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Oct 23
Mon

Opononi won't let us go & Visiting the God of the Forest

After it's been lashing down the whole night and morning it's brightening up again, the sea at Doubtless Bay starts shining turquoise. Light gives and takes the colours, sea is rough today. Mindful of Pete's advice we're driving back SH10 along the Bay of Islands – he told us it was more scenic and vastly better to drive and there would happen less accidents than on SH1. Passing Kerikeri we reach SH12 and take a stop in Kaikohe. The The Hub of the North doesn't appeal much to us so we just buy some grocery and move on.

Opononi Opononi · more Opononi pictures more pictures

We continue driving until we arrive in Opononi at the West Coast and we love this place: A little village at Hokianga Harbour with a Four Square Store with petrol station, a fish'n chips shop and a wooden wharf. When we arrive sky is foggy grey but in an instant sunlight turns the the sand golden and the sea turqouise. We enjoy the breathtaking panorama with magnificient golden sand dunes, rocks and hills in every shade of green. Light is playing with the scenery. It's glistening. Shining. It's beautiful. Some cars park at the road side, some local youths meet there and travellers take a break to enjoy the view. We stroll around and enjoy ourselves. The fish'n chips servings are enormous. People are eating outside with their faces in the sun and in high spirits while some seagulls are waiting for their share.

Opononi Memorial for the beloved dolphin Opo · more Opononi pictures more pictures

There's a memorial for Opo, the friendly dolphin, who had been playing here so confidingly with kids and other bathers from 1955-56 like it hasn't been reported about any other wild living dolphin yet. Opo was first sighted by local fishermen in 1955, swimming behind their boats. They found out that the dolphin lady loved to be scratched with an oar. She jumped around the boats and followed them to the shore where she played with the children – the smaller ones could even take a ride on her back. She loved playing with a ball as well and no one was ever hurt. In 1956 at midnight on the 8th of March a law for Opos protection was established. When the dolphin didn't appear as usual on that day a search was started and on the following day while low tide Opo was found dead in a rock crevice. Locals think the dolphin had been attacked with gelignite blast what is used for fishing illegaly. The case caused sorrow all over the country and is discussed controversially until today. Opo's grave is in front of the R.S.A. hall.

We leave Opononi and hope to find a place for our next overnight stay near Waipoua Kauri Forest. Immediately behind the village we follow a street which leads to a lookout from where you have a gorgeous view to Hokianga Harbour. Continuing SH12 we stop at the visitor centre and buy a map of Waipoua Forest, New Zealands largest subtropical rain forest which is also home of the oldest, largest and mightiest remaining kauri trees. Meantime it's slashing down. Nevertheless we want to see Tane Mahuta, the God of the Forest. We're wearing good rain clothes and the tree is just a 5 min. walk apart from the street. With a total height of 51.2 metres it is the tallest still living kauri tree of New Zealand. It's trunk girth is 13.77 m and his age is estimated between 1200-2000 years. It's a giant. We think it's a pity that the tree is so far away from the boardwalk, because we hoped we could touch the trunk. As if the tree would realize, a tear out of rain drops from his crown onto may face :-) The boardwalks in the kauri forests give shelter to the sensitive roots of the trees. Sometimes the paths nearly lead through the tree tops.

Waipoua Kauri Forest SH12: No passing with a campervan · more Waipoua Kauri Forest pictures more pictures

We move on trying to find a place for the night. SH12 is very narrow here, straitened from the lush and dense native bush. Because of the weather the humidity is very high and the air is misty – that's how I've ever imagined a rain forest. Then a mighty tree trunk across the road, a small vehicle worms it's way beneath it but there's no chance for passing with the campervan. We turn, what is quite tricky here with a vehicle length 6.6 m, and drive back. There's hardly an opportunity to stop on the way and we reland in Opononi, where we stay on a parking bay at the sea overnight. Some other travellers seem to be in the same situation and park here as well, although there's a sign saying overnight staying isn't allowed. Apparently the locals don't mind.

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