Whangarei's Street Art

This is my latest article in Motorhomes Caravans and Destinations Magazine

Heather Whelan takes a closer look at Whāngārei's street art

Last year, Whāngārei hosted an international arts festival, Street Prints Manaia, where artists painted 15 large-scale murals around the city. The theme was ‘tuia te muka tāngata’ - weaving the threads of humanity - and the artists interpreted this in various ways.

After downloading a map of the murals’ locations, I spent a couple of hours wandering around Whāngārei, discovering and admiring the large paintings. Some artworks were rendered powerfully in black and white while others were painted in vivid colours.

People and animals were represented, either realistically or in abstract or fantastical ways. The artists themselves came from as far away as Brazil and Italy, though a few were homegrown. One of my favourite works was by Whāngārei artist Earnest Bradley, who was a driving force behind Street Prints Manaia.

Beautiful Bridges

When tracking down the murals, I became aware of a variety of other artworks that have appeared in the city. Walking beneath two of Whāngārei’s rail bridges, there are huge murals, painted as part of Resene’s Mural Masterpieces Competition. On Rust Avenue, Trent Morgan and helpers painted a variety of symbols linked to the city.

On one wall, the blocks of colour suggest weaving, the blue and green used on the other side show the profile of Whāngārei Heads. Jasmine Fuller’s depiction of Northland’s flora and fauna on the Water Street Bridge are based on the theme of turning to nature for inspiration.

Funky Artwork

Unity by Earnest Bradley

The Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser has had a significant influence on Whāngārei. The Arts Museum Trust is behind the building of a Hundertwasser-inspired gallery at the Town Basin, and there are themed works all around the city.

On Rathbone Street, a face with a moko kauae (chin tattoo) looks out from an artwork inspired by Hundertwasser’s Irinaland Over the Balkans, while around the corner, students from a local primary school have their pictures displayed. Their art was enlarged and made permanent by the team at bepartoftheart.co.nz.

TuiaTe Muka Tangata by Charles and Janine Williams

There’s more art to be found along ‘the Loop’, Whāngārei’s waterfront walkway. Earnest Bradley is responsible for the bird pictures on the toilet block as well as the children depicted having fun on the other side of the river. Mike Tupaea and Charles Williams are two other local mural artists; their works can be seen at the Pocket Park that links the walkway to the shopping centre at Okara.

A whale, birds and kites are all part of the murals that represent Māori mythology related to the area. And then there are the murals decorating businesses around the city. At the Town Basin, there’s a beautiful work adorning the walls of Clapham’s Clock Museum painted by artist Steve Pike, while at Laurie Hall Park, flowers adorn the walls of Mint Floral, a florist shop.

The mural was painted by Jasmine Fuller (also responsible for one of the bridges) and her partner Bryce, who own the business. There are many more murals to be found, seemingly around every corner. Even the council building, Forum North, has new panels outside. Whāngārei’s street art is worth checking out.

When you’re visiting Whāngārei, why don’t you... go for a cycle?

Whāngārei’s cycle network expanded with the opening of the shared path section from Kensington to Kamo. Leave from opposite the library on Rust Avenue (where you can use the internet, get a drink at the café and admire the 10 carved pou representing Māori, Celtic, Pacific Island, Korean and Dalmatian cultures).

The 6.5km of path takes riders (or walkers) past parks, schools and shops out to the city fringes. Another good ride is around the Hatea Loop, which goes from the Town Basin beside the Hatea River. A side-trip from the Loop Track turns at the Te Matau a Pohe opening bridge and takes riders along a 6km off-road section to Onerahi.

After trailing beside the river, the track goes uphill and connects to the Waimahanga Track. (There is a car park on Waimahanga Road for those who want to cycle this section only.) Gum trees and banksias line the route along the track, and the surface is red, giving the impression of cycling in Australia. This section was once an old railway line, so it is flat. The next part goes uphill then down to the harbourside at Onerahi.

Further Information

• A printable map of the murals created as part of Street Prints Manaia can be found at whangareinz.com
• There are places for motorhomes beside the Loop Walkway — Bascule Car Park on Port Road (for non-self-contained vehicles) and Finlayson Street Car Park (self-contained)
• A downloadable brochure outlining freedom-camping areas in the Whāngārei district is at wdc.govt.nz

Looking for other fun things to do in Whāngārei? Here are a few suggestions.

Climb a mountain

Mair Park nestles beside the Hatea River in central Whāngārei. There is a river walk from the Town Basin to Whareora Road that takes about an hour but, if you want a view, go up one of the two tracks that lead to the mountain’s summit.

Parihaka is a bush-covered former pā site, and it takes between 40 and 50 minutes to reach the top. The views over the city and along the harbour from the 240m summit are amazing and well worth the climb.

Check out a Kauri

A.H. Reed Kauri Park has been a reserve for 130 years and is named after the naturalist, writer and long-distance walker. Raised boardwalks take you over streams, through the forest canopy and around the bases of mature kauri trees, some 500 years old. There are two loop walks here, taking between 15 and 30 minutes.

Discover a waterfall

Whāngārei Falls is just a few kilometres from the city centre but seems a million miles from any hustle and bustle. It’s a 30-minute loop walk from the car park to viewing platforms on both sides of the river and to the base of the falls.

Whāngārei Falls are stunning, dropping more than 26m over basalt cliffs into a pool at the bottom. There is a footbridge across the river, which is a great spot for admiring the action. It is also possible to walk to Whāngārei Falls from A.H. Reed Park, passing through farmland and native bush.

Boots Bikes and Backroads

I've just published the story of our trip around New Zealand by motorhome on a blog called

Boots Bikes and Backroads

You can find it at heatherwhelan6.blogspot.com

The blog has 32 posts (chapters) starting at Cape Reinga and ending on Stewart Island.  It describes all the cycle trails, walks and places of interest we explored and it can be read through as a book, or you can just dip in and read about a place that interests you. 

On the Old Trade Route

There’s more to the north than just beautiful beaches, says Heather Whelan as she follows in the footsteps of early traders and missionaries from the Bay of Islands to the Hokianga Harbour
This article was recently published in Motorhomes caravans & Destinations magazine

A map on a barrel outside the Stone Store piqued my interest. "Travel the old trade route," it said, showing the locations of early Christian mission properties dotted across the countryside from the Bay of Islands to the Hokianga Harbour.

Stone Store. Kerikeri

Being Northlanders, we’ve visited these places over the years but we decided it was high time to revisit and see what was new. I picked up the Historic Northland brochure and we began our tour. The reference to trade is evident at the Stone Store; it was built as a storehouse and opened for business in 1836.

Nowadays, the ground floor of the building is a combination of museum and shop. The storekeepers are dressed in period costume, and the items for sale are authentic trade goods, like those sold here a hundred or more years ago. There are agricultural tools, ladles, bolts of cloth, barrels, jute sacks and much more.

In the adjacent room are quaint reproduction posters, toys, games, books - everything with a Victorian or retro vibe. It’s the sort of place in which you could spend hours browsing. The Stone Store’s two upper floors are the museum proper. We are members of Heritage New Zealand so were waved through.

After removing our shoes to help preserve the wooden flooring, we went up windy stairs to the second floor. There is a reference library here, with files of information on the early missionary families and their lives - a historian and genealogist’s delight.

Then, after peering down through the glassed-over trapdoor to the store below, we perused information panels outlining the history of the Stone Store, Kemp House, the missionaries who lived there and the Māori chiefs who watched over them.

A snapshot of settler life

The Stone Store is the country’s oldest surviving stone building and adjacent Kemp House is the oldest European wooden building. The two buildings are all that remains of the Church Missionary Society’s mission to New Zealand, founded in 1819. Kemp House was built in 1821.

Ten years later, the Kemp family moved in, and they stayed on after the mission closed in 1848. Amazingly, Kemp descendants continued to live in the house until 1974, when the house and contents were presented to New Zealand Historic Places Trust, now Heritage New Zealand.

The interior of Kemp House is little changed from its original state. The locally milled wide Kauri boards are painted; the floors have rugs and mats. The last Kemps to live in the house were elderly spinsters who kept things as they were in their grandparents’ day.

It is easy to picture the missionary families going about their daily lives – what is harder to imagine are the hundreds, and on occasion thousands, of troops preparing for war right outside the front door. Since the Kerikeri Basin was bypassed in 2008, the area has become a haven.

Moored yachts are reflected in the water; children feed ducks while their parents enjoy a drink or meal in one of the cafés. Besides the aptly-named Pear Tree restaurant is New Zealand’s oldest remaining pear tree, planted 200 years ago and still thriving. Behind the café is a track to Kororipo Pā, once Hongi Hika’s stronghold, now an empty hillside, topped by palisades and information panels.

A French-style tannery and printery

Pompallier House

Next on our itinerary was Russell, a ferry ride from Opua. Back in the early 1800s, Māori and settlers, whalers, sealers and missionaries were all mingling in the Bay of Islands. Māori were keen to trade with the Europeans and to sample their new technologies and foodstuffs (although many just wanted muskets).

Russell was so rough and rowdy it became known as the ‘hell-hole of the Pacific’. Now its quiet streets are home to cafés and shops, its old buildings neatly painted - the little town is more paradise than hell. Russell is also home to the Pompallier Mission, named after Bishop Pompallier who established a Catholic mission station here in 1839.

Over the next decade, the brothers built a residence, dormitory, chapel, cookhouse and the surviving building - now known as the Mission House. In reality, this building was where religious tracts and books were produced. It housed a tannery, currier’s workshop, composition (type-setting), binding and printing rooms.

Printing equipment, ready to coin a phrase, at Pompallier House

Unlike the English mission houses, which were Georgian-style wooden buildings, the French built a two-storey, rammed-earth structure. Pompallier House looks like a little piece of France. Surrounded by gardens with heritage fruit trees and flower beds, and facing the beach where waves gently lap and boats bob at anchor, everything was serene when we arrived.

I half expected to see a robed priest flit between the trees. We were just in time for a tour. This turned out to be excellent. Our guide spent 45 minutes explaining how the mission developed and how the Marists produced the books they used to spread their Catholic beliefs. In pits behind the house, hides are processed in urine as they were in days past.

Our guide told us that just one small hide produced a stench she could smell from the gatehouse. Luckily, the skins we saw were further along in the process, being stretched and dried. This leather was for the book covers.

In a downstairs room, known to the guides as the ‘workout room’, the brothers used to treat the leather by putting it on a frame they walked on while using rollers on their arms to further treat other hides.

There was other equipment in this gym-like room, but we were told that one brother got to ‘skive off’. The skive, a sharp tool that cut and smoothed leather, was not as physically demanding to use, though it required a skilled hand.

Upstairs we saw the old printing presses, late 16th- and early 17th-century technology and out of date even when they were brought to New Zealand. We saw how the printers used to ‘coin a phrase’, the quoin being a wedge that held the type in place, then they ‘cut (the paper) to the chase’ before making a ‘first impression’. Many of our everyday expressions and words owe a lot to this printing process.

West to Waimate

Russell Wharf

On another day we headed west along the old missionary route (New Zealand’s first road) from Kerikeri to Waimate North. Our destination was the mission known as Te Waimate. This was the Church Missionary Society’s model farm, founded in 1830 by Samuel Marsden with the encouragement of local Ngāpuhi, who were keen to learn the benefits of agriculture.

Charles Darwin was an early visitor. He had been unimpressed with vice-ridden Russell and the scrubby ‘useless’ scenery between Paihia and Waimate. Then he got a pleasant surprise - he saw an English-style settlement with tidy fields, fruit trees and all the signs of English civilisation: tea and cricket on the lawn.

Georgian architecture at Te Waimate Mission Station

Nowadays Waimate North is a sleepy crossroads with almost all the mission buildings gone. The church of St John the Baptist is surrounded by its graveyard where early missionaries and settler families were laid to rest.

There are also graves of British soldiers who died fighting Māori during the Northern Wars. Beside the church is the only remaining house from the mission era, the ‘old vicarage’ built by George Clarke in 1831 (the second-oldest wooden building in New Zealand).

There are spacious rooms inside, though it is hard to imagine where George and Martha’s 13 children found a place to go to bed. In the mission grounds are the sites of other homesteads, schools and cottages, although all that is left now are mounds and hollows.

Historic Hōreke

Inside the store

We continued on our discovery of the old trade route by heading to the Hokianga Harbour. Just past the sleepy settlement of Hōreke, once one of New Zealand’s first shipyards, we came to Mangungu Mission House. This was a Wesleyan venture, established in 1828, with the present house built just before the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.

After Waitangi, the treaty was taken around the country and, at Mangungu, the most significant signing took place. There were between 2000 and 3000 Māori present that day and 700 chiefs debated and signed the document.

Later, the mission at Mangungu was disbanded, and the house moved to Onehunga in Auckland where it was used as a Methodist manse. In the 1970s, the building was returned to Mangungu and restored by Heritage New Zealand.

Mangungu Church

Inside the house are relics of missionary days with portraits of the missionaries and their Māori protector, Patuone. The house is on the rise overlooking the Hokianga Harbour and has a historic cemetery where I discovered that many early settlers and visitors sadly died by drowning.

There is a tiny church and also a wonderful (fully wallpapered) long-drop toilet. We were the only visitors on this occasion, although it is interesting to visit on February 12 (as we have done in the past) since this is the date the mission commemorates the treaty signing.

Mangungu, like Te Waimate, Pompallier, the Stone Store and Kemp House are all owned and maintained by Heritage New Zealand. Opening hours vary, but admission is free for Heritage New Zealand members. We found the guided tours at Kemp House and Pompallier Mission fascinating. Following the old trade route gave us the perfect excuse to explore the Bay of Islands and the Hokianga Harbour. 

FURTHER INFORMATION

• There are a variety of places for motorhomers to stay when exploring the area, with a range of commercial campgrounds in Kerikeri and the Bay of Islands (though only one on the Hokianga Harbour) and, for NZMCA members, the park at Rainbow Falls, Kerikeri. In the Hokianga, we parked at the Horeke Tavern and at Waimate North we stayed at the showgrounds. At Russell, we stayed at a Park Over Property.
• Information about the old trade route in the Bay of Islands and Hokianga can be obtained at visitheritage.org.nz. Other useful websites are: kerikeri.co.nz; russellnz.co.nz; hokianga.com
• Visitor information i-SITES are located at Kerikeri: 460 Kerikeri Road Russell: on the wharf
• Paihia: on the wharf
• Hokianga: 29 SH12, Opononi

Camping on the DOC of the Bay

This is my latest article published in Motorhomes caravans & Destinations Magazine

Looking for a DOC campground by the beach in Northland? From Tāpotupotu Bay in the Far North to Uretiti, south of Whāngārei, Heather Whelan finds the best spots.

New Zealanders are fortunate in that they can visit and stay in beautiful parts of the country run by the Department of Conservation (DOC).Northland has possibly more than its fair share of DOC campgrounds in pretty bays and beside gorgeous beaches. Most are accessible to motorhomes and are an excellent base for outdoor activities, or just chilling out and relaxing.

Away from it all in the Far North

Tāpotupotu Bay

When my partner Malcolm and I visited Tāpotupotu Bay, DOC’s most northerly campground, we loved the sense of being so far from the hustle and bustle of town and city life. Although it was close to Cape Reinga, where tourists thronged, Tāpotupotu Bay was quiet.

While day visitors might come and go, it was only those campers who, like us, enjoyed the remoteness of the site and the pristine natural beauty of the area who stayed overnight or for longer. We parked on the grass beside the beach and drank in the scene - sandy beach, sparkling water, a shallow lagoon, and bush-clad headlands standing guardian at either end of the bay.

The location is popular with those who like boating, fishing and diving. There was enough swell for a group of young campers to enjoy some surfing. I decided to swim in the more protected water behind the dunes, where the stream widened to become a lagoon.

For us, one of the attractions of Tāpotupotu Bay was that it was right on the Te Paki Coastal Track. One morning we walked part of the track, which took us along cliff tops to Sandy Bay and up to Cape Reinga. The views along the coast were stunning, and Cape Reinga had a spiritual quality.

We stood watching the rippling line of foamy surf where the waters of the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea met and mingled. Nearby, an ancient pōhutukawa clinging to a headland marked the place where the spirits of the dead are thought to enter the underworld.

Birdwatchers’ paradise

Rarawa Beach

Another remote Far North DOC campsite worth a visit is Rarawa Beach. It is a short walk from the campground to the beach, past a stand of pine trees and along a sandy track through the dunes. The dunes are home to dotterels and variable oystercatchers during their breeding season (August to March), so it is important to look out for their nests and to give the birds a wide berth.

The dazzling white sand of Rawara Beach seems to stretch forever. We explored the stream mouth and fossicked along the high-tide line. The beach is popular with swimmers, though rips can form, and those who are not confident may prefer to take a dip in the lagoon that forms at the stream mouth. Fishermen surf-cast at low tide, while small boats and kayaks can be launched from the beach.

Bushwalks and fishing galore

Puriri Bay campsite

A little further off the beaten track (and don’t let the name 'Bland Bay' put you off), the Puriri Bay (Whangaruru North Head) DOC campground is a gem. Nestling beneath bush-clad hills and with views across the Whangaruru Harbour, the area is anything but bland. On a particularly hot day, it was wonderful to head into the cool of the bush above the camp and walk one of North Head’s tracks.

The path meanders uphill and along the cliffs on the seaward side of the peninsula that separates Whangaruru Harbour from Bland Bay and the ocean beyond. After dropping down to some secluded bays, the path turns inland, and we made our way over a boardwalk through reedy wetlands.

Then it was back through more forest before we found ourselves looking down on Admirals Bay, a pretty beach on the harbour. From here, it was a wander through farmland and back to Puriri Bay. The camp is a great place for fishermen - we were impressed to see a kayaker load a huge snapper into his chilly bin. The water was calm and great for swimming. And at night kiwi could be heard in the bush. Not so much bland as blissful.

Lots to do in the Waipū area

Fun at Piroa Falls

For a change from these remote beaches, we spent some time with friends at Uretiti Beach. This is a popular campground, among trees and dunes, about 30km south of Whāngārei and close to the little town of Waipū.

Some campers choose Uretiti because to the south of the camp is a naturist beach, although there is plenty of space to the north for those not looking to get an all-over tan. Waipū has shops, cafés and a museum that tells the story of the Scottish settlers who made the area their home. Inland are the Waipū Caves and a popular swimming spot at Piroa Falls.

Plenty more to explore

Mimiwhangata

There are several other DOC campgrounds in Northland that have beautiful beaches, great swimming and pretty bushwalks. We have enjoyed spending time at Maitai Bay and Otamure Bay at Whananaki. All campgrounds have vehicle access for motorhomes, and the DOC/NZ Motor Caravan Association (NZMCA) campsite pass can be used except in midsummer (December 20 to Waitangi weekend). 

Mimiwhangata Coastal Park, about an hour's drive from Whāngārei, is another place we love to visit - but by car, as the road is windy, steep and unsealed. The campground here isn’t accessible to vehicles; campers have to carry gear over the hill from the car park. But, for a day trip, Mimiwhangata has it all – beautiful sandy beaches, bush walks and a longer loop track around the headland. Last time we were there, the pōhutukawa trees were in fiery flower - a picnic lunch in a perfect spot, courtesy of DOC Northland. 

FIND OUT MORE

• The DOC website has full information on its campgrounds, including details about access, facilities and costs, doc.govt.nz
• The CamperMate mobile phone app and the NZMCA travel app also provide helpful information.
• DOC has two types of pass worth investigating — the campsite pass for rental campervans and the DOC/NZMCA pass (details on the NZMCA website, nzmca.org.nz).

Exploring the Township of Puketapu

This is my latest article, published in Motorhomes, Caravans & Destinations Magazine

Heather Whelan goes off the beaten track and discovers tourism gems hidden in the township of Puketapu, near Napier

With its beautiful Art Deco buildings and stunning street art, Napier is a drawcard for visitors to the Hastings region. The city also has an excellent network of cycle trails, north and south, that leads to beautiful beaches, seaside settlements, and past vineyards and wineries.

But as motorhomers know, there are often hidden gems to be found by venturing off the beaten track. My partner Malcolm and I discovered some when we headed inland to cycle the Puketapu Loop, a circuit along the banks of the Tutaekuri River.

On the trail

On the cycle trail

The cycle ride can be started in Taradale, but we began in Puketapu village, parking opposite the pub and store. (We had left our motorhome at the NZMCA park in Napier and taken our bikes on the car, but there are freedom camping areas in Puketapu.) A sign on the tavern wall featured a bicycle and set the scene for the expedition.

Lonely Planet has listed this ride as one of the 10 most beautiful in New Zealand and it certainly lived up to its reputation. The cycle trail took us from the village to the banks of the river, and then beside the river through some of Hawke’s Bay’s lush, fruit-growing countryside. After about 7km of easy cycling we saw some high cliffs, topped with wooden palisades and left the trail to investigate further.

Historic sites

The carved entranceway at Otatara Pā

Across the road, we came to a carved gateway, full of information panels. We learned that this was Otatara Pā Historic Reserve, which encompassed the palisaded pā we had seen from the cycle trail and, on the hilltops behind, the site of Hikurangi Pā. The pā complex covered more than 40ha and was one of the oldest and largest in the area, with access to a range of natural resources.

It is of archaeological importance because it has retained its features: Heritage New Zealand has listed the pā as a category one historic place. Leaving our bikes at the entranceway, we walked up a wide track to Otatara Pā. On the slopes beside the trail, atmospheric carved pouwhenua (poles) stood tall beside cabbage trees and pockets of bush.

Pouwhenua at Otatara Pā

In the 1500s, the pā was fiercely fought over because of its position and proximity to resources. It was eventually abandoned and made tapu because of the numbers who had died in the fighting. From the clifftops, it was easy to see why this would have been a great place for Māori tribes to live.

The earthquake of 1931 altered the landscape. But, before this, the land between the pā and the coast would have been a network of estuaries, lakes and wetlands, good for food-gathering and waka travel. Our view was of neat blocks of horticultural land, paddocks and, in the distance, the white headland at Cape Kidnappers.

Turning inland we followed a narrow track through dried brown grass uphill to the summit of Hikurangi Pā. On the way, we read signs that explained that when this was a thriving settlement, there were terraces for housing, gardens and kūmara storage areas.

From the ridges and the summit, the views were amazing – across hills to mountain ranges in the distance. Apparently, on a clear day, Mount Ruapehu can be seen. After taking in the scene, we followed the loop track down to the entrance gateway.

The reward at the end

Great food at the Puketapu Hotel

Back on the cycle trail, we crossed a bridge over the Tutaekuri River and began to ride back towards Puketapu. This side of the river had more trees, giving the trail a woodland feel. It didn’t seem long before we reached the outskirts of Puketapu, the track ending at Vicarage Road.

Puketapu has a lovely, relaxed ‘village’ feel. We cycled past Saint Michael and All Angels Church, a pretty wooden building dating to 1910, before arriving back at the parking area. Across the road, the village store, complete with petrol pumps, stood beside the Puketapu Hotel, a typical country tavern.

The original pub was built in 1885 but, like so many of New Zealand’s old wooden buildings, it was destroyed by fire. The present tavern dates from the 1920s. We headed inside, feeling sure that with all our cycling and walking, we deserved a good lunch.

Billed as an award-winning, classic Kiwi country pub, the bars and outdoor area were packed. We grabbed the last table and ordered. We weren’t disappointed. The day had proved that sometimes the most interesting and memorable things can be found just off the beaten track.

GETTING AROUND

• There are two freedom camping spots nearby. Puketapu Reserve is at 56 Dartmoor Road, beside a children’s playground. There are toilets, picnic tables and barbecues here, but the resident cockerels are known for their early-morning wake-up calls. Dartmoor Bridge Reserve is about 9km further along Dartmoor Road. Parking is on a flat area just before the bridge.
• Silky Oak Chocolates cafe is not far from the cycle trail (about 1km from the Tutaekuri River Bridge). This is a good stop for a coffee or lunch. It even has a chocolate museum. silkyoakchocs.co.nz
• The menu and opening times for the Puketapu Hotel can be found at thepuketapu.co.nz
• The Puketapu Loop cycle trail is 18km in length and is grade 1–2 (easy, mostly flat with room for two people to ride side by side). The Hawke’s Bay Trails website is hbtrails.nz
• For information about the history and walk at Otatara Pā Historic Reserve, visit doc.govt.nz. The walk takes about an hour and is approximately 1.5km.
• Several bike shops in the region offer cycle hire.

Kerikeri River Track

This article was published in Wilderness Magazine

I have added a few more pictures here

For a relatively short walk, the Kerikeri River Track has a lot to offer, including waterfalls and historic sites. We started at the car park on Rainbow Falls Road on the outskirts of Kerikeri and began by taking in the spectacular Rainbow Falls. There are three viewing platforms within 10-minutes’ walk from the car park and from here we looked down the 27m drop from the top of the waterfall.  

Rainbow Falls (above) and the track below the falls (below)

birdlife on the track

 Nearby are the remains of a weir that supplied water to an early hydro-electric station further down the river. Parts of the old water race could be seen beside the track in places. Although, only minutes from the road, we were already amongst the bush that flanked both sides of the river. This regenerating forest was mainly puriri, karaka, totara and manuka, with tree fern and flax. Fantails flitted around as we walked. 

The track winds down past some interesting rocky cliffs to the base of the falls. The Kerikeri River flows through a valley of basalt lava, formed by volcanic activity around 200 million years ago, and we passed more rocky outcrops along the trail. At the base of the waterfall, there is a swimming hole and some adventurous people were investigating a cave behind the cascades of water. 

We continued walking the River Track, which is part of the Te Araroa Trail, towards the Kerikeri Basin. This section of the track has a boardwalk but most of the walk is on a flat, well-surfaced path. Because the track follows the river, we found ourselves looping right around in almost a full circle before the walkway turned back towards Kerikeri. There are some more swimming spots here called the Fairy Pools.

Wharepuke Falls

The modern world intruded a little further on, the concrete bridge of the Heritage Bypass loomed above.

At an open area along the track is the Wharepuke Falls; these are not as high as Rainbow Falls but are equally as pretty. Then it’s back amongst mossy rocks and gnarly puriri, before coming across a building besides the track. Informative signs inside tell the story of Kerikeri’s first hydro pumping station, built in 1930 to produce power for settlers arriving from England. The water ran to here, in races dug by Yugoslavian gum-diggers, all the way from the weir at Rainbow Falls.

The final part of the walk goes beside some lily ponds before the bush is left and we arrived at the Kerikeri Basin Reserve. A modern curved footbridge links the two banks of the river and from here there are lovely views of the historic buildings, Kemp House and the Stone Store, and of the yachts moored in the basin.

Kemp House and the cafe

The Kerikeri River Trail ends here but we decided to extend our walk by taking the short track to the summit of the hill overlooking the basin. This area, the Kororipo Heritage Park, was once Māori chief Hongi Hika’s headquarters. It was beneath this pa, and under Hongi Hika’s protection, that the Church Mission Society established its settlement.

Past the Stone Store, a carved entrance marks the start of the walk. To reach the summit of Kororipo Pa, we walked up a slope beside gum trees planted in the 1800s. A palisaded viewing platform has information panels and stunning views of the Kerikeri Basin.

Koropiro Pa

Discovering Mackenzie Country

Another of my articles published in Motorhomes Caravans & Destinations Magazine

Motorhomer Heather Whelan and her partner, Malcolm, investigate the legacies of a sheep-rustler and a plant-lover in the heart of the South Island

It’s known as the Mackenzie region, but we call it ‘lupin-land’. Some people consider lupins a weed on a par with broom and briar but, judging by the number of people taking photographs at the roadsides, others find them as beautiful as we do.

A local woman, Connie Scott, planted £100 worth of seeds along the verges in 1949 – just wanting to make the area more beautiful. The lupins thrived and spread and now, from November to February, swathes of the flowers can be seen.

Vast areas of pink, red, purple and lavender lupins frame views of turquoise lakes and snow-capped mountains. Connie Scott is buried in Burkes Pass Cemetery, and is remembered on her tombstone as the ‘lupin lady’.

The story of Mackenzie

A footbridge links the Church of the Good Shepherd at Tekapo with the town

We entered the Mackenzie District at Fairlie, a small town that markets itself as the Gateway to the Mackenzie. Fairlie has four distinct seasons. Summer boasts long, hot days. Spring is colourful with flowers and blossom.

In autumn, the tree-lined main street puts on a show of gold and orange; in winter, it may be dusted with snow. (Fairlie is popular in the winter, as it is close to the Mount Dobson ski field.) We visited in summer, the area basking in long, hot days, and found Fairlie an interesting place to visit, if only for a coffee and a stroll.

For those who want to stay longer there is a holiday park, and freedom camping is permitted behind the Grand Hotel. In the centre of Fairlie, we admired a memorial statue of James Mackenzie and his dog, Friday.

Mackenzie was a Scot who arrived in New Zealand from the Australian gold rushes. In 1855, he was apprehended with 1000 sheep belonging to the Rhodes Station, which he had driven from nearby Timaru. John Sidebottom, the station overseer, and two Māori shepherds had pursued Mackenzie to the inland pass that now bears his name.

Mackenzie pleaded innocence and fled to Lyttelton where he was recaptured, tried and sentenced to five years’ hard labour. After escaping twice from prison, his case was reinvestigated, and he was pardoned. Mackenzie returned to Australia and obscurity.

But, in the South Island, he became a Robin Hood-like folk hero, admired for his rebellious nature, brave escapades and extraordinary ability as a shepherd. When Mackenzie was caught, the pursuing shepherds noticed signs that this wasn’t the first huge mob of sheep he had smuggled through the pass to Dunedin, where they would have been sold.

Mackenzie and his dog became symbolic of the struggle of the ordinary emigrant, trying to make a living in the new country. His feats of exploration are now recognised: he was the first European to discover the areas now known as the Lindis Pass, Mackenzie Pass and the Mackenzie Basin. This whole district is named after the sheep rustler.

In Mackenzie’s path

Mackenzie and his dog are immortalised at Fairlie

We followed in Mackenzie’s footsteps, driving a circuit from Fairlie. State Highway 8 loops north and west to Burkes Pass. There, we stopped to admire the pretty, Gothic-style Saint Patrick’s Church and read the information panel that describes the Burkes Pass area.

The village itself is tiny and looks hardly changed since its pioneering heyday. At the interestingly named Dog Kennel Corner, we turned onto Haldon Road. The scenery here is amazing – a dusty basin stretching across to distant snow-capped ranges. It isn’t hard to imagine Mackenzie passing by, driving his herd of stolen sheep before him.

A short way along Mackenzie Pass Road, we came to a small, three-sided monument. On each face, the same story is told – in English, Māori and Gaelic. "In this spot, James Mackenzie, the freebooter, was captured by John Sidebottom and the Māoris Taiko and Seventeen and escaped from them the same night, 4th March 1855." It’s a remote place now and must have been considerably more isolated more than 150 years ago.

Magnificent lakes

Lake Tekapo from Mount John summit

We spent a few days at Lake Opuha, just north of Fairlie, where there are three freedom-camping areas from which to choose. Lake Opuha is a lovely spot, with expansive views of the lake and mountains. We found a lakeside path that took us around to a dam, where sailors and kayakers were enjoying the calm waters.

Next, we checked out the more well-known and tourism-orientated Lake Tekapo. The NZMCA park where we stayed was a contrast to the Lake Opuha site – it is hidden away in a clearing in a pine forest. We walked from here around the lakeside into Lake Tekapo township, passing the famous church of the Good Shepherd.

The Church of the Good Shepherd

Built in 1935, this church has become one of the most photographed buildings in New Zealand because of its attractive structure and the picturesque backdrop of lake and mountains. The church was built in recognition of the pioneers of the Mackenzie Country.

Nearby is a bronze statue of a collie dog, a memorial to the working dogs that assisted the pioneering leaseholders and farmers. There is a wealth of activities to choose from at Lake Tekapo, including canoeing, jet-boating, yachting, fishing, tramping, cycling, golf and walking.

Domes at Mount John Observatory

We followed a walking track to the summit of Mount John, home to the Mount John Observatory, one of the best places in the world to observe the night sky. The observatory houses New Zealand’s largest telescope and there are tours for those who want to view the evening or night skies.

During the day, we discovered the breath-taking views of Lake Tekapo, Lake Alexandrina and Lake McGregor as we walked the three-hour loop to the summit of Mount John. The elevation gain is 311m, so I was glad of the excuse to stop and take photos.

Tekapo Springs

After exploring the mountain top, we had a coffee at the aptly named Astro Café before heading back down to the lakeside, where we soaked our aching legs in the hottest of the Tekapo Springs hot pools. Each pool is shaped like one of the district’s lakes: Ohau, Pukaki and Tekapo.

Mighty Mount Cook

Freedom camping at Lake Opuha

Next stop on our itinerary was lakeside at Lake Pukaki, where there is a large area for freedom camping near the dam. A track beside the lake is part of the Alps to Ocean cycle trail, although we just meandered a few kilometres and back again on our bikes.

Christmas was approaching, and we pulled out a tiny wilding pine to decorate our bus. Although it was summer, the glacier-fed lake water was icy, and only a few brave tourists attempted a quick dip.

We left our bus parked beside Lake Pukaki and drove by car to Aoraki/Mount Cook. This World Heritage site covers more than 70,000ha and includes New Zealand’s tallest mountain and largest glacier. There are several walks here, ranging between 10 minutes and an hour.

We wandered around for a couple of hours admiring the splendour – where else in the country can you go for a stroll and see icebergs? The Mackenzie Country is full of contrasts and is well worth exploring.

MORE TO DO

• There are several walks in Fairlie and the surrounding area. We loved the Fairlie River Loop Walk. There are some good eateries in the township; we can recommend the pies from The Bakehouse.
• Freedom camping is allowed at Lake Opuha for up to seven nights, except from 23 December to the second Monday of January.
• As well as the NZMCA park at Lake Tekapo, there is a holiday park on Lakeside Drive and freedom camping at Pattersons Ponds.
• Information on the Mount John Observatory and Tekapo Springs can be found at the information centre in Lake Tekapo township or at laketekaponz.co.nz