Wharepuke

Just up the road from the Stone Store we found Wharepuke Subtropical Garden and Sculpture Trail. It's an interesting half hour wander through rare and unusual plantings with sculpture dotted amongst them.

Malcolm wonders if this one could actually fly.

 

Te Ahurea

Another nice walk along the track from Rainbow Falls to the Kerikeri Basin. Another coffee at the Honey House Cafe, admiring the cottage gardens and lots of fluffy ducklings. The staghorn ferns on this tree were amazing.

Across the footbridge to Te Ahurea, described as an interactive pa site

This area had reconstructions of homes and a meeting house

There is an extensive garden area with lots of signage to identify the plants and the uses Maori made of them.

Also viewing platforms amongst the palisades, looking across the river.

There's also a jetty built into the river beside this canoe house, with waka trips planned for the future.

 

Kerikeri

Day one of a spring trip away. We went to Kerikeri where we checked out Roland's Wood. This is an English-style beech wood, famous for bluebells in spring. The area is planted out with other flowers and shrubs too and was worth a wander around.

Clivia at Rowland's Wood

Malcolm's photo of this bee in a lily

The best pie I've ever had in NZ at the Cafe Cinema, Kerikeri

Parked at the NZMCA campground at rainbow Falls

Rainbow Falls (you can just see a bit of rainbow to the left of the waterfall). There was a lot of water cascading down and a lot of spray.

We walked along the track through native bush to the Stone Store/Kerikeri Basin. This is Wharepuke falls along the path.

Can't go past the Honey House cafe. our table had this nice view of the back of Kemp House, NZ's oldest building.

On the other side of the basin is Te Ahurea, formerly Rewa's Village, a reconstructed Maori village. We looked at their waka and canoe house, and checked the opening time for the next day...