Forest for the Trees

What a glorious day.  It had rained during the night.  Sun out this AM.  Puffy clouds.  Hit 22.  No humidity.  First week of autumn and it could be mid-July in Vancouver.

 

We set off after breakfast deep into the wop wops; like super deep.  We drove south and towards the beach for about half an hour, then veered west and drove 16 kms through anonymous farmland, stony outcrops, patches of forest and remote outposts to a bush track.

Ended up at the Mohi Bush track, a patch of forest amongst the farms and ranches.  It made us think of what the Maori, and later the Europeans, encountered when they landed here; a pristine ecosystem, densely forested, deeply unique.

 

The forest where we hiked through is the home of two rare long-tailed indigenous bats, no bigger than a thumb nail, so small they are often mistaken for moths.  Go figure.

 

The path ran along a fence, marking private property, then through an opening in the canopy into the undergrowth.  It was at times eerie, ominous and strangely alien.  There were of course no other tourists or locals, only the odd sounds of birds, then some dogs barking in the distance.  It really was like being on another planet.

After running along the perimeter of farmland for quite some distance, the track turns west into the forest proper.

We drove back into “town” to pick up a few things, returned to the pavilion for lunch, and took a siesta.  Got up, it was just gorgeous, birds in the garden, sun filtering through the palms, but regardless we packed up the Toyota and headed north.  For the afternoon, Stephen wanted to have a look at the art deco architecture for which Napier is quite famous.  So we drove the 18 kms or so up the motorway for a weekend stroll. 

When we arrived in Napier, cruise ship passengers were being bussed back to their vessel.  Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds.  Not exaggerating.

On the plus side, as they all congregated for their transport, the city emptied out and was both civil and relaxed for a nose about.

It was too beautiful to call it a day, so for about an hour we walked the oceanfront on the path that runs adjacent to the city.

 

Weather wise, just a spectacular final day in his part of New Zealand.