08/09/2018 - Highest waterfall and diverse gardens

A day later and the enthusiasm from visiting the Shire continues! We would have loved to visit the Hobbiton Movie Set again, as it was so peaceful and beautiful there. However, we decided to save the $85 ($48) entrance fee and explore the surrounding region instead. So our day began at none other than the highest waterfall in the North Island! The Wairere Falls plunge 153 meters (502 feet) in two stages - wow! We could already see the upper part of the waterfall during the drive.
Arriving at the parking lot, a forest area obstructed the view. We had to cross it to reach the falls. Along with other weekenders, there were some joggers using the trail for their workout. It took us 45 minutes to hike through the dense bush and reach the first (of two) lookout platforms. We hiked through the bush, alongside the Mokau River, over tree roots and rocks, as the first lookout came into sight. We set up our tripod on-site and tried to capture the extremely tall waterfall. However, this was quite challenging - besides its size, the limited visibility made photography a challenge. Only a few parts of the Wairere Falls were visible, nestled in a rock face.
With the impressions we gained, we continued the hike. We continued to climb uphill. After another 45 minutes, we made it. We stood at the highest point of the waterfall. From here, on a beautiful sunny day, we had a panoramic view of the green valley. It was strange standing on the edge where the water masses plunge into the abyss ... - you definitely don't want to fall into the water here.
Then followed the swift descent. On the way back, we let the scenery have a stronger impact on us. We loved the green gorge through which the Mokau River flows, as well as the moss-covered rocks along the river. :)
After a total of three hours, we returned to the car and continued the journey to a familiar city. Once again, we drove over the brand-new Waikato Expressway (you remember that the speed limit here is 110km/h). We reached Hamilton in no time. Since we skipped the top attraction of the city on our last visit (just a few days ago), we made up for it today (with better weather). - Maybe we should have checked the event calendar of the Hamilton Gardens beforehand. Apart from it being Saturday, today was the "Festival de la Primavera" - a festival where the countries of the southern hemisphere welcome spring. The parking spaces were completely full! So, the nearby muddy field was converted into an additional parking lot ... When we finally parked the car, we wasted no time and joined the numerous visitors.

The Hamilton Gardens, spanning 54 hectares and award-winning, house over 21 different gardens. - Entry is completely free!

We got an initial overview and then let ourselves drift through the gardens. After a short trip to Japan, the path led past bamboo shrubs, to Mediterranean gardens, before ending the journey in India. - The diversity, the intense smells, and the various species of plants were incredible! We especially remember the Indian garden "Char Bagh". A garden like a small oasis. Greeted by symmetrically arranged paths, a temple, a central water fountain, and the many, many colorful flowers. In short: it looked fantastic! Just like the Italian area with its orange and lemon trees.
We then visited the herb garden, the vegetable fields, and the gardens created by former Maori with their well-thought-out designs.
Before we headed back to the car around 3:00 pm, we made a quick stop at the spring festival. In addition to lively Latin music, the large and small dancers performed a tango. The air in the hall was stuffy, the passion was immense, and we were right in the middle of it. :)
After the great performance, we left the cultural celebration, did some shopping, and headed to our overnight location. It was about 50 km north, in the charming town of "Te Kauwhata". On the way there, we passed the historic town of "Rangiri".

Exactly here, one of the bloodiest encounters of the New Zealand Wars took place. - Well protected behind a fortification wall, Maori warriors resisted arrest by British soldiers. There was a major battle with uneven odds. The natives were outnumbered both in personnel and armament, and had to surrender.

The information boards on-site vividly depict the Maori defense methods and tell us about all this and much more.
Around 5:30 pm, shortly before sunset, we reached the free campground in Te Kauwhata. Campers are allowed to stay for one night in front of the local rugby club's clubhouse and use the public toilets. After our arrival, we quickly prepared dinner and disappeared into the car. As darkness fell, we realized that we would be sleeping alone in the parking lot tonight. It felt a bit uneasy. And the SUV that thought it had to do burnouts next to us didn't improve our state of mind. The fully loaded car circled nearby with squealing tires ... We feared the worst. However, after the second visit, the teenagers said their goodbyes with honking and loud shouting. Peace returned. Until we laid down around 10:00 pm and headlights again illuminated our car. Upon looking outside, we breathed a sigh of relief - it was just the local police on patrol.