Back to Auckland

Trip Start Sep 04, 2007
1
39
59
Trip End May 28, 2008


Loading Map
Map your own trip!
Map Options
Show trip route
Hide lines
shadow
Where I stayed
Globe Trekkers
(Auckland hotels)

Flag of New Zealand  ,
Friday, March 21, 2008

From the Bay of Islands I caught the bus across to Omapere on the West Coast. Nearby Opapere became famous in the 1950s when "Opo the Gay Dolphin" became a national celebrity. She was a wild dolphin who came into the Hokianga Harbour to play with the children and learned to play with beach balls. She mysteriously died a year later. The local information shows a hilarious black and white video about Opo.

I stayed overnight so I could take part in the Footprint Waipoua tour. This is an unusual but highly regarded experience where two local Maori guys take a group of people for a twilight tour of the Waipoua forest. The forest has the largest collection of Kauri trees in the world, including the two giants known as Te Matua Ngahere (The Father of the Forest) and Tane Mahuta (The God of the Forest). Our guides Joe and Tawhiri taught us all about the forest and told many Maori tales. We arrived at Te Matua Ngahere at dusk and it was an amazing sight. The tree is nearly 30m tall and has a girth of 16.4m. It is believed to be between 3000 and 4000 years old, which makes it one of the oldest living things on Earth. Easily the most impressive tree I have ever seen! We then headed over to Tane Mahuta which is 51m tall but has a girth of "only" 13.8m.

When I got back to the hostel it was 10pm, but some of the guests were busy making the most of St Patrick's Day. I joined in for a few beers... and a few more due to the hostel owner's son starting the drinking games. It was a great night and I highly recommend GlobeTrekkers hostel.

I headed back to Auckland the next day, but the journey was not very enjoyable due to the twisty roads and my hangover! I spent a couple of days visiting a few of the tourist sites including a trip 220m up the Sky Tower (the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere) and a boat trip across to Rangitoto Island. I also met up with Hayley & Debs who I met on my Oasis trip in Ecuador.

I'm now packing my bags and getting ready to head to Australia!
Slideshow Print this entry