Monday 4 November – another round the island walk

I will try and not bore everyone with quite so many photos as the last around the island walk, but apologies in advance, it was so picturesque and the views so stunning I can’t resist including quite a few! The walk was amazing, we walked about 9kms around the perimeter of the island. The whole way we were serenaded by birds, so wonderful after the silence of Polynesia. We saw plenty of Saddlebacks who are so brazen and fearless, clearly not that endangered any more. We saw another parakeet, and at the bird hide we saw Swamp Harriers, a couple having a very amorous time at the little secluded fresh water lake. The weather was glorious and we thoroughly enjoyed our walk, up and down endless steps, from beaches to stunning views from the top of headlands. We saw a couple of ancient Maori settlements at high vantage points, not a lot to see, just a bit of terracing and kumara (sweet potato) pits. Parts felt really wild and other parts were so like England – green lawns being grazed by sheep.

It was a long, lazy evening reading the Sunday papers, the sun sets so late.

Map of our route around the island

The mown path straight up the hill, looking back at PolePole

Getting further up the hill, only this aspect of the island has sheep on it

Fantastic trees clinging onto cliff edges

Look at the roots of the tree clinging on

The dense vegetation is such a contrast to the grassy areas

Dramatic cliff drops

Hole in the wall

Every turn had a dramatic view

Islands we still have to explore

Wide sandy beaches on this side

Loads of boats out sailing today

Lush green path to the hide

Wonderful bird viewing in the hide where we saw the Swamp Harriers, you can just see the lake

A saddleback on the flax flower (if you look closely!)

The best video we have managed of the Tui with his smart white dangly ruffle

For Hannah…….. Protecting Island Song

Vegetation changes and we are back under tree ferns

Back down to another beach

Those same rocky islands from up high

Nearly back where we started

Relieved to see PolePole hasn’t budged

Water colour changes so much

Enjoying this massive tree with the sheep. The tree must be ancient it has such a huge trunk

Lots of lichen on the trees, good quality air here!

Looking up at the massive tree I was sitting under, such a landmark, it reminds us of the famous Sycamore gap tree that was chopped down in Northumberland, near Hadrian’s wall