January 28 and 29: Waipoa Forest Kauri Trees and Wairere Boulders and Waitangi River Walk

Our Active Adventures Rig for 12 clients and two guides.


Here is our group in awe at the second biggest kauri tree.




A very large wood pigeon in the Kauri forest. Bird poop helped to 
acidify the soil and control the fungus that its now contributing to Kauri die off.


Kauri die-off victim.



One of the fern trees in the Kauri forest.



Disinfecting boots before and after entering the forest.



This tree is named. It has been around for thousands of years and is immense. 


More than 100 plants live in its canopy.  Some are over 100 years old!






Day 2:

On the second day of our trip we entered the Wairere Boulder area and saw this
 amazing spider with its very attractive beetle dinner.




A trek through basalt boulders grooved by acidic water produced by the Kauri forest.



The Lookout---end destination of our hike. Looking down at river bed and valley.



Waterfalls along Waitangi River--start of hike.


Unusual mangrove forest near mouth of river---these mangroves are very different and less complex than our red mangroves in the Americas.


The mangroves along the river in contrast to the forest behind!


There were not land mammals in New Zealand until introduced. Weasels and stoats are now pests that kill lots of birds. There were traps for them all along the trail.  They are not live traps!!






 

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