24/11/2017 - A Feeling of Freedom

Our morning started like any other - with homemade muffins from our host. At the breakfast table, we had a casual small talk with her husband. He works in shifts and had the morning off. He asked us what we had planned for the day, and that's when we started talking about the Mount Manaia Track. Andries had a few insider tips for our upcoming hike.
We packed our things and drove to Whangarei Heads. Once we parked the car, we could already see the giant rocks that the track would lead us to. The estimated time for the ascent and descent was two hours. In high spirits, we marched up the first meters of elevation to a forested area. From there, we followed countless steps that took a toll on our water supply and energy. During the hike, we kept glancing at the clock, wondering how much longer the ascent would take. After about 50 minutes, we were slowly approaching the goal - the steps became fewer, and the blue sky reappeared. We passed mighty rocks until we could see the very last staircase. On the final rock, which also serves as the viewpoint, there were no railings or other safety measures. Once again, we had to trust our common sense. Completely exhausted from this ordeal, we finally reached the top. New Zealand's midday sun had made us sweat a lot. We sat down first, trying to catch our breath and drink some water. But the view quickly made us forget all the hardships. The feeling of finally reaching the top is comparable to crossing the finish line.
The dimensions are impressive. From up there, we could see our car in the parking lot. It's amazing how many meters of elevation you can overcome within an hour. (Mount Manaia is about 420 meters above sea level.)
After taking a short break and thoroughly enjoying the panorama, we once again became adventurers. We left the official track and circled around the rocks that form the mountain peak. After a small snack in the form of a cereal bar, we prepared ourselves for the descent from Mount Manaia.
After about fifteen minutes, we followed the insider tip from our dear host. Once again, we left the official hiking trail and turned onto a dirt path. This led us to a kind of stone terrace. We were speechless, and a feeling of freedom washed over us. This place is not completely safe, as you wouldn't want to get too close to the steep abyss ...
After a short photo shoot, we continued the descent.

Now we drove to a nearby bay. 'Smugglers Bay' is located in a nature reserve and can only be reached on foot or by boat. We were greeted with a hiking trail that crossed a spacious cow pasture. But except for a few curious glances, the cows didn't pay much attention to us. After a short walk, we reached the beach of Smugglers Bay. We strolled along for a while and soon discovered a small penguin colony. We couldn't believe our eyes and tried to get closer to these flightless birds. They didn't seem to mind us much either. So we took the opportunity to take a few pictures from a distance. As we moved away from the penguins, we found a large, beautiful seashell. At first, we weren't quite sure if there was still a sea creature living inside it. But upon closer observation, we could see movements in the shell. We don't know exactly what kind of animal it was - we suspect a sea snail. Since the shell was on dry land, we decided to put it halfway into the water. Now, there were clear movements, and the sea creature stretched out of its shell. While Tobi took long exposure shots of the beach, I continued to observe the shell and its intentions. Slowly and calmly, it turned around with its house and waited for the tide.

To get back to the car, we had to cross the cow pasture again. Armed with apple cores, we mingled among the cows, which were now standing and grazing on the hiking trail. As expected, they once again showed no reaction and let us pass.

Now it was time to return to the Airbnb accommodation in Whangarei for the last time. The next day, we would continue our journey to the next coastal town.