Kia ora from the Tasman Sea. That’s probably the last time I’ll get to write that, because New Zealand, where that Maori greeting is used, is now behind us and we’re on our way to Australia, mates! Before we arrive in Sydney, though, I have one more report to issue on our second and final day in the land of the Kiwis, and it was a good one.
Bay of Islands is in the north of New Zealand’s North Island, well above Auckland, and is aptly named, for it is a wide bay speckled with islands of varying sizes. At present, despite its popularity as a tourist destination, there is no dock capable of handling a large cruise ship, so we anchored out in the bay and tendered in near one of the area’s small towns, Paihia. Here we met our tour guide for the day and climbed aboard his bus for what turned out to be a delightful excursion.
I have to say that this country boy felt right at home among the farms, forests, rolling hills and small towns of New Zealand’s north country. Despite seeing several things during the day that are unique to New Zealand, I never lost that feeling of familiarity, and I loved it.
After a quick side trip to see Haruru Falls, a local waterfall of some renown, we motored to our first destination of the day, the Manginangina Kauri Walk in the Puketi Kauri Forest. Faithful readers of this blog may recall my glowing description of the cloud forest on Kona, a fifty acre preserve that has been lovingly restored from a cattle ranch to a lush, tropical jungle. As good as that was, this is even better, in part because it didn’t need to be restored. This is all old growth, native forest, and the trees, ferns and bushes are amazing.
The highlight is the kauri trees, once common in New Zealand but now few in number and protected by law. What happened to these magnificent, enormous and straight-trunked trees that used to cover the landscape? It seems that the British discovered that the Kauris were ideal timber for the masts and planking of their ships, not to mention furniture, so they were felled in huge numbers during the 1700s and 1800s. Fortunately there are still groves in a handful of locations, for they are a treasure and a treat to observe. Kauris can live for more than a thousand years, and their age can be estimated by their width, as each meter corresponds to around 500 years.
The Kauri Walk is also home to some massive ferns, including one of New Zealand’s unofficial national symbols, the silver fern. Found only in New Zealand, silver ferns are quite similar to other large ferns until you turn them over, exposing a shiny silver underside. Our guide picked a small frond to show us, and it really is quite distinctive.
Even more so than the Kona cloud forest, the Puketi Kauri Forest has a primeval feel to it, such that it wouldn’t be that surprising to see a velociraptor creeping through the ancient looking growth. I think we all left a bit reluctantly, amazed that a place like this could exist in a modern country like New Zealand. But there was more to see, and it also promised to be special, so off we went to our next stop, Kawiti Caves.
Kawiti Caves is home to bioluminescent glow worms that are only found in New Zealand and a narrow strip of northeastern Australia. Oddly enough, the glow worms aren’t worms at all, but are the larval stage of fungus gnats, a mosquito-like insect. These carnivorous larvae generate a chemical reaction that causes the bioluminescence, which then attracts flying prey that are trapped in their sticky webs.
We weren’t permitted to take photos inside the cave, which is an otherwise typical limestone cavern much like the one we have right in Hershey. But once inside, and with the lanterns turned off, we were treated to quite a display, resembling the stars overhead on a clear night. It actually looks a bit like the Milky Way, as the lights overhead on the cave ceiling form a loose line following the path of a small stream below. The walkway is on a narrow, raised boardwalk, so we were able to go in and out without disturbing the stream below or the glow worms above. A final fact about the glow worms. They’re a bit like luna moths, in that once they reach their adult flying stage, they can’t eat and have about three days to mate before they die. Quite a life cycle.
After leaving Kawiti Caves we were driven to the colorful little town of Kawakawa, where we had a chance to get something to eat and visit what may be the world’s most famous toilets. You read that right, I said the world’s most famous toilets. But first, at the risk of burying the lead, a word about the food. Next to the toilets on the town’s main street was a small takeout place where we had an opportunity to try some regular New Zealand fare like meat pies and sausage rolls. I was laser focused, however, on a unique Kiwi dessert known as a lolly cake. I know of nowhere else on the planet where these are popular, and I was hot to try one.
Seeing them on display in the shop my choice was made, and in short order I believe I ingested a week’s worth of sugar. At least it tasted that way. I have a photo below, but here’s what a lolly cake or lolly log, depending on how you shape and cut it, consists of. You take little colored fruit puffs, which are sort of like marshmallows, and add them to a mixture of malt biscuits, melted butter and sweetened condensed milk. You roll the whole business in desiccated coconut, refrigerate it until it’s firm, then take it out and slice it to serve. Yum.
Okay, on to the toilets, and let me just say this about them before I start. Look them up yourself if you don’t believe me. You won’t have any trouble finding information about them online. So, improbable as it seems, there was this Austrian architect and artist named Friedensreich Hundertwasser, who somehow made his way to the small New Zealand town of Kawakawa and undertook to design public toilets for the downtown business district. The result has been recognized as an international work of art and popular tourist attraction. Indeed, I feel honored to have used them. And this, friends, is why you read my blog, because I can be counted on to bring you the kind of travel experience you just can’t find anywhere else.
After a long last glance at Hundertwasser’s masterpiece we clambered back onto the bus for the return to Paihia, where our tender boats were docked. But were we done? No, because it turns out that by happy chance our tendering spot was actually in Waitangi, just down the road from Paihia, and a short walk from the Waitangi Treaty Grounds. Signed in 1840, the Treaty of Waitangi between the British and Maori is considered to be the beginning of modern New Zealand. The site is a little pricy, and we were getting tired, but we did walk over to a memorial of sorts to the Maori chiefs who signed the treaty and ceded governance of the country to England.
At this point a brief squall came through and the wind picked up considerably, and with a 25 minute tender ride between us and the ship we decided to call it a day and head over to the pier. The winds did cause the tendering to be halted for a while, but eventually it was determined that it was safe enough to resume, and we made it back to the ship without incident.
Reflecting back on our two days in New Zealand, I feel that we used our time well and saw a lot of unique things that helped give us a feel for this charming country. However, I also feel that we left too much still unseen, and I want to go back someday and pick up where we left off. Specifically, I would like to go back and visit the South Island, home to the Southern Alps and some of New Zealand’s most beautiful terrain. Hopefully I’ll have an opportunity to make that happen.
In the meantime, though, it’s on to Australia, and we’ve been told that sailing into Sydney harbor is a life changing experience, so a return to the land of the kiwis will have to wait. Can’t wait to see the Sydney Opera House and harbor bridge, and tell you all about it, so stay tuned. In the meantime, enjoy these photos from Bay of Islands and New Zealand’s north country.
Michele photographing Haruru Falls. The falls are so popular that there are two motels just behind us facing them.
The Kauri Walk. I wasn’t kidding, was I? All that’s missing from this scene is a T Rex.
New Zealand is home to dozens of species of ferns, and some of them are really large.
Our guide pointing out a new shoot on this fern. It will unfurl into another frond.
Our guide showing the top and underside of a silver fern. These beautiful ferns are found nowhere else on the planet.
Closeup of the underside of a silver fern.
In front of a kauri tree. Happily, they’re now protected by law.
The top of a kauri tree. They tower above the rest of the canopy.
At the entrance to the Kawiti Caves.
This is the small stream that runs out of the cave. It provides the habitat for small flying insects, which in turn become the food for the glow worms.
No photos were permitted in the cave, so I grabbed this one off the Internet. This is what the ceiling of the cave looks like.
Driving into Kawakawa, where they proudly advertise their toilets.
The entrance to the Hundertwasser Toilets.
Inside the mens room, sink in the background. The business end is around the corner, but this is a family blog, so that portion will remain between me and Herr Hundertwasser.
A lolly cake. Tasty, but very sweet and rich.
We could use signs like this in a few places I can think of in the U.S.
Memorial to the Maori chiefs who signed the Treaty of Waitangi.
Closeup. I thought the memorial was pretty cool.
This wreck looks lived in. I’m sure there’s a story here.
Red-billed gull, unique to New Zealand. That’s our ship in the background.
Final shot of the Bay of Islands as we sailed away. Beautiful spot.
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