My first stop was Dargaville, also known as the Kumara Capital. As this trip was all about the Kauri, this was an ideal first stop to visit Rick Taylor's Woodturner Gallery. Woodturning is a dying trade and very few can master this art - unfortunately Rick was not available for comment as he was giving tuition. Having performed this craft for over 30 years, some of Rick's pieces are on display in this gallery/souvenir shop. Here you can learn all about the Kauri industry and more importantly be reminded that the Chinese were 'stealing' over $62 million worth of the stuff last year alone (mostly for furniture). Another interesting fact is that the Kauri is sold to China who in turn manufactures paper which NZ buys back from them due to the lack of paper mills.
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| Rick Taylor's Woodturners Kauri Gallery |
The next stop was Trounson Kauri Park. Trounson Kauri Park including farmland is a 586-hectare forest reserve restoration project. It seeks to restore the former richness of native biodiversity this forest once boasted allowing people to enjoy a glimpse of what pristine kauri forests were once like.
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| Kauri tree - Trounson Kauri Park |
The reserve is home to several threatened species, such as North Island brown kiwi, kūkupa (NZ pigeon), pekapeka (bats) and kauri snails. It also incorporates a magnificent dense stand of kauri that has long been recognised as one of the best examples in the country. This is a great educational stop and a chance to breathe some fresh air away from the city.
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| Te pupurangi - snail of the sky
It was now time to see the real deal, or the country's biggest tree: Tane Mahuta - God of the Forest. Before that you must enter the Waipoua Forest which is the garden of Tane. Waipoua, and the adjoining forests of Mataraua and Waima, make up the largest remaining tract of native forest in Northland. Most of Northland’s ancient forest cover has been lost to saw and fire, plundered for the precious timber of the kauri tree or cleared for farmland. However the forests are now under the protection of the Department of Conservation.
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| Entering Waipoua Forest |
It is claimed that Tane is approximately 2000 years old. The tree is a remnant of the ancient subtropical rainforest that once grew on the North Auckland Peninsula. Other giant kauri are found nearby, notably Te Matua Ngahere.. It is thought it was discovered (by Westerners, as it was already known to Maori) and identified in the 1920's when contractors surveyed the present State Highway 12 route through the forest. In 1928 Nicholas Yakas and other bushmen, who were building the road, also identified the tree.
According to the Maori creation myth, Tāne is the son of Ranginuii the sky father and Papatuanuku the earth mother. Tāne separates his parents from their marital embrace until his father the sky is high above mother earth. Tāne then sets about clothing his mother with vegetation. The birds and the trees of the forest are regarded as Tāne’s children.
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| Tane Mahuta: height = 17.68m / girth = 13.77m |
I sat under Tane to have my lunch - it was incredibly peaceful and regenerating just contemplating it.
I continued North on the scenic drive - was told to get ready as over the hill lies even more incredible scenery. It was absolutely breathtaking - we were at Hokianga Harbour!
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| Hokianga Harbour |
Further along is the small settlement of Opononi. A beautiful place - with a tragic story. Opononi became famous throughout New Zealand during 1955 and 1956 due to the exploits of a bottlenose dolphin (nicknamed "Opo"). Opo was a wild dolphin who started following fishing boats around Opononi in early 1955 after her mother had been killed, and would swim daily in the bay close to town. Unlike the majority of dolphins, she had no qualms about human company, and would perform stunts for locals, play with objects like beach balls and beer bottles, and allow children to swim alongside her and make contact.
It was time to make our way back to Auckland via the East coast, so we would have 2 more stops along the way. The first was Kawakawa. It was developed as a service town when coal was found in the area in 1861, but there is no longer coal mining here. The economy is now based around farming. A peculiar attraction is the town's public toilets, which were designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser, Austrian architect and Kawakawa resident from 1975 until his death in 2000.
The dolphin became a local celebrity but news of her soon spread, and visitors from throughout the country would come to watch her. On 8 March 1956 official protection for Opo, requested by locals, was made law, but on 9 March she was found dead in a rock crevice at Koutu Point. It is suspected that she was killed accidentally by fishermen fishing with gelignite. Her death was reported nationwide, and she was buried with full Māori honours in a special plot next to the town hall.
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| Where Opo once swam |
It was time to make our way back to Auckland via the East coast, so we would have 2 more stops along the way. The first was Kawakawa. It was developed as a service town when coal was found in the area in 1861, but there is no longer coal mining here. The economy is now based around farming. A peculiar attraction is the town's public toilets, which were designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser, Austrian architect and Kawakawa resident from 1975 until his death in 2000.
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| The magnificent entrance to Hundertwasser's toilets |
Drive a little further down and you will find Whangarei. Captain James Cook and the crew of the Endeavour were the first Europeans to contemplate the Whangarei Harbour entrance. On 15 November 1769 they caught about one hundred fish there which they classified as 'bream' prompting Cook to name the area Bream Bay. Whangarei was the most urbanised area in Northland towards the end of the 19th century, but grew slowly in the 20th century. The district slowly exhausted most of its natural resources but was sustained by agriculture, especially dairying. Shipping was the main transport link until the North Auckland Railway line reached the town in 1925, and the road from Auckland was not suitable for travel in poor weather until 1934. The marina is very charming and well worth a visit - it has a number of cafes, restaurants and artisan boutiques.
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| Whangarei Marina |
Another great travel tip from Blue!
GO EXPLORE!
Steph
