Taupō's Monday Walkers take on Hongi's Track in the Rotorua Lakes District.
A rainbow arching over our meeting spot was an auspicious start to our morning.
A day of lots of oohs and ahs and some walking, 14km in fact.
We arrived at the 51-hectare Hinehopu Reserve and began along Hongi’s Track which runs through beautiful unlogged native forest.
Nikau and other tree ferns, tangled kareao or supplejack battled for the understory while the buttressed pukatea, rimu, rewarewa and tawa were heading skyward.
Rope-like rata vines clung in a killer fashion to some of the taller trees.
We rounded a corner to see a breathtaking cascade of lemon-coloured fungi running like a river down a slope. It clung to dead wood, stumps, fallen trunks and into the leaf litter. Within a short section of forest, these honeycaps seemed to be everywhere. Phones and cameras out and all walking was forgotten for a few precious moments.
Further along, we saw orangish slime-like moulds and huge bracket fungi that yearly add another layer of pores-like frills on a dress.
The ‘ahs’ started with our first fright. There was a crashing sound and a huge thump and suddenly, barely two metres from us were two leafy widow makers, aka fallen epiphytes. Perhaps the heavy rain the night before had weakened their grip on their hosts.
Next, deceptively innocent debris in the middle of the track turned out to be a comb of fallen wasp nest complete with live inhabitants.
Undaunted we made a detour off the main track to visit the Wishing Tree.
Information boards tell of the chieftainess Hinehopu being hidden in and protected by this ancient mataī as a baby and the place where she later met her husband.
Travellers who perform an uruuru-whenua ceremony here are said to influence the weather in their favour.
We returned to the main track and across a very tiny, bridged stream and were very surprised to see trout idling in the shallow water.
The track then leads out to Lake Rotoehu. At its edge, the trunks of living large trees were submerged in water. Towering bluffs with signs indicating unstable rocks border this area.
We returned on a linking track to Lake Rotoiti, a route probably taken by Hinehopu, after whom the track was first named when she travelled between her two homes. The later name was after Hongi, a Ngāpuhi chief who used the route to drag canoes between the lakes for more warlike enterprises.
It was back in the vans again and off to Ōkere Falls. Here we walked the short track to see the remains of the country’s first government-funded power station, now defunct but operational between 1901 and 1930.
Then it was down to see the Tutea caves, many slippery stairs down to a cosy overhang rumoured to be a hiding place for women and children in times of war.
A tempting hole in the rockwall had us scrambling for torches and most of us squeezed through the short narrow tunnel, almost bent on all fours, to pop out onto a decked track. Most were too busy minding their heads to notice the cave wetas lurking above.
From viewing platforms the falls and the boisterous Kaituna River are an impressive sight.
Several aerial types whizzed past on overhead zip lines and some brave souls were dressing up for a speedy raft trip down the rapids.
Despite the rainy forecast we arrived home dry and, better still unscathed. Next week we have an uphill bush walk planned. If you would like to join us on a Monday, or for more information, please email walkersmondaytaupo@gmail.com
Yet another sparkling day saw us set out from Two Mile Bay and head south along the shoreline of Taupō Moana.
Most of us had never seen the lake at such a low ebb.
Long piles of stones were exposed heading out into territory that is usually filled with deep water.
There was one little bay made by the stones that was filled with black swans that limped about in perhaps 2cm of water looking quite peeved that they could not regally drift along as is their wont.
Rain has been promised often during the last few weeks but it rarely seems to come to very much.
It is very good that the new Tauhara Geothermal power station is now coming online to help meet the demand which is usually supplied by the hydro stations.
Still, it’s an ill lack of rain showers that does not do anyone some good and we certainly enjoyed the conditions that were almost summer-like. We had a bumper crowd which moved on almost to Wharewaka Point before turning inland and heading up to The Landing and the Airport roundabout.
There is an excellent path suitable for walkers and bikes that leads west alongside highway one. Many cyclists steamed past us, most of whom were helped along by their electric motors.
These folks could, if they wished, cycle around the whole of our township and why not on such a glorious day?
We made use of a volcanic gully to regain the lake and our journey home.
It was a great day full of interesting conversations. It should also be noted that for people who find a full two hours of walking a bit much, we do have a “Short Cut Group,” who meet up with us at the end having followed a much shorter route. Anyone who fancies a short stroll is of course welcome to join them.
Wednesday Walker Contacts: ph 073773065; or email wednesdaywalkers@myyahoo.com