Tutira - Birds, Bell and Beaches

Tangaroa parked at Tutira Regional Park

Tūtira Regional Park, forty minutes drive north of Napier, is a pretty spot where motorhomes can park and campers can pitch their tents for a koha of $5 per night.  Tūtira is a wildlife refuge and has been a bird sanctuary since 1929.  We based ourselves beside the lake here for a while, and did some memorable walks in the area. 

            At Tūtira itself we walked from Tangaroa to the Table Mountain trig.  This loop walk took about four hours and we climbed ever higher over open hillsides until we reached the summit.  From here we could see Napier and Cape Kidnappers, though hazily.  This was about the half way point of the walk—from here we went steeply down into a pine forest, where the track had been turned into a quagmire by cattle.  We slithered down and eventually came out in some paddocks not far from the bus.

Lake Tutira

On the Table Mountain walk

            Inland from Lake Tūtira is an area called the Boundary Stream Mainland Island. Predators are intensively trapped here, with the hope that native birds will again flourish and the native forest will regenerate.  Māori legend recounts how, long ago, the Tākitimu canoe sailed past the area.  A tohunga (priest) on board threw a wooden carving shaped like a bird at the mountain range.  When it landed the slopes erupted with birdlife.  Māori named it Maungaharuru, 'rumbling mountain'—they said it reverberated with bird calls.

            William Guthrie-Smith, who once farmed neighbouring Tūtira Station, was an early and influential naturalist and conservationist. Tūtira: the story of a New Zealand sheep station was published in 1921 and is regarded as a New Zealand classic.  Guthrie-Smith's journals chronicle the spread of plants and animals now regarded as pests.  He became a founding member of the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society and worked hard to promote the conservation of native species.  We found information about Guthrie-Smith and the Tūtira and Maungaharuru reserves on panels at the Regional Park and at reserves in the Boundary Stream Area, now in the care of DOC.  I think he would have been pleased with the progress made so far.

            Setting out in the car, we turned onto Matahorua Road at Tūtira store.  The gravel road wound higher and we had great views out over the countryside.  We turned left onto Pohokura Road and continued for another ten kilometres or so, until we saw a carved  Māori gateway where we stopped.  There were information panels about the carving, the nearby tracks and the birdlife.  While we were reading a flock of raucous kākā landed screeching in the trees above us.  Our planned walk that day was to Bell Rock—we hadn't realised before that there were other things to see and do in the area.  We decided not to get side-tracked, however, so continued a few kilometres up the road to a small car park and began the Bell Rock walk.

            The path went gently upward for about 30-40 minutes through gnarly, moss-covered pepperwood and fuchsia broadleaf forest, with ferns of several types bordering the path. There were traps for stoats and rats, and bait stations. We also saw wooden weta houses attached to trees  with some very large weta inside.  We heard bird calls as we walked—tui and bellbird—and saw kererū.  Abruptly we emerged into open, tussocky grassland.  There was a stile and DOC posts marking the route uphill.  About 50 metres further on there was a track junction marked by a sign showing Bell Rock track to the left, a thirty minute uphill walk.  We took longer than this but had lots of photo stops.  This section of the track was a marked contrast to the shady, green forest—it is retired farmland, with wide views in all directions.  The higher the path went, the more dramatic the views became.  

            Just when we thought we were at the highest point the track unexpectedly dipped into a wide, grassy gully but the marker poles could be seen going up the other side.  A little further on there was another stile and, finally, the most breathtaking views came into sight.  Ahead there was a sheer drop down into a wide valley, edged by weathered and sculptured limestone formations.  Bell Rock was evidently named for its resemblance to a huge bell, the sort that hang in church belfries.  Scrambling (carefully) down to it we could see the fossilised remains of shellfish embedded in the rock, testament to New Zealand's turbulent geological past.

Me at Bell Rock

Malcolm admiring the views

            This was obviously the lunch spot, so after some exploring we found a place on the ledge around Bell Rock and spent some time admiring those views.  We could see from the Mahia Peninsula to Cape Kidnappers in one direction, and ranges stretching inland towards the central plateau if we looked the other way.  After lunch we retraced our steps to the DOC sign, which indicated that a loop track would take us to Pohokura Road.  We walked along this track for some way but the path was fenced off and the route seemed doubtful, so we returned the way we had come, back through the forest.

            On our way back to Tūtira we stopped to visit the Opouahi Kiwi Crèche.  This is at a reserve on Pohokura Road.  We entered the crèche through a predator-proof fence and found ourselves beside a bush-fringed lake.  Information panels told us that kiwi chicks are reared at the crèche until they are of a big enough size to fend for themselves in the wild.

            Our next foray took us to the walking tracks in the Boundary Stream Reserve.  The through walk to Heays Access Road takes five hours one way, so we opted to do a shorter, two hours return, loop track instead.  Although the reserve is not fenced, the aim is to reduce pests sufficiently so that the forest can continue regenerating and native wildlife will be able to hold their own.  We walked first through podocarp forest, coming before long to a huge matai, thought to be 800 years old.  We had lunch on the bluffs looking down into the forest before following the track back to the car.

At Shine Falls

            Shine Falls is described as the most spectacular waterfall in the Hawkes Bay, so we went to check it out.  Had we done the through-walk in the Boundary Stream Reserve we would have passed it, but to get close by car we had to take the Heays Access Road turn from Matahorua Road—a drive of almost 20 kilometres from the Tūtira Store.  From the car park here it was a short, ninety-minute-return walk, first through grassy paddocks with limestone rock formations looming above us, then through mixed lowland forest to the stunning waterfall.  We saw four other people on this walk but had seen no one else at all on the other tracks we had walked in the area.

            For a change of pace we took some drives in the car.  One day we drove to the Holt Forest Arboretum, which is down another unsealed road near Tūtira.  We parked in a small car park (alone—we were getting used to seeing no one in this part of the world) and wandered around through the stands of redwoods and around a lake.  The forest was planted by Harold and Dorothy Holt after they purchased the land in 1933.  They planted the 15 hectares with indigenous and introduced trees, shrubs and other plants.  In 1962 the arboretum became a wildlife sanctuary and was opened to the public.  The road we took back to SH 2 was called Darkys Spur Road.  It was not for the faint hearted and, to make it worse, Malcolm kept pulling over—stopping, what seemed like, inches away from steep drops to take photographs. 

            From the main road we took the turn for Aropaoanui Beach, which was down a long and winding road.  The beach was at the Aropaoanui River mouth, the river known to be one of the cleanest in New Zealand.  It was a surfer’s beach, with plenty of flotsam for beachcombers to check out.  It was absolutely deserted.

Te Ana Falls

 

            Further down SH 2 we saw a sign for Tangoio Falls Walkway.  This short walk took us through native forest beside a little stream.  There were two waterfalls to see, Te Ana Falls and, a little further on, there was a viewpoint where we could look across the valley to Tangoio Falls.  Being beside the main road this walk had several other people on it, just when we had got used to having all these bush walks to ourselves!  

Waipatiki Beach

            Our final sortie in the area took us towards the coast again.  We went to look at Waipatiki Beach.  This small settlement has a coastal walkway leading both north and south from the beach.  We walked a little way in the northerly direction but signs advised the track was closed due to a slip.  By now we were thinking about ice cream.  I had hoped the village might have a little store but it was too small for that, so we headed back to the shop at Tūtira and sat outside enjoying our fix. 

            Then we drove back to the shores of Lake Tūtira, where we sat in the shade of Tangaroa's awning enjoying a rum and coke while watching black swans strutting around the lakeshore.  We considered that we had seen and done a lot in the area.  It was time to move on but we knew that we would be back.

Information about places mentioned in this post - correct at the time of writing

Walks

• ·         Boundary Stream Walks:

www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/hawkes-bay/places/boundary-stream-area/things-to-do/boundary-stream-walks/

Kamahi Loop Track: 4.5 km, 2 hr return, easy: walking track

Tumanako Loop Track: 2 km, 40 min return, easy: walking track

Bell Rock:  5.3 km, 3 hr return, easy: walking track

Heays Access Road to Shine Falls Track:  2 km, 1.5 hr return, easy: walking track

Bell Rock:  5.3 km, 3 hr return, easy: walking track

• ·         Tangoio Falls

www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/hawkes-bay/places/tutira-area/things-to-do/tangoio-falls-scenic-reserve-tracks

Te Ana Falls: 2 km, 30 min return, easy: walking track

Tangoio Falls: 4 km, 1 hour return, easy: walking track

Access: 1855, SH 2, Tangoio

Places to visit

• ·         Tūtira Regional Park

SH 2 41 km north of Napier, 77 km south of Wairoa

www.hbrc.govt.nz/hawkes-bay/parks-trails-and-open-spaces/tutira-regional-park

• ·         Opouahi Kiwi Crèche

Pokokura Rd, off Matahorua Rd, Tūtira

www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/toyota-kiwi-guardians/sites/kiwi-guardians-around-napier/opouahi-panpac-kiwi-creche

• ·         Holt Forest Arboretum

Holt Forest Rd, Tangoio

Has occasional 'open days'

Parks and Beaches of the Hauraki Gulf

Wenderholm

Auckland is New Zealand's biggest city and it is not fun to drive through or around—having congested motorways and busy roads.  Of course, there are city things to see and do in Auckland but we prefer the fringes, where we can park Tangaroa and if necessary take the car to get about. 

            The Auckland district has over thirty regional parks, and self contained motorhomes can stay in many of them.  We have spent time in several and plan on visiting more in the future.  The only drawback is that the sites have to be pre-booked.  When we arrived at Wenderholm (our first Regional Park), we realised that we needed a code number for the gates.  We had to go back to the council's web page to get the phone number so we could be given the code.  Meanwhile Tangaroa was half blocking the road because we couldn't get through the gate.  No-one had mentioned the code when I booked for the night.  That said, the parks enabled us to stay in some amazing spots. 

            Leaving Whangarei, we coast-hopped south towards Auckland.  Our first stop was the DOC camp at Uretiti, where we found a sheltered spot in the dunes for Tangaroa, then took the car to explore Waipu.  This little town is unusual because it was settled by a group of Scots who arrived after originally emigrating to Nova Scotia.  They were led by a charismatic and fearsome man, the Rev. Norman McLeod, who ruled the tight-knit, Gaelic-speaking community in a way that seems remarkable today. 

Uretiti Beach

            Waipu Museum calls itself 'New Zealand's Best Small Museum' and it was full of interesting displays explaining the history of the early settlers.  The story began with the clearances of the Scottish highlands and went on to explain the failed settlement in Nova Scotia and the long sea journeys the people then endured.  There is a tall memorial outside the museum, topped by Scotland's lion rampant, which lists the ships that arrived in Waipu and the settlers who arrived in them.  The town celebrates its heritage by holding Highland Games every New Year.

A quiet corner of Waipu

            We left SH 1 to make a loop past the pretty seaside settlements of Waipu Cove, Langs Beach and Mangawhai Heads.  We had heard of a scenic, three-hour walk between Waipu Cove and Langs Beach (and back) that even some locals do not know about.  The track was made by early settlers and passed limestone rocks that are similar to the famous ones at Punakaiki in the South Island.  These rocks are unique on the North Island's coastline and made the pretty walk something out of the ordinary.

On the Langs Beach walk

On the Mangawhai walk

Mangawhai

             At Mangawhai Heads there is another coastal walkway—this one much better known and equally beautiful.  This walk takes two to three hours, returning along the same track or along the beach if the tide is out.  We began this walk on the beach then went steeply uphill for about half an hour.  From there it was an easy, flat walk above the cliffs, through forests of pōhutukawa, nīkau and taraire.  Because it was low tide we were able to walk back along the beach—through a rock archway, past rock pools, then along the sand.

Te Arai point

            Te Arai Point was our next stop, another of Auckland's Regional Parks.  Te Arai is off the beaten track—it is accessed from a gravel road—and we had the place pretty much to ourselves overnight.  There were beautiful views along sandy beaches and out to the Hen and Chicks Islands. 

            Mangawhai Road looped around back to SH1, then, a few kilometres south, we turned onto a wild and windy road.  This took us to Leigh and Goat Island Marine Reserve.  Goat Island is known in Māori as Te Hāwere-a-Maki, and has spiritual significance to the local iwi because their waka landed nearby when they arrived in New Zealand.  It is fitting that (in 1975) the waters around the island became New Zealand's first marine reserve.  The waters now teem with aquatic life and visitors can snorkel, dive, hire kayaks and clearyaks, or take a trip in a glass-bottomed boat.  Unfortunately the weather wasn't good when we were there so we just explored the rock pools at low tide and vowed to return another time. 

            Goat Island is close to Matakana, an area popular with Aucklanders, so can get very busy.  Nevertheless, we parked Tangaroa near Matakana and explored Omaha, Tāwharanui Regional Park and Sandspit.

             Tāwharanui was home to Māori for over 800 years before being farmed from the late 1800s.  In 1973 the Auckland Regional Council purchased the peninsula and it became the country's first pest-free, open sanctuary.  Large gates across the road join the predator-proof fences that keep out rodents and other creatures that prey on indigenous species.  Once through the gates, we drove to the car park and, after strolling onto the white sand beach, set off on one of the park's many walks, the Ecology Trail.  This led us through native bush, wetlands and pasture—an easy two hour stroll.

            In Matakana itself we made sure to visit the Saturday foodies market and the craft market nearby.  There was a lot to see in the area.  At Brick Bay Winery we walked the sculpture trail, where we saw a variety of quirky objects.  My favourite were the ones by the lily pond where, standing on a wooden jetty a pair of otters waited to be picked up—complete with hat and handbag, newspaper, and luggage.  In the still waters of the pond delicate curved structures were reflected, creating a beautiful symmetry amongst the water lilies.

At Brick Bay

            We had lunch at the cafe at Morris and James Pottery.  Then we looked through the showrooms marvelling at the brightly coloured pots.  There were some so big you could lose a child inside.  Not the sort of thing to carry around in Tangaroa.

           

Scotts Landing

Leaving Matakana, we headed down the Mahurangi Peninsula where we found two Regional Parks, Scandrett and Mahurangi.  These parks have walks giving the usual amazing coastal views, beaches and old homesteads.  We loved Scotts Landing at the tip of the peninsula.  There is an old homestead here—in the 1800s it was a hotel—now it has been lovingly restored.  From here we could see Mahurangi West Regional Park across the harbour on the mainland.  This is another pretty place where self contained vehicles can stay, but we continued a few kilometres south and stopped at Wenderholm.

Wenderholm

Couldrey House

Beautiful views from the walk...

... and a beautiful beach

            We thought Wenderholm the best of the Auckland Regional Parks we visited.  The park juts out into the Hauraki Gulf—with the Puhoi Estuary sheltered behind a sandspit at the north side, while to the south there is the Waiwera Estuary.  We parked Tangaroa and walked beside the Puhoi River to the sandspit and around to a sandy beach where I had a relaxing swim in the shallow, warm water.  When the park closed for the night there were just a few self-contained vehicles left.  We enjoyed the lovely evening light and sunset as if the place was our own private retreat.  

            The next morning we visited the historic homestead, Couldrey House.  This Victorian-Edwardian building is tucked behind the beach and beside the steep, bush-covered headland.  We took a tour of the house, which is set out as a family home with furniture and artefacts of the era.  The first house was built in 1857 but the building has been moved and altered over its life, finally being purchased from the Couldrey family by the Auckland Council.

            From Couldrey House we wandered up to the lookout which gave us views down to the house and estuary beyond, also out into the Hauraki Gulf.  We followed the perimeter track, through forest that seemed full of tui and kererū, until we came to the road.  We had come prepared for a swim so walked across to Waiwera and spent the afternoon soaking in the hot pools there.  People have travelled to 'take the waters' at Waiwera since 1848—it became the Southern Hemisphere's first spa at a time when water cures were all the rage around the world.  Carbon dating has shown the water in Waiwera's geothermal aquifer is between 10,000 and 15,600 years old and it is claimed to be the oldest water in the world.  Waiwera artesian water was first bottled in 1875 and is still produced 140 years later, its glass bottle modelled on the original design.  It was bliss to soak in the hot water whilst watching birds swooping over Wenderholm's bush-clad hills. (Note: Wenderholm Hot Pools are currently closed)

            

At Shakespear Regional Park

Shakespear Regional Park, at the end of Whangaparaoa Peninsula, was our next stop.  We parked Tangaroa at Te Haruhi Bay and spent two hours in the morning walking the Tiritiri track.  I had a swim in the afternoon and in the evening we wandered along the beach to explore the rocks at the base of the cliffs.  There was quite a bit of birdlife at Shakespear  because of the park's proximity to Tiritiri Matangi Island, a wildlife sanctuary.  Being bird-lovers we decided on a visit to Tiri, so moved Tangaroa to Gulf Harbour—freedom camping opposite the ticket office, where we booked the ferry for the following morning.

            We planned to walk some of the longer tracks on the island doing some bird watching as we did so.  However, the birdlife was so abundant, and there were so many opportunities to watch bellbird, tui, kōkako, stitchbird and saddleback around the feeding stations quite close to the wharf, that we actually didn't walk very far at all.  We followed the track to the lighthouse with many stops to watch and photograph the birds.  When we ate our picnic lunch we were accosted by takahē, much larger birds than their cousins the pūkeko!  The size of their beaks was quite scary.  We took lots of photographs but it was here at Tiri when we realised we needed to seriously upgrade our cameras if we were going to capture any decent shots of birds.

            Our next stop was Ardmore on the southern side of Auckland.  The NZMCA has a park here that we used as a base, taking the train from nearby Papakura into Auckland city—to visit the art gallery, museum and the delights of Queen Street and the waterfront.              

At the Botanic Gardens

The bird lady

Not far from Ardmore we found the Auckland Botanic Gardens.  The 64 hectares of grounds are set close to the motorway, yet we could have been a million miles away from the city.  We spent a few hours wandering around, admiring the plants and sculptures that are dotted around the grounds.  Our favourite was the Bird Lady, a life-sized avian-human perched on a park bench—the sculptor celebrating our land of birds.  On that note we returned to Tangaroa and took the road to the seabird coast.

Places mentioned in this post - details correct at time of writing

Walks

• ·         Waipu Coastal Walkway

www.wdc.govt.nz/FacilitiesandRecreation/WalksTrails/Pages/Waipu-Coastal.aspx

2 km, 1.5 hrs one way, easy: walking track

Access: Waipu Cove or Waterman Drive, Langs Beach

• ·         Mangawhai Cliffs Walkway

www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/northland/places/waipu-area/things-to-do/mangawhai-walkway/

5 km one way, 2-3 hr return, easy: walking track

Access: Kaipara District Council car park, Wintle St, Mangawhai

Places to visit

• ·         Waipu Museum

36, The Centre, Waipu

www.waipumuseum.com/html/index.htm

 Hours: 9.30 am-4.30 pm daily

Entry price: adult $10, senior and student $8, child $5

• ·         Goat Island Marine Discovery Centre

160, Goat Island Rd, Leigh

www.goatislandmarine.co.nz

Hours: 10.00 am-4.00 pm 1 December-30 April, 1 May-30 November weekends, public and school holidays

Entry price: adult $9, senior and student $7, child $5

• ·         Goat Island Dive and Snorkel

142A, Pakiri Rd, Leigh

www.goatislanddive.co.nz

Various hire and guided options

• ·         Clearyaks

150, Goat Island Rd, Leigh

www.clearyak.co.nz

Hours: dependent on weather conditions

Price: $60 (double canoe)

• ·         Glass Bottom Boat

Goat Island Rd, Leigh

www.glassbottomboat.co.nz

Price: 45 minute eco-tour, adult $30, senior $25, child $15

• ·         Matakana Village Farmers Market

2, Matakana Valley Rd, Matakana

Hours: Sat 8.00 am-1.00 pm

• ·         Brick Bay Wines and Sculpture Trail

17  Arabella Lane, Snells Beach, Warkworth

www.brickbay.co.nz

Entry price: adults $12, seniors and students $10, child $8

• ·         Morris and James Pottery

48, Tongue Farm Rd, Laly Haddon Pl, Matakana

www.morrisandjames.co.nz

Hours: 9.00 am-5.00 pm daily

• ·         Auckland Regional Parks

Scandrett:

114, Scandrett Rd, Mahurangi East

http://regionalparks.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/scandrett

Gate opening hours: 6.00 am-9.00 pm summer, 6.00 am-7.00 pm winter

Mahurangi:

190, Ngarewa Drive, Mahurangi West

http://regionalparks.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/mahurangi

Gate opening hours: 6.00 am-9.00 pm summer, 6.00 am-7.00 pm winter

Shakespear:

1468, Whangaparaoa Rd, Army Bay, Auckland

http://regionalparks.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/shakespear