Farewell South, Hello North

Catch-up; Happy New Year and welcome to 2018 folks! 

After Marfells Beach we headed into Blenheim and spent a couple of nights back at the Racecourse while we did a few chores and checked the weather forecast. The time had come to say a reluctant farewell to our South Island travels (for the time being) and prepare to cross back to the North Island.

We had the pleasure of meeting John & Judy, who pulled in beside us in their Cougar 5th-wheeler

Marlborough sunsets are magnificent, and during our latest visit, Mother Nature once again didn't fail to impress.

Chores sorted, and in readiness for an early morning sailing, we moved 20kms up the road (and 8kms from Picton) to our favourite NZMCA CAP (cost apply parking) at Koromiko for the night.

For just the second time in 8 sailings we boarded the Interislander for our morning crossing. We usually sail with Bluebridge, they are slightly cheaper but they had no Saturday morning sailings. 

Goodbye Picton :( 

So while we were at it, we decided to sail in style and pay an extra $45 each for the Interislander Plus, a exclusive premium lounge with free food, drink, wifi, magazines etc (well, this was going to be our last crossing for awhile we told ourselves). We usually buy breakfast and a coffee so it wasn't going to be too much more expense. And I can report that it was well worth the extra dollars; breakfast, morning tea and lunch were served buffet style along with cold and hot drinks including alcoholic beverages. In fact there was so much lovely food we couldn't partake in it all.

I had to leave the lounge on a regular basis due to me being a fair weather sailor and needing regular and long doses of fresh air. For some unfathomable reason I forgot to take my Sealegs tablet. I never gave it a thought until we hit the open Strait. And it wasn't even that rough!

But the beauty of freezing your butt off outside is you get the opportunity of searching for sealife- click to enlarge and see if you can spot it.....tiny, caught mid-air, centre left (and if you still miss it, like Mum & Dad, there's a zoomed in shot at the bottom of the post).

The last drag before turning, to head into Wellington Harbour, always seems to take forever as they overshoot the entrance before lining it up to pass through. Once the turn happens I can rest easy and my tummy settles as we run with the swell (you wouldn't believe we once had a launch would you?). It's a blustery day and we leave a few dozen sailors in our wake.

Ahead of us Wellington city looks stunning on a beautiful blue sky day and suddenly my peaceful spot on the deck is overflowing with passengers checking out the sights.

We get the call to head to our vehicles and we make our way down 7 or 8 flights of steps, carefully checking for the deck number we need before exiting. It's very easy to get confused in the bowels of the ship and we meet a few people who have lost their way and are coming back up the narrow stairway. We find the rig where we left her, sandwiched between two big truck and trailer units.

It's not long before we're off-loaded and following a long line of random vehicles that are weaving their way through and around numerous port buildings until we finally exit onto the busy city waterfront road. We turn north and quickly settle into the new norm; fast and furious motorway traffic. "Welcome back to the North Island, there'll be no leisurely stroll along up here, thankyou very much!"

We head to the relatively new NZMCA Park at Plimmerton where we find ourselves a spot for the night. After a cup of tea and a brief discussion we decide we're out of there too. This was definitely the shortest stay ever at a park.

We were actually intending to head to Tauranga but we had a change of plan, the only problem being we were on the wrong side of the island, usually this wouldn't have been an issue (and it still wasn't really) but with the Manawatu Gorge closed indefinitely it meant we'd have to cross the Pahiatua Track; a winding, narrow, but perfectly adequate, road over the Tararua Range. Had we changed our plans earlier we would have left Wellington and headed into the Wairarapa over the Rimutakas.

Heading up the Kapiti Coast

And that was how, 4 hours later, we found ourselves parked at Napier's NZMCA Park. A park that we would never usually stay at because we have our very own private POP (park over property) in town.

We'd decided to surprise Mum & Dad and detour to Napier for a week. They had recently won a couple of places in the Napier Garden Competition and we wanted to attend the prizegiving with them when one prize winner won the Supreme Garden award.

They received a first place in the first time entry section and a second place in the vegetable garden section and while they didn't win the big one, we were thrilled and very proud of them that they'd been recognised (and especially Dad who is the prime gardener) for their efforts. Pretty good for a couple of octogenarians (Ok, well...one not quite octogenarian). 

The morning after arriving in Napier, and once we'd taken down Dad's carport sail and poles, we shifted from the NZMCA Park to our very familiar concrete pad in suburbia.

A week later and with just two and a bit weeks free before we needed to be back in Napier, we headed off to another very familiar campsite, our 'home base' at the Mt Maunganui Holiday Park.

We were a few weeks closer to Christmas on this visit than the last, and the campground was extremely busy, especially in the Oceanside sections. 

We settled into the Harbourside section of the campground overlooking Pilot Bay which is just as lovely and not quite so busy....

...if you don't count a couple of school camps that came and went while we were there. Actually it was really nice to be back in amongst people again, have a few laughs with other campers and generally feel the good vibes that are part of this crazy resort town.

The very first visitor to our door (within 5 minutes of setting up camp) was this super cute but cheeky thrush who invited itself inside at any opportunity or stood on the step silently staring us out if we didn't feed it. It had a shy fledgling hiding under the van that it took any titbits to. 

The Mount was looking at its best with shades of deep red splashed across its flanks as many of the large pohutukawa trees (NZ's very own christmas tree) that grow around Mt Maunganui/Mauao were blooming or just about to bloom. 

It felt good to be back on home soil (sand), it was just a pity I had to rest my foot as I couldn't make the most of  the walking tracks, although I did manage to limp two circuits of the Base Track before we left.

We had a very busy two weeks catching up with family and friends, dinners and BBqs to attend, Christmas shopping to take care of and ticking off annual appointments with Drs and dentists etc.

And it was a lovely surprise to have our good friends Amanda & Paul arrive for some fun and frivolities. They brought their 5th-wheeler down from Pyes Pa where they had been staying and parked beside us for a few days. We'd last seen them in Mapua, Nelson over a year ago, so we had a lot of catching up to do.

And it's definitely a small world when you own a fifth-wheeler, friends who came to see Amanda & Paul were also looking for us (not knowing that we were parked together). They are new owners of a 5th-wheeler and are good friends of our Southland family's parents (who live in the Bay).

Most afternoons and early evenings, we watched from our van, a number of para-gliders ride the thermals after launching themselves from the top of the Mount.

They rose and dropped, dipped and whirled on their way to their landing spot on the Main Beach. They'd then haul their gear back up the track to the top and do it all again. From our vantage point it often looked like they were about to land on the Oceanside Twin Tower apartment block.

More to come from the Mount soon...

And what did I see from the top deck of the Interislander- a Common Dolphin, in fact I saw half a dozen of his mates too but they disappeared very quickly, he rode the bow wave for a short time.

Blowhard Bush & a Tomtit

As you'll have noticed on the map out the right hand side, we've now moved on to Mangaweka. I still have a couple more blogs from Kuripapango to post though.


Blowhard Bush- so named because in early coaching days the horses struggled to cross the inland ranges of Hawkes Bay- is a 63 hectare reserve just off the Napier-Taihape Road and was given by a local family, Mr & Mrs Lowry, to the NZ Royal Forest & Bird Protection Society back in 1962.

The forest grows over limestone formations which has produced many karst ridges in amongst the trees- it reminds me of the weird karst formations we saw on the Takaka Hill. The limestone has been fractured into large blocks by the surrounding active fault lines and is covered with layers of pumice ash from central North Island eruptions thousands of years ago. It is thought that this area of bush was saved from becoming a commercial pine forest because of the limestone rocks, tomos (underground holes) and caves that cover the reserve.

We decide to walk the Tui Track, the main & longest track in the reserve and one that does a circuit of the reserve taking in a number of interesting features along the way. It had been raining the day before and the morning of our walk so it was very wet under foot and with a number of steep sections, we slipped and slid as we struggled up the slopes. Grabbing trees to halt your slide gave you a free cold shower as the branches overhead were laden with water.

Some of the rock fractures we passed through were quite narrow and generally the track wasn’t that wide compared with the DOC walks we’ve been on but all the tracks were very well marked with coloured tags at regular intervals leading the way and plenty of information panels at relevant spots.

This is Patiki Cave (like the sign says) but it’s more of a large low limestone rock overhang. This was where Patiki, a Maori man lived with his family here back in the 1800s. Patiki fell in love with a woman well above his social standing, they eloped and hid here for many years surviving and raising two children, who went on to work at the Kuripapango Hotel taking on the English names of Jock & Mary McDonald. (The wooden box under the sign is a weta hotel- more on them further down)

At the top of the walk is the Lowry Shelter, obviously named after the benefactors of the reserve. We stopped outside to have our lunch and listen to the birds- it was a bit gloomy and barren inside but would have been great if it was raining with table & benches to sit at.

We hadn’t seen (or heard) much bird life on the walk through the bush but as we moved into the more open bush near the top of the track we caught glimpses of birds flying about and could hear a lot of bird song. As I stood there listening I caught sight of this little guy flying in for a better look at the intruder passing through her patch.

This is a tiny female fledgling Tomtit- Miromiro, which is probably the reason she was so confiding. She has yet to learn that the big wide world can have many dangers although Tomtits, especially the males, can be quite bold and inquisitive.

So cute! She posed for me long enough to at least grab a couple of good shots. Taking photos in the dark bush with bright backgrounds and tiny fast birds flitting all over the place deserves a medal!

After leaving the shelter we passed through a clearing and then out onto an alpine herbfield, following the sign posts to the lookout which looks west towards the Kaweka Ranges in the distance and with the commercial Kaweka Pine Forest spread out below.

Looking south west we can see the Napier-Taihape road (in the centre) weaving it’s way towards Kuripapango and the Gentle Annie on the far right.

David spies a Bellbird- Korimako, resting on a Kanuka branch, he doesn’t look too pleased to see us…

I move in for a closer shot, clicking as I step carefully forward but he spooks and takes off.

We head off through the kanuka forest and it’s all downhill from here on- very slippery downhill and tough going in some places.

At various places throughout the reserve weta boxes are attached to trees, these are hidey holes for wetas to call home, although none have taken up the option here. Maybe the rent is too high or there are too many nosey people looking in.

Near the end of the walk there’s a side track to a large cave. Passing through one of the narrow alleyways formed by the limestone I get the feeling I’m being watched by a dozen conjoined Easter Island faces.

It’s a steep slippery track down to the cave and all the way we’re thinking we’ve got to climb back out of here afterwards but we can’t come this far and not have a look. The cave is quite deep with a limestone ceiling with a split right down the centre. It’s dry & dusty inside and there’s no sign of life. I think Patiki would have been better making his home in here myself.

Once back at the car we decide to head to the summit lookout which is just a few kilometres back down the road towards Napier. It’s the closest cell phone connection we can access and where we’ve been a couple of times to phone family, upload emails and where I’ve been able to upload blog posts. This is the view we’ve had while doing our computer work, looking south east out over Hawkes Bay, this time as rain clouds pass over parched farms.

Orokonui Ecosanctuary

I have followed the success of the Orokonui Ecosanctuary for quite some time on Facebook so with a sunny day finally dawning in Dunedin we decided to pay the reserve a visit, although by the time we got sorted it was well into the afternoon before we left. Orokonui is located 20kms north of the city overlooking Blueskin Bay, it’s a 307 hectare mainland “island” surrounded by 9kms of pest exclusion fence. The 1.9 metre tall stainless steel mesh fence is designed to keep out all introduced mammals, at ground level a steel skirt stops burrowing animals and a curved hood on the top stops climbing animals like cats & possums from entering the reserve.

And what a magic place it turned out to be, a definite highlight of the journey so far and one we will definitely be returning to when we come back to Dunedin (I know, I know…..another thing to add to the ever growing list of re-runs; this trip may just last 3 years!)

We parked beside this friendly fellow who was obediently waiting on the tray of a ute. while his Dad was doing some landscape work near the carpark.

The visitors centre was stunning; facing north east to catch the all day sun, it fitted into the environment so well. There was a large café overlooking two small ponds & the bush further on along with many nature displays & exhibits on show inside. We entered the reserve through a two gate locking system (so a rodent couldn’t make a dash in with us) and with a well marked map were able to explore in our own time. The sanctuary also does guided tours both day & night.

We made our way to the top clearing first as that was where we’d seen two takahe striding through while we were putting our boots on at the car. Takahe are flightless birds that belong to the rail family. They are similar to our pukeko (NZ swamphen) but much larger and were once thought to be extinct. The last 4 birds were taken from their home in the Murchison Mountains near Te Anau in 1898. It wasn’t until 50 years later in 1948 that they were “re-discovered”. There are now 270 birds at various sanctuaries around NZ but they are still on the critically endangered list. The two Orokonui takahe came from the successful breeding population on Mana Island in Wellington Harbour.

Not far from the takahe was a small open enclosure with stacks of rocks, native grasses & mingimingi growing. This brightly painted Maori figure took centre stage.

And sunning themselves on the rocks in the mid afternoon sun were the largest lizards I have ever seen in New Zealand.

These are Otago Skinks, they can grow up to 300mm in length and are in fact the largest lizard in NZ. They are only found in the Otago region and are one of NZ’s rarest reptiles. I’ve never seen them before or even heard about them so this was a fascinating sight. They have beautiful & quite striking markings which is obviously why Southern Maori call them mokomoko (moko is a permanent body and face marking)

We walked a number of tracks through the thick regenerating bush in the reserve catching sight of the usual bush dwellers; tui, bellbirds, kereru, tomtits, warblers, robins and a noisy flock of kaka. Far down in the valley are the saddlebacks & the tallest tree in NZ; we didn’t have time to walk that route. Along with the kaka noise the bird song in the bush was amazing, how wonderful it would be to have all that noise throughout New Zealand’s bush & forests. On some of the bush walks we’ve done we’d be lucky to hear half a dozen bird calls. It’s quite sobering to realise how far introduced predators have decimated our native bird population.

This male bellbird (koromiko) was singing his beautiful tune from the top of a tall bush, no doubt trying to impress the ladies.

The track came out into a clearing towards the end and it was here that we heard a slightly familar but not often heard bird call. It sounded like a large cricket, clicking away in the tall grass. But no matter how long we stood there we could not locate the source and when we moved it stopped altogether. We decided to see if we could locate this tiny secretive bird up near the takahe, where we began our walk, on the aptly named Fernbird Track. For in fact the clicking noise we heard belongs to the fernbird (matata).

We followed the predator proof fence around past the visitor centre and up the rise to the top of the reserve again…..

….back past the takahe who were now out grazing on the grass in the warmth of a fast setting sun.

And then as we approached the skink enclosure we heard that familiar clicking again. It took David a few moments to locate which bush it was coming from and as he did out popped our very first sighting of a fernbird (matata). I managed to grab a couple of quick shots before it jumped down behind the rocks and quickly made it’s way towards & over the fence and disappeared just as quickly into the bush on the other side, fernbirds are poor flyers but very fast movers.

And they aren’t called fernbirds because they live in ferns, although they probably do, their main habitat is dense lowland or wetland scrub. They’re called fernbirds because their tails look like fern fronds, they’re quite soft & feathery and spike like the feathers we used to add to a headband to make us look like Indians when we played Cowboys & Indians as kids. My next mission is to photograph a bird & it’s tail feathers!

We hunted about & stayed watching for another 15 minutes or so but sadly we failed to sight a bird & we heard no more clicking either. Never mind we finished our visit on a high and I ticked another bird on my list.

The sanctuary closed at 4:30pm and we were the last ones out the gate. The tussock & toitoi had turned a golden bronze in the setting sun.

And as the cloud rolled in from the sea over the top of Mopanui & the birds continued their evening song we both agreed we will be back in the summer and explore all day. I might just manage to get that shot of that tail too.