Our destination today was Warkworth, just a convenient stopping point on the way to the Coramandel Peninsula. We drove across the island to the Kauri Coast. We stopped for a walk in Omapere. The New Zealand nature reserves are all well marked and very well maintained. This one had a long track down to the bay and a short one to a lookout which we took.
The walk out to Signal Point overlooks the entrance to Hokianga Harbor (or Harbour if we accept the non-American spelling) from the Tasman Sea. It is a large inland harbor which was huge for shipping in the early years of New Zealand’s settlement by Europeans. You can see how the views from this point and the signals that could be posted there to ships at sea that might want to enter the port would have been really important.
We’ve had amazing weather ever since we’ve landed. Today was no exception with temperatures in the high teens and plenty of sunshine.
Next stop was to pay our respects to the largest Kauri tree in NZ, Tane Mahuta. Kauris have straight trunks and grow to great heights with branches only starting above the treeline. That and the quality of their wood makes them perfect for house, boat, and furniture building. Logging brought them close to extinction but the government has stepped in to preserve Kauri Forests and sacred Kauris such as Tane Mahuta.
We stopped at the Kauri Forest Visitors center for lunch. All cafes, no matter how small, have big espresso machines and serve up our favorite, long blacks. I’m happy because they all also have soy milk. Food choices are not the best. The selection is generally meat pies, burgers, fish and chips and toasted sandwiches. Toasted cheese and tomato is about the closest we can get to a vegetable for lunch!
Farther down the coast we stopped at Trounson Kauri Park and took a delightful about 30 minute walk through the Kauri forest. The boardwalk protects the tree roots which are very close to the surface.
Loved this tree
We were feeling very well versed in Kauris at this point, but how could be bypass the Kauri Museum!
Wonderful little museum with great exhibits on everything Kauri and life in the 1800s when Kauris were being used to build houses, etc.
Very impressive Kauri butter churn. Never saw anything of this scale in New England!
There were a lot of dioramas of harvesting kauri trees and bringing them to the mills that were all over the area – when more than 90% of all of the kauri trees were felled. This shows how the huge sections of trees would be brought into the sawmill and cut into planks.
And sometimes NZ just has to say no.
Tucked in for the night at the Bridgehouse bar, restaurant and lodging, which is unsurprisingly located next to the bridge on the Main Street in Warkworth.
