Day 24 - Sunday 28 January 2024
Today has not gone to exactly to plan, but it's still been a damned good day!
Checked out and ready to go at 08:00, I set Kitekite Falls as my destination into the drizzle. First stop was the first refuelling of the trip, and with that done I took the old SH1 southwards towards Auckland. The highlight of the day was the chance to explore a few places in the Waitakare Ranges Regional Park.
The drizzle stayed with me until I was about 15 minutes from Piha, and then the heavens opened! I reached the road where I turn right for KiteKite Falls, and there was a sign saying open to residents only, so I headed down to Piha Beach instead; the second planned stop.
The rain eased off enough for a comfort break in the beach facilities, and a German gentlemen who is a local tour guide explained to me that the road is closed due to landslips as a result of the four cyclones which hit one after the other a year ago. If I wanted to go to the falls, I'd need to park off the road, but there was a river fording over the knees involved (with my stubby legs goodness knows where the water would have reached!), so I wrote that off.
As the rain came down harder again, I abandoned the beach as well and decided to see whether I could see anything from the beach overview. I could, but the clouds we scudding along below me and up the valley, threatening more rain at any moment.
Five minutes further up the road on the way to Karekare Falls, and another road closed to all but residents. Of the four things I had planned in this part of the world, I'd only succeeded in one!
So, I entered the next point of interest into Satnav; Pokeno Waterfall to the south of Auckland. Once again the Satnav directions were thwarted as I was instructed to turn right where a policemen had closed the road, so a circuitous route to SH20 which then bought me onto SH1 by the airport.
Auckland was bone dry, but 10 minutes after joining SH1 the heavens had opened again. I pulled off at Pokeno and found the waterfall car park, but it was torrential outside so I retreated to the town and a supermarket to get some lunch. Tim Tams were on a ridiculous offer, so I now have a variety of variations to try at my leisure.
On exiting the supermarket the rain had stopped, so I went back to the falls, but these were a serious anti-climax; a stream dropping a matter of feet with a smell of sewage in a very posh residential development; as I was making my way in I was passed by a Ferrari going in the other direction.
Away from here fairly sharpish as the rain was returning, and I set the Satnav to the Coromandel Peninsula and a place called 'Manaia Road Saddle and Lookout'. I finally outran the rain, and was keenly aware of the beauty of the New Zealand landscape; this was very much like the Peak District back home. I reached the Coromandel Peninsula at just before 14:00, and the coastal road up the west side of the peninsula was a wonderful road to drive; it was all turns and no straight line in sight! Past Thames, and although the speed limit on the road was 80kph, there was absolutely no chance of reaching that; many of the corners had a recommended speed of 25kph.
Up to the lookout, and the views from here were stunning; this is more like it with the rain staying at bay.
Next on the list was another waterfall, this time not far from Coromandel Town at Waiau Falls. 7km along a gravel road, and a half full car park, I took the 80 metre track down to the falls, and they were beautiful; a good drop down to a pool that four of five folks were swimming in. I spent a bit of time here, then made my way back to the car and was passed by the masses heading down for a swim; looks like I timed it perfectly!
Comments
Post a Comment