Whakatane to Auckland
It was hard to believe but I was going to come full circle on my New Zealand journey. Today’s final destination was Auckland, today’s drive the last longer drive in this beautiful country. Almost eight weeks have passed since I landed in this city on Friday, September 6.
Being on the home stretch, I also wanted to do one final hike. I chose Mount Maunganui in Tauranga for this endeavor. When I got there, I couldn’t believe how busy the place was. Boaters, surfers, swimmers, hikers, runners. Everybody wanted to take advantage of the nice weather at the Bay of Plenty. I walked along the beach toward the start of the hill track and went up about half way before I turned around. This was no fun, there were decidedly too many people for my taste.
Thus on I went. I came through Katikati again (mmh, best cappuccino!) and recognised a few other stretches before heading into “unknown territory”, driving along the beautiful Ohinemuri River. One stop was at Karangahake Gorge, where I could complete my hiking for the day on the historic walkway. The place is known for its gold mining history dating back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Apart from old processing facilities and tunnels, I saw some unique rock formations, river rapids, steep cliffs, and waterfalls, and walked through lush, forested hills. What a fabulous final walk this was!
