Given that Mangonui has thriving fishery, one would expect to find great fish and chips there. Enter the Mangonui Fish Shop, which I’m told is the best fish shop in town. Unfortunately it was rather too early for fish and chips, although the congregating seagulls have different ideas.
Mangonui itself is located on an inlet north of the Bay of Islands. Being on the coast and blessed with a harbour, it’s home to what seemed to be a sizeable fishing community. A trawler or two were moored, and a few fisher-folk were about too.
I’m going to continue with my New Zealand wanderings with another place in Northland. Mangonui is 140km north of Whangarei, and a significantly smaller place. Its white weatherboard buildings, typical to Northland, are very cute, and unlike a lot of smaller Northland villages this one is very well-kempt and slightly gentrified for holidaying Aucklanders.
The rainforest reappeared, and eventually I could hear the sound of rushing water. It is Whangarei Falls – not a particularly large waterfall, but a rather picturesque one.
There was a picnic area close by, so I was able to sit quietly for awhile and get my breath back, before heading all the way back.
After meandering for a time amongst Kauri trees, I emerged upstream to find that the Hatea a lot more calmer. Here, it was banked by green, green meadows (with a few more cows, of course), and mature oak trees whose boughs provided some delicious shade.
It is so very idyllic and green that I wish I could have sit under that tree forever – but I have a destination that is just as special.
I left the farmland and the road, and entered the park. Here, the Hatea flowed swiftly through large tracts of preserved rainforest. The air is cool, the light dampened, my ears filled with the sound of rushing water.
I walked for a couple of k’s along a one-laned country road, firstly past some larger properties, and then past one acre blocks. Along the roadside these distinctive flowers grew. I’d never seen them before, or thought I hadn’t. Upon returning home, I began to notice them all over the place, but none were as vibrant as the ones in Whangarei.
One of the first stops on my late 2008 tour of New Zealand’s Northland was Whangarei, the largest town (and technically classified a city) north of Auckland. Whangarei is a pretty non-descript town, but I was lucky enough to stay at a little backpackers about 6km out of town, called Little Earth Lodge. It’s really more of a bed and breakfast in terms of standard of decor, simply but stunningly decorated in the Balinese style. It is also surrounded by cow pastures and typical Northland scenery, and is the starting point of my walk to Whangarei Falls.
A last view of the mountains, and a farewell to Kaikoura. On my last evening, the mountains and light put on quite a show.
The wildlife isn’t just in the sea, but also on land, too. Walking around the peninsula, I came across quite a few fur seals having a kip in the sun. And not a bad place to have it, don’t you think?
Static and Silence 