubs, trees and plants giving the whole place a luxuriant jungle atmosphere. Next time more about unsealed roads.

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Comments

[alan]

Jealousy
What an amazing set of pictures. Just a pity about the old Grateful Dead fan in them. Looks like you both are having a fantastic trip, good luck on your well earned adventures