The bed was very comfortable and Yvonne was reluctant to leave the warmth of its embrace but as today was a long journey from Northland, the northern district of North Island to the Coromandel Peninsula, south of Auckland, we were up and away by 0900.
We set off from Sue's house in low cloud (the house was on relatively high ground) and set for highway 12 for our journey down the west coast. It is little populated up here and the landscape, while attractive, was empty. On reaching the western coast, where New Zealand meets the Tasman Sea, we came across the sleepy, co-joined villages of Opononi and Omapere. They sit on South Head, which is a vast inlet with the southern shore flanked by green hills and the northern shore vast sand dunes - very dramatic.
Where the inlet joins the sea there is headland that was the site for an old signalling station to guide mariners over the hazardous sand bars at the entrance. The views were spectacular and we wished we had more time to explore some of the trails but our journey bade us to return to the car.
A few miles further south and we met our planned stop over for the day - the giant Kauri forest at Waipoua. These trees grow very old and very large, somewhat similar to the sequoias of California, and were once widespread throughout New Zealand. As the timber is highly valued (they have long, branch-less - and hence knot free - trunks) and they suffer from the Kauri die-back disease, their numbers have dwindled. The park offers a protected sanctuary for them with guided walkways to the more significant individuals - the master of which is Tāne Mahuta (Lord of the Forest), which is estimated to be between 1,250 and 2,500 years old and is over 50 m (168 ft) tall and almost 14 m (45 ft) around it's girth. In true kiwi understatement it is signed from the road merely as 'Big tree'. After marvelling at this massive wonder of nature we drove slowly through the park noticing the many other Kauris of different ages along the way.
Once out of the park it was pedal to the metal to cover the many miles ahead of us. The scenery along this coast is very pretty and quite English and reminded us of the rolling, green foothills of the Lake District or Yorkshire - minus any sign of habitation.
After brief stops for lunch, ice cream, drive changeovers and views we managed to traverse Auckland in light Saturday afternoon traffic - very fortunate. Then onwards and southwards and eastwards across flat pasture land to the Coromandel Peninsula and its mountains. The last 45 mins of the journey took us over a very twisty mountain pass before we dropped down to the coast at Tauria, our home for the next two nights.
As it was evening when we arrived and we spent too long chatting to our host, Michelle and drinking tea, the local supermarket was closed when we got there so we were forced to have fish and chips for dinner. Similar to home but for cod and haddock read gurnard and hoki.
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| The northern shore of Omapere inlet |
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| A beach at Omapapere with the Tasman Sea |
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| Tāne Mahuta |
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| The results of Kauri die back. In an attempt to battle its spread you have to wash and scrub your boots on every trail. |
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| Could be England? |
beautiful. Are you're sure you are not just up the road
ReplyDeleteHi Kay, so many places have a very English feel but the main difference?....... It lovely and warm here!
DeleteOh just to let you know, I left those socks at someone's house, by accident you understand! x