8-12 November 2007

From the Psychotic to the Sublime

The Lake Waikaremoana Track

Day 5, Page 2: Waiharuru to Hopuruahine Landing

We are approaching the kiwi fence. A complete peninsula has been enclosed in an electrified pest-proof fence for development as a wildlife breeding area and sanctuary.

A long term Agatha Christie fan, I shudder every time I see one of these notices. Dogs, except approved hunting dogs, are of course, forbidden in DOC controlled land, but even up in Auckland, in ARC parks, where 1080 is the preferred poison, I keep a cautious eye on Alice. She is track-trained and heels on command, and excellent company, but she would not be the first dog to check out a bait with fatal results. Some of the stations are only a metre or so from the tracks.

Just for variety, we get tossed a short length of boardwalk.

A patch of young wineberry stands out beside the track.

This section of forest is especially rich in tawa, whose golden green leaves lend a special quality to the light when they dominate in the canopy. And that's an almost perfectly shaped young tree fern.

More tawa, golden against the dark blue-green of the beech forest across the way.

Down below a shallow bay shows how clear the water is in the lake.

It's somewhat darker in the bush along here, a denser shade.

Another relic of the big storm. The guys from DOC and the small army of volunteers faced an enormous task digging out the track from the debris left after the big storm.

The big fellow has left a hole that lets the light into a small clearing.

It's good walking.

Low branch...

Here's the kiwi fence and its yellow "electrified" tag..

More tawa. Another feature of this tree that I like is the way in which the leaves dance in the slightest breeze causing a rippling effect in the light around one.

Over the top of the ridge we go. and immediately there is a vegetation change - much more open and light.