Headed North
For the Christmas holiday we headed north to to Hawke's Bay, a large bay on the east coast of the north island. Our main stops were Napier, 5 hours north of Wellington on the east coast, Lake Waikaremoana 3 hours north of Napier (in the Te Urewera forest on the map), the Mahia penninsula on the coast and finally back down to the Eskdale River just north of Napier.
After a long drive we landed at our first camp spot at the Napier Beach Holiday Park. It was freezing cold when we arrived in Napier and threatened rain but the weather gradually gave way to sun. The kids were so excited to camp.
What you can't hear is the girls saying 'kiwi style...'
Looking south down the curve of the bay from the campground beach
For Christmas Eve and Christmas our aim was to get to Te Urewera, the largest remaining old growth forest on the north island. It's a rugged and remote region that is only accessed by long and steep gravel roads. It used to be a national park but in 2014 it gained personhood and became its own entity, Te Urewera. The forest now owns itself. There are some places in the world that still retain old magic and this is one of them.
Keyhole view of the big lake
Tree fern unfurling
Unfurled
Forest of ferns of wildly varying sizes
Just before arriving it had hailed so we were lucky to get a sunny warm day on Christmas. We hiked to a small lake off Lake Waikaremoana called Lake Waikareiti. The hike was supposed to be an hour but took us two. We are starting to realize that every distance we are given will take us twice as long. We wondered if it's because Kiwis are just much faster trampers or if they are so laid back they don't assign accurate distances.
Luckily there was this sweet pristine (cold!) lake at the end of it. It's the place the Maori women and children would flee to when there were wars down at the big lake.
It was nice to stay in a cabin for Christmas so we could set up a makeshift tree (tripod and lights!) and Santa could come visit. He managed to find us all the way out in the NZ forest!
A couple of other short forest hikes the next day to fill us full of native forest and birds .
skinny dippin'
Fishing off the dock, alas no fish for dinner
From the forest we went to the Mahia penninsula. It's a teardrop shaped peninsula that forms the northern portion of Hawke's Bay. The little island off the tip of the peninsula is Portland Island...
The girls had a great time with the kid-sized waves. Seven hours north of Wellington the water was just warmer enough. Though still wetsuit cold.
Picnic under a gorgeous pohutukawa tree in bloom
We took a side trip to the Morere hot springs. It is a natural hot springs surrounded by forest. The Maori used to cook meat in the hot pools. We took an amazing hike through the forest to get to these pools. It's one of the last remnants of lowland forest and is dominated by palm trees.
It was hard to leave the ocean but we had camping plans with friends down at the Eskdale River. The family is one we hang out with in Wellington, Wren and Quinn's good friends from school. It was so much fun for the girls to roam free with their friends across the campgrounds and playing in the river.
Then on home for the new year!
After a long drive we landed at our first camp spot at the Napier Beach Holiday Park. It was freezing cold when we arrived in Napier and threatened rain but the weather gradually gave way to sun. The kids were so excited to camp.
What you can't hear is the girls saying 'kiwi style...'
Looking south down the curve of the bay from the campground beach
For Christmas Eve and Christmas our aim was to get to Te Urewera, the largest remaining old growth forest on the north island. It's a rugged and remote region that is only accessed by long and steep gravel roads. It used to be a national park but in 2014 it gained personhood and became its own entity, Te Urewera. The forest now owns itself. There are some places in the world that still retain old magic and this is one of them.
Keyhole view of the big lake
Tree fern unfurling
Unfurled
Forest of ferns of wildly varying sizes
Just before arriving it had hailed so we were lucky to get a sunny warm day on Christmas. We hiked to a small lake off Lake Waikaremoana called Lake Waikareiti. The hike was supposed to be an hour but took us two. We are starting to realize that every distance we are given will take us twice as long. We wondered if it's because Kiwis are just much faster trampers or if they are so laid back they don't assign accurate distances.
Luckily there was this sweet pristine (cold!) lake at the end of it. It's the place the Maori women and children would flee to when there were wars down at the big lake.
It was nice to stay in a cabin for Christmas so we could set up a makeshift tree (tripod and lights!) and Santa could come visit. He managed to find us all the way out in the NZ forest!
A couple of other short forest hikes the next day to fill us full of native forest and birds .
skinny dippin'
Fishing off the dock, alas no fish for dinner
From the forest we went to the Mahia penninsula. It's a teardrop shaped peninsula that forms the northern portion of Hawke's Bay. The little island off the tip of the peninsula is Portland Island...
The girls had a great time with the kid-sized waves. Seven hours north of Wellington the water was just warmer enough. Though still wetsuit cold.
Picnic under a gorgeous pohutukawa tree in bloom
We took a side trip to the Morere hot springs. It is a natural hot springs surrounded by forest. The Maori used to cook meat in the hot pools. We took an amazing hike through the forest to get to these pools. It's one of the last remnants of lowland forest and is dominated by palm trees.
It was hard to leave the ocean but we had camping plans with friends down at the Eskdale River. The family is one we hang out with in Wellington, Wren and Quinn's good friends from school. It was so much fun for the girls to roam free with their friends across the campgrounds and playing in the river.
Then on home for the new year!
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