Hundertwasser Toilets, Kawakawa, 2018

After our Tane Moana misadventure, we drove on in the direction, we thought, of Russell, a favorite place, where we had campground reservations. Approaching Kawakawa, however, we became aware of the lengthy detour now required--another slip! road closed!--and so we stopped, to research and rethink the matter, to have lunch, and to re-visit the internationally-acclaimed Hundertwasser Toilets. We discovered and visited the Hundertwasser Toilets in 2014, and I did a lengthy post. But the toilets warrant another post, if for no other reason than to demonstrate the advance of my photographic skills (!) over the past four years. By all means, google-up Friedensreich Hundertwasser, a truly fascinating, well, um, interesting, character. Appropriately, the Wikipedia article has "multiple issues."

We parked at the Hundertwasser Car Park Freedom Camping
Site; Friendensreich would have been proud

Tane Moana

Tane Moana is one of the big Kauri trees in this region, and we thought the hike out to it would be a good day-starter. So we drove back to Ngunguru and up the 3k of gravel to a wide spot in the road and the track's beginning. It was not to be...

So far so good; no mention of the tree, but it's the right track

Yes, yes

All right already

This should have been a clue, a portent...right by a stile, absolutely
the biggest cow patty ever 2.5 feet wide

The trail went across a field, through some pleasant bush

But then continued on a road thoughtfully lined by beehives;
very active beehives; very aggressive bees; another retiring
action ensued; I had already exceeded my limit of bee stings
for this nation; we concluded the locals were not particularly
welcoming of visitors to Tane Moana

Nice countryside though; just google Tane Moana to see pix of
the tree...short, squat, not really one of the more impressive
specimens

Matapouri Bay

After the cave, we continued our northering way, along the east coast, to Whangerei, the largest of the Northland's cities. There we scored the last of the free camper sites at the city's downtown marina. We spent the afternoon and evening stimulating the local economy and then continued on up the coast the next morning, landing March 22nd, finally, at beautiful Matapouri Bay on the Tutukaka coast; and one of the three free sites right on the beach. There, however, our good luck suffered a setback or two.

Encampment at Whangerei marina (boats beyond the trees); all
in a beautiful park

Big Kiwi neighbor

Our van is 3.2m high!

View out our windshield at Matapouri

Huge, broad beach, low tide; we decided to hike up between
the two hills for a look at Whale Bay, said to be the most beautiful
on this coast

Huge broad hard-packed beach

The whole area done in pohutukawas

The climb up between the two hills

She is smiling, but we have already resolved to head back down

From this point it was roots and branches for hand-holds and
steps gouged into slippery clay for foot-holds; more rain was on
way, and a couple younger parties ahead of us had demurred;
and two parties coming over from the other side said don't do it;
the fixed rope we used climbing up should have been a clue...
in any case, I suddenly remembered I have balance issues and
Vicki remembered she has an artificial knee, and so "on belay!"
and we inched our way back down; a nice walk on the beach
would be just fine

Very long root of a cliff-hanging pohutukawa

Different view of Matapouri Bay

 

Islands and sea-stacks in the distance

And a beautiful wild surf

Waipu Cave, 2018: The Glow Worms

The main attraction at Waipu is the glowing worms, lots of them, which you can see for free, without the Disney production values of the many commercial caves. You can stay as long as you like, and, most importantly, you can take pix. Our little Panasonic Lumix travel/zoom does pretty well in the circumstances. (Forced flash off).

As for the canapes, first catch your glow worms, then spread them onto slivers of pappadam (the salt complements the worms' natural sweetness), taking care they don't wiggle off. Wash down with a triple IPA. The worms are rich in Omega 3s and also phosphorous. Within 20 minutes, your effluents will glow in the dark.

OK, now, to view the pix below, wherever you are, turn off the lights and give your eyes seven minutes to adjust...click to enlarge.