After the Waipoua Forest we drove on to old friend Trounson Forest, another DOC preserve that features both Kauris and (allegedly) kiwis. In 2014, we camped there and did the night-time forest walk in search of kiwis, but saw only rats. Lots of rats. In the bathrooms too. I was hoping maybe DOC had renovated Trounson campground in the intervening 4 years, but they hadn't, and, for 9$NZ more, we opted for the Kauri Coast Top 10 Holiday Park, 4k up the road. It was a wise choice. The Kauri Coast Top 10 is smaller than most in this chain, but loaded with amenities, clean, up to date, and, best, landscaped as a New Zealand botanical garden. All NZ holiday parks are pretty good, but this one was exceptional. The Waima and Kaihu rivers nearly encircle the park, and there is a nature trail with glossy pamphlet that takes in the high points. As with other holiday parks and Top 10s, there are powered and non-powered campsites but also a range of other accommodations "to suit every budget." See illustrations.
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| On the nature walk |
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| River and caves |
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| Surrounded by bush with specimens throughout the park |
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| Biggest and best playground yet |
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Coming soon to my YouTube channel, a video of a 71 year-old
man riding the zip line |
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| Confluence of the two tube-able rivers |
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| Stepping stones |
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| More bush |
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| Gum tree |
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Vicki in the 2nd very fully equipped communal kitchen, the
family picnic kitchen |
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| Herb garden |
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| Swimming hole |
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| Small kauri |
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| Cabins |
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| Petanque, too, but of course |
Oh, yes, that evening we did the Trouson walk, again, sporting our red-cellophane covered flashlights. We saw lots of bush and kauris by moonlight, and a possum accompanied us for a few hundred feet--whereupon we concluded there were probably no kiwis to be seen that night. Walking back to Rooby I began formulating my theory that the kiwi thing is a vast conspiracy of dog-haters....
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