Uretiti-Waipu Forest-Tinopai

08.03.2020

We went to see the sunrise at the beach, it was amazing. From there, we drove to Waipu Forest and then to Auckland. It was an interesting journey. The drive took 2.5 hours, not as long as expected. Suddenly, it was only a 1-hour drive. And in Switzerland, I would have already left the country in 1 hour haha. When I arrived, I went to see the two biggest trees, Tane Mahuta (which means 'God of the Forest' in Maori). It is the tallest tree in New Zealand and one of the tallest in the world. It is a Kauri Tree, measuring 51m tall with a diameter of about 4.5m, a giant indeed. The forest was beautiful, just like the rainforests and palm trees in Switzerland. Then I went to see the second largest tree, Te Matua Ngahere (which means 'Father of the Forest' in Maori). It was a slightly smaller but still enormous Kauri Tree. There were short hiking trails to reach these trees, well done. After that, I drove back to Tinopai from Waipu Forest. It is a small village by the sea. I went to a simple and beautiful camping site there. The people there were so welcoming and warm, even if you just pass by a campsite on the side of the road.