Wilkies Pools & Dawson Falls

Hello my dears,

I am currently sitting at home on the couch, and I have actually made no plans for this weekend except for a few organizational tasks and an appointment for the car service. This also means that I actually have some time to update my posts to a more current status.

In my previous posts, I already mentioned that I have made my way to Mt. Taranaki. Right at the foot of this mountain is a wonderful forest area that offers a few delightful short hikes, pools, and waterfalls. Despite the cloudy weather and forecasted light showers, I set off to see if I could do this even in not-so-great weather. The journey there was quite an adventure, as the road was very narrow, and I essentially drove on a paved path through the jungle.

Upon arriving at the parking lot, I first put on two more layers of clothing because it was really chilly, and during the hike, I also noticed that it had snowed on the mountain and the wind was extremely cold. After a quick chat with the staff at the adjacent DOC Center, I then made my way to the pools. The track to the pools is mostly equipped with rubber mats on the steps, making it manageable even in light rain and very wet conditions.

And the view of and from the mountain was a dream, and I truly enjoyed the short hike. Moreover, I was completely alone on the track, and after it had rained so much a few days earlier, the animals were also thankful for a few rays of sunshine, and it was just peaceful and wonderful.

Getting to the different pools required some climbing, which I, of course, found very enjoyable.

After about 20 minutes, I went back and thought I’d just add another 20 minutes to my walk, and so I hiked to the nearby waterfall. This was definitely worth it, even though my shoes got very muddy.

It was a wonderful trip. However, what was not so great was that I overlooked a thick branch on the adventurous road there, which damaged an undercarriage cover of my car. This then hung down at an angle. I ended up laying almost completely under the car and repaired it back together with cable ties. Let’s see if the garage can replace the damaged screws today.

After the pools, I went to a campsite more on the north side of the mountain, and there I took a very hot shower. In the morning, I woke up to a really beautiful view of Mr. Taranaki. More on that in the next post.

Your Britta