New Zealand has so much to offer when it comes to a wild and often unspoiled environment that it surprises me every time again that so few go outside the trotted path and explore the real natural environment. Of course, care must be taken not to cause any damage or leave more than a few footprints behind.
This story builds on a previous story and it is something that made me just stand there and admire the serene beauty of the scenery that opened up in front of my eyes. The scenery was literally opening up in front of me as I squeezed through a small opening between logs and large boulders.
When I emerged from that hole in the rocks I saw some huge logs spanning a small pool, showered by the water from a waterfall that only had little flow due to the time of the year. I had the feeling that I was the first human to view this place. Perhaps I was not far off, though the early loggers and Maori hunters would likely have been there before me.
The photo with this story shows the log leading towards the opening on the top right of the log. The second and third picture show what I saw first when emerging from the opening, while the fourth picture shows the waterfall from a different angle.
The rock wall behind the water fall was receding somewhat and I could walk behind it, without really getting wet. Trees with exposed roots were clinging to the overhanging rocks with various ferns completing the picture.
