Redwoods Treetop Walk, Rotorua, New Zealand

One of my favourite places in New Zealand is the Redwood Grove in Rotorua.  It is always on my 'must do' list whenever I visit the city. The thermal city of Rotorua is famous for its steaming geysers, boiling mud and natural hot pools.  It is packed with interesting places to see and things to do but for me nothing tops the Redwood Grove.  The tall majestic Californian Redwoods, planted 118 years ago, fill me with a sense of peace, calm, and awe.  Wandering through the grove feels to me like walking through a grand European cathedral. So it was a no brainer that on my recent visit to the city I would take a walk through the grove, albeit this time by way of the Tree Top Walk.

Left: One of the 28 bridges

Right: The highest platform, 
20 metres above the forest floor








At 700 metres long and with 28 bridges and 27 platforms it is the longest living tree walk in the world. The day I visited there was a light drizzle but, just as their brochure states, it made the colours of the forest more vibrant with raindrops sparkling like diamonds on the ferns and spider webs below and that lovely, earthy, foresty aroma rising up.  A plus, as far as I was concerned, was that the rain meant their were fewer visitors.  It is suggested that the walk takes 40 minutes to complete but I was enjoying it so much, and because there were so few people around, I took about an hour just meandering along and admiring a birds eye view of the forest and the stunning ferns below.

I enjoyed it so much that I went back in the evening  to see the Redwood Nightlights. At night the Treetop Walk is illuminated by huge suspended lanterns hung from high in the trees.  Designed by New Zealand award winning light designer, David Trubridge (appropriate name) the sculptural, wooden lanterns reflect the patterns of nature.  They are magnificent and the way they throw light on the trees and illuminate the ferns at night is quite magical.  Unfortunately for me by evening the rain was steady, nevertheless, undeterred, I forged ahead and enjoyed it thoroughly. I met only one other hardy soul braving the elements and I ended up drenched but it was worth it, one of the many beauties of Rotorua being that I could have a warming soak in a thermal pool later at my hotel.  I am now keen to return and do both walks all over again in better weather

Above and right: The David Trubridge lanterns. 

Below right: The only photo I got at night
due to steady rain blurring my lens. 

A few facts: The tallest tree in the forest is 75 metres or 246 feet high.  The lowest part of the Treetop Walk is 6 metres high, working up to 12 metres. The highest part is 20 metres above the forest floor and 100 metres long. 

If you have visited the Redwood Forest before, the Treetop Walk is a must do.  If you haven't visited the Redwood Forest before, the treetop walk is also a must do but you should, before or after the experience, wander through the forest at ground level.  I guarantee you will love it as much as I do.

Wet but happy!

Visit the Treetop Walk website: www.treewalk.co.nz for more information.

Graffiato - Taupo Street Art Festival

Each Labour weekend the town of Taupo, in the central North Island of New Zealand, holds a street art festival where invited artists are provided with a blank wall to use as a massive canvas.  Taupo's was the first festival of this kind in New Zealand, there are now others, and attracts artists from around New Zealand and overseas keen to showcase their skills. 

Street art has many purposes; it can work as a commentary on modern life, be useful as a form of protest, draw attention to social issues, be an outlet for the quirky and/or vivid imagination of the artist or simply just as a pleasing way to beautify an ugly wall. Towns with numerous examples of street art have also noticed a considerable reduction in the amount of mindless graffiti they need to clean up.  It seems even  vandals respect good street art.

I enjoy street art so on my recent trip to Taupo exploring these murals was high on my list of things to do.  Armed with a map from the Taupo isite (information centre)  I set out to see as many as possible.   Many are up alley ways and behind commercial buildings like hidden, secret treasures, it was fun finding them. Unfortunately for me there was persistent rain that day but I did my best and managed to see at least half of the murals before getting soaked and very cold. The upside, though, is that next time I go to Taupo I will have the other half to look forward to. 

by Jacob Chrisohoou

Hunting for the murals would be a great family activity too.  Get children involved searching for them, like a treasure hunt, and then both children and adults can enjoy the art together. Note: the art remains, it is not removed after the festival

The photos are of some of the street art I did manage to see.  

by Numa MacKenzie

Part of a mural by Jeremy Shirley

Part of a mural by Erin Forsyth

by Beck Wheeler

by Charles and Janine Williams

by Dside

Orakei Korako, New Zealand - A thermal wonderland

With a virulent virus sweeping the world, and New Zealanders unable to travel overseas for the foreseeable future, it is time to explore some of the amazing things our own country has to offer.  Despite having traveled extensively through New Zealand  over my lifetime there are still plenty of places I haven't been and Orakei Korako was one of them.  I had driven past the turn off on countless occasions but never taken the time to go down the road.  What a treasure I had been missing!

A misty morning in the countryside near Orakei Korako

Orakei Korako, translates as The Place of Adorning and is one of many natural thermal areas in New Zealand. Nestled on the edge of the man made Lake Ohakuri it boasts bubbling hot geysers, boiling mud pools, silica terraces of many different colours and a peaceful, unspoilt bush walk - everything you could wish for in a thermal park.

Looking across  Lake Ohakuri to the thermal area 

Located down a quiet, picturesque country road, 21 kms from the main highway, it is worth the drive alone. What a wonderful sight greets you as you  round a corner and suddenly there  before you are steaming cliffs beside a serene lake.  I was so taken by the sight I shouted "Wow!".   A boatman ferries guests from the visitor centre across the lake to the thermal valley, on demand. It is a very short trip, taking just a few minutes.

Cascade Terrace  Photo taken through the steam

The walk around the park can take between 1 and 2 hours.  I took my time, drinking it all in, relishing the marvels of nature, mesmerised by the geysers, boiling mud and hot gushing streams. The silica Emerald Terrace, the first sight you see, is the largest in New Zealand, 20 million litres of hot water flow across it each day depositing silica before gushing into the lake. This terrace will continue to grow with time as more and more silica is deposited.

As with all geysers timing is everything.  They can be temperamental and only put on a show when it suits them.  Fortunately for me the Diamond Geyser, with its steaming plumes of sparkling water, was doing it's thing.  Lucky me!

Left and right:
The colourful algae which thrives in the hot water










On Rainbow and Cascade Terrace hot water algae, which thrive in temperatures up to 60C, cover the terrace in an amazing range of colours of green, yellow, pink and orange.  The terrace is fed by hot water from Hotchstetter's Pool, named after an Austrian geologist who visited in 1859.

Passing through The Golden Fleece Terrace, named for the golden algae covering it, you climb up some steps for a spectacular view of The Artist's Palette. There is so much to see here you need to spend some time to take it all in. It is an almost flat silica terrace measuring 10,000 square metres boasting everything from geysers, silica terraces, multi coloured algae, boiling cauldrons of water and gas, and crystal clear  blue pools. Stunning!

When you can tear yourself away from this view you continue on to stroll past liquid clay pools.  Looking for all the world like great pots of  porridge you can become quite hypnotised watching them boil and plop satisfyingly.

Before making your way back to the ferry via a cool native bushwalk stop to admire the Soda Fountain Pool and Ruatapu, the Sacred Cave. 



At the ferry landing you push a button to alert the boatman who will come and collect you for the short trip back across the lake.

I have outlined just a few of the highlights of Orakei Korako, there are others. I was thrilled with my visit.  I had it all to myself until just before I left when a group arrived.  It was such a joy to wander and marvel in one of nature's wild but beautiful places. I intend to return another time instead of speeding past to get somewhere else.

I was very impressed with the care that has been taken to keep the reserve in its natural state. I have visited other thermal reserves in New Zealand and have found them more crowded and more commercialised.  Orakei Korako is in pristine condition with unobtrusive walkways and well maintained paths and tracks. It is a real credit to the guardians and managers of the reserve. I also found the staff friendly and welcoming.  I encourage you to visit if you haven't already done so, it really is a gem.

NOTE:

•  It is absolutely essential that you stick to the well marked walkways.  The water is boiling and lethal and the earth's crust is very thin in places. 
• There are a lot of stairs which are no trouble to most people but make the reserve unsuitable for wheelchairs or baby strollers.  Baby backpacks are available for hire.

       www.orakeikorako.co.nz

        All photos and videos on this page are my own