Day 1...
If this building looks like it should be in The Hobbit, that's because Matamata is the nearest town to Hobbiton, where the movies were made. We visited a few years ago and loved it. This is Matamata's info centre, where tours go from.
We went to look around the Firth Tower Museum Reserve. The tower was built in 1882 and is now part of a complex of buildings. The homestead (above) is adjacent to the tower but is not the original one, that burned down.
Me at the top of the tower
Old phone booth outside the machinery shed
The tower, homestead and other buildings in the background.
Malcolm heading up the tower. There are exhibits and info on each level.
There's an old church in the background, also an old school...
and gardens, and a woolshed, milking shed, etc. Lots to see.
In the evening we walked along Centennial Drive, with trees dating back to 1880 though most of it was planted to celebrate New Zealand's centenary in 1940. Lots of native and exotic trees.
Finally, drinks and dinner at the Horse and Jockey Inn.
Day 2...
We went for a walk to the top of the North Island's tallest waterfall, Wairere Falls. The track goes steeply up, through bush and over rivers until, after 45 mins you come to a viewpoint where you can see the waterfall...
Then it's up for another 45 mins to the top of the falls.
You come out at this river...
...and walk along to the viewpoint where you can see the top of the waterfall...
Yay! The top!
On the way down we noticed this reflection in the clear water of the river.
And then we went for a soak in the Opal Hot Springs, followed by a refreshing swim in the pool.
No comments:
Post a Comment