16/07/2018 - Native bush, stone slide and waterfall

After the weather had been at its best in the last few days, yesterday's day started rather gray and uncomfortable in "Mahia". Therefore, we didn't hesitate and got ready to continue our journey. The destination was "Gisborne", located 90 kilometers to the north.
On the way, we passed the small village of "Morere", which has natural hot pools. For a (high for us) entrance fee, you can take a hot bath in the middle of the bush. But since we didn't feel like swimming that day, but still wanted to have a look at the area, we tried to reach the nature reserve through a "back door". So we drove another kilometer and parked the car on the back side of the forest. At first, we weren't sure if we would even reach the paid area. Nevertheless, we set off, passed a cemetery, and were then surrounded by countless "Nikau Palms". We felt like in another world. We hadn't been able to find that many palms and vines in the New Zealand bush before. We were thrilled and followed the unclear trail for a while. After about twenty minutes, we saw the first signpost. We let the signage guide us to the paid hot pools. The closer we got to the area, the better the quality of the hiking trail became. In the end, our delicate feet walked on brand new asphalt. ;) Whatever the flooring was like, the surroundings of the warm swimming pools were beautiful. In the midst of nature, visitors can relax their souls in the steaming thermal water.
As we passed three of the fenced hot pools, we headed back to the car. The incoming rain gave us a sense for what it might be like in a rainforest. Even though it made the surroundings look even more authentic, the free shower wasn't necessarily necessary. We made our way through many dead palm fronds and arrived at the car quite wet.
Before we could continue our journey, we had some minor problems getting off the sloping meadow. With a lot of finesse, we managed the slippery turning maneuver and drove back onto the highway. The weather didn't improve during the further drive. The constant rain demanded one thing in particular: the windshield wipers. And they couldn't keep up anymore. With every wipe, they squeaked and shook wildly - they urgently need to be replaced! So, as soon as we reached Gisborne, we headed for an automotive accessories market. With the help of the employee, we found the right model and the new windshield wiper blades were mounted on the car within a few minutes. The new wiping experience was delightful - calm and smooth. Rainy weather is much more fun this way. ;)

The next morning started very early. At 03:00 (New Zealand time), the Football World Cup final between France and Croatia began, and we didn't want to miss it. (France 4:2 Croatia)
Three hours later, the sun shone through our curtains and it became pleasantly warm in the car. Too warm. So we got up and got ready for the day. Today, we explored the surrounding area around "Gizzy". We went to one of the most touristy destinations in the area. Just outside the city, we first visited the "Rere Falls". Wow! We took out the tripod and staged the wide waterfall. - The tip from the travel guide that you can walk comfortably behind the water curtain surprised us. The Rere Falls carried so much water that you are guaranteed to be pushed over by the water power, aren't you!? - We took several pictures from various positions and then drove to the well-known tourist hotspot. The "Rere Rockslide" is a very special section of the "Wharekopae River". At this point, the water no longer falls several meters down but gently runs down a smooth rocky slope. You can actually slide down here for a total distance of 60 meters! In the summer, it is a popular destination for locals and tourists alike. Adventurers throw themselves down the slope on bodyboards, air mattresses, or their bare bottoms. However, in the winter, there is hardly anything going on here.
We were impressed by the attraction and pondered for a long time whether we should dare it. But the fact that the river passes through a lot of farmland and carries some germs with it during heavy rain kept us from the adventure - this danger is clearly pointed out several times! Nevertheless, we had our fun. We sent several branches and tree trunks down the natural slide. ;)

In retrospect, we watched some action videos of the Rere Rockslides. It made us realize how much water was flowing down the slope at the time of our visit! Normally, the smooth rocks are only wetted with a thin film of water. This allows every water enthusiast to see exactly where they are sliding. However, due to the high water level, we couldn't even see the surface of the stone slide.
The same applies to the Rere Falls. At our time of visit, the river carried a lot of water due to the season, which is why they looked more massive than usual.

On the way back to Gisborne, we stopped at pasture fields several times. Because in August, the lambing season begins and some sheep have already given birth to their lambs. We heard the squeaky "baa" of the little ones again and again. Sooo cute! :)
In the afternoon, we returned to the easternmost city in New Zealand. It is also called "the city of rivers" - we found out why during an evening walk. We strolled along the banks of several rivers that cross the city center. The sun was setting slowly and ended the day with a beautiful play of colors.