28/07/2018 - Four natural spectacles in one day

Various bird songs woke us up this morning. Curiously, we pushed the curtains aside and saw the surroundings for the first time, where we had spent the night. (It was already pitch dark when we arrived yesterday.) Since our parking space was surrounded by tall hills and dense forest, we decided to drive to the nearby town before breakfast to find a spot in the sun. We found one close to its landmark.

A seven-meter-high and 7.5-ton statue embodies "Te Kuiti's" nickname: "Shearing Capital of the World". An oversized sheep shearer was reproduced in his work and stands unmissable on the side of the road today.

We enjoyed our muesli, brushed our teeth in a public toilet, and then set off. At the beginning, we drove to the "Waitomo Caves" located 30km north. In the manageable village, we were greeted by a multitude of tourists. No wonder - this is one of the classic tourist hotspots in New Zealand. For high admission fees, it is possible to book guided tours through well-developed caves. The special feature of the different underground cavities are the countless "glowworms".
But we continued on our way to our scheduled destination. We left civilization and followed a narrow country road for a while. Past green hills and forest passages, we made our first stop at the "Mangapohue Natural Bridge". Within a few minutes, we hiked to a picturesque, green-covered gorge. The flowing stream is framed on both sides by high stone walls, partly covered with moss and other plants. Cold water dripped on us from time to time. Brrr! After crossing the stream thanks to a suspension bridge, the actual attraction built up in front of us. A tall, wide limestone arch towers 30m above the narrow gorge. Several stalactites can be seen on its underside. A beautiful picture that reminded us of the two stone arches in "Karamea" - and again it was difficult to capture the dimensions with pictures. A few steps further, you reach an elevated wooden platform that offers new views of the scenery. The impressive rock arch, the green gorge, the flowing stream - just great!
When the dreamy place was visited by a busload of Asian tourists, we retreated back to the car. Before we continued, we followed a second route that also led into the nature reserve. We reached old boulders that told many stories. Fossilized shells and snails were clearly visible in them, leaving no doubt that this must have been once the seabed. Incredible.
Before finally returning to the car, Tobi quickly grabbed a turnip from the adjacent field and is already looking forward to processing it. ;)
With the fresh loot, we headed to the next stop. We reached it after a short drive. The "Puripuri Cove" is only a few steps away from the parking lot and thanks to a wooden staircase, the exploration of the cave is very simple and suitable for everyone. You don't get very deep inside. Nevertheless, it's worth a visit, as numerous stalagmites and stalactites decorate the interior. Unfortunately, shortly after us, another group of visitors arrived, making it very restless and hectic in the narrow, dark chamber.
The last natural spectacle of the day was an impressive waterfall. The "Marokopa River" cascades down the namesake waterfall in several stages, dropping about 35 meters. Because of its width and the green surroundings, it quickly became one of our favorites in New Zealand. :) Therefore, we didn't miss the opportunity to capture the waterfall with long exposures. Only the spray diminished the fun of photography.
With many new impressions, we headed to our today's "campsite". In the middle of nowhere, we checked in with a small family. For a small amount of money, we were allowed to park our car in the front yard and use the toilet.
After dinner, we set off on a night hike late at night! Our destination was the natural rock arch that we had already visited at noon today. It was only a 20-minute drive from us to the nocturnal adventure. On the way, we encountered several possums and stoats crossing the road - or cheekily stayed put and didn't seem to have to move. We reached the parking lot at around 9:00 p.m. and found that another couple had also strayed there. Equipped with two flashlights and our camera equipment, we walked the familiar path to the gorge. Now, if you turn off the lights, hundreds of glowworms surprise you! They were everywhere - high up on the rock wall, among the plants, or further down on the riverbank. The many blue lights looked enchanting. The cold and darkness were quickly forgotten. Instead, we let the natural spectacle completely affect us. We walked slowly along the gorge and admired the glowing larvae. We were thrilled! The trip was absolutely worth it. :)
After more animal encounters on the unlit country road, we safely arrived at the muddy driveway. Swiftly, we cleared the bed, brushed our teeth, and dreamed of the "glowworm starry sky".