Terrific Tui Te Mata Peak Half Marathon

We admit it. We are feeling mounting pressure to return to Colorado race-readiness. That means training. We both have races scheduled shortly after our return Stateside and since everyone told us we should make our way to the east coast of the North Island we killed two birds with one stone. We signed up for a trail half marathon in Hawkes Bay.

It rained and rained in the Waikato late last week, so when we left Otorohanga about 10 am Saturday morning we did so in pouring rain. It poured all the way to Taupo, where we stopped for lunch and coffee. We found a great cafe and lingered longer than we should have, but we eventually got back on the road and Ruben drove us the rest of the way to the Wine Country Motor Lodge in Havelock North. It was raining there, too.

Then the sun came out! We ventured into Havelock North Village, which we discovered is very posh. The area is one of NZ's most famous wine growing areas and beautiful vineyard estates surround a tiny village chockablock with boutiques, cafes, and restaurants. 

Looking at Havelock North Village from the roundabout.

Sunday morning was foggy, but as race time approached (at a very civilized hour--9 am) the sun began to shine brightly. Our short drive to the start area was beautiful:

When we arrived at the parking area there were already signs that this was going to be a bigger event than we'd taken part in for a while. We were in the first event of the day--the long-course 21.1 km off-road run. There would also be short- and medium-course runs beginning at 9:15 and 9:30.

Ruben and I ran the race together. This was a challenging course in the best conditions, and we did not have the best conditions. The temperature was ideal, but the track was muddy and slippery. We both did a number of slow-speed mudslides that left us dirty but unhurt. I didn't take any pictures along the way, so after the race we peeled off our wet, dirty clothes and drove up to the summit of Te Mata Peak, which we had achieved earlier on foot. The views during the race were even better!

We liked it that this couple had brought a picnic lunch up to the summit.

Havelock North is just south of Hastings on the east coast of the North Island.

We decided to drive home through Napier (a city that burned in the 1920s and was purposefully rebuilt with major buildings in a 1920s Art Deco style) to check out the coast and the architecture, but wouldn't you know it--it started raining again. We pretty much just plowed on toward home from that point. The winding two-lane NZ roads are nerve-wracking in good weather and I have a hangup about running out of gas when there are 100 kms or more between petrol stations, so I was relieved to hand the wheel back to Ruben at Taupo. The rain came even harder and the daylight faded into a dark night, but Ruben got us home safely.

Maungatautari Ecological Island Reserve

We were able to take another afternoon run this past Thursday. Several people recommended the Maungatautari Reserve near Cambridge, so this being a beautiful fall day, we went.

Before Polynesians and Europeans arrived in Aoteoroa New Zealand there were no snakes, rodents, or mammalian predators on the Islands, which allowed a host of flightless birds, lizards, and plant life to flourish. It didn't take long after the introduction of predators for many of these defenseless species to be endangered or extinct. 

Groups have been working to restore the native plant and animal life by creating predator-free "islands." The folks at Maungatautari are serious about keeping critters out. From carpark we had to go through a set of push-button release double doors plus a very heavy metal door within the enclosure to get to the tracks.

Maungatautari Reserve's Sanctuary Mountain.

Looking at rural Cambridge from the carpark.

At the carpark

Inside the enclosure.

The footpaths in the Southern Enclosure were very well formed and a fantastic running surface. There were steep climbs, though, which left us breathless. We have definitely become flatlanders.

One of the big attractions of the Southern Enclosure is this viewing tower. There is a transition aviary just near the base of the tower from which native birds being released into the sanctuary spend some time acclimating. There weren't any birds in the aviary the day we were there, but we could imagine that being on the top of the tower when birds are released would be a spectacular sight.

From the top of the tower looking down through the canopy.

A few rata flowers are still blooming despite the late fall weather.

We only spotted a few birds from the top (more as we were running),
but the air was alive with different species calling to one another.
The viewing platform on the tower is a really peaceful place to spend some time just listening. 

The koru (spiral) is one of Aoteoroa New Zealand's national symbols.
Ferns of all sizes sprout in this curled shape, and this was an excellent example of a large tree fern frond uncurling.

I didn't take these pictures; they are from the reserve's website, but they highlight some of the native species. Aren't they wonderful?

Pukaka

Tuatara

Kiwi

Hell's Gate, Rotorua

One of the main tourist areas in the central North Island is the Lakes District. We visited Lake Taupo while we were in Turangi (the Huka Falls are in Taupo), and this weekend we ventured to Lake Rotorua, which is about a 2-hour drive from Otorohanga.

Mushrooms on toast is a Kiwi fave brekkie and I indulged at a cafe on our way into town. I loved the addition of avocado. In New Zealand (and everywhere?) the general rule is that streaky bacon makes everything better, but I prefer avocado, especially the NZ-grown variety. R had a pulled pork concoction that he reports was very delish, but he doesn't like it when I take pictures of his food, so you'll have to imagine it.

Our primary destination in Rotorua is a thermal area the Maori call Tikitere. The writer George Bernard Shaw visited the area in the 1900s and told his Maori guides that this must be the gate to hell that his theologian friends refer to in their sermons. The name stuck and in English it is became known as Hell's Gate. It's not a scary as the hell I imagine, but it's pretty weird.

The entrance to the park, a "Waharoa" or carved gateway that depicts the ancestral chief of the Rangiteaorere tribe and the Maori god of volcanic activity, "Ruaumoko."

At the entrance visitors meet by Wai Ora, the guardian warrior.

This property has the distinction of being Maori owned and operated, and they go to some lengths to make this a cultural showplace as well as a display of the natural geothermal wonders. The Ngati Rangiteaorere tribe has been caretaker of this land for more than 700 years.

We had barely crossed through the entrance before we encountered our first steaming site.
In fact, there was steam rising between the paving stones, too. 

Approximately 10,000 years ago the lake that covered this area receded and to this day steam, gases, and hot fluids bubble to the surface. The heat source is 1.5-2 km blow the surface (the other thermal reserves in the Rotorua area have their heat source 10 km or more below the surface).

This is a 25-meter deep hot pool that has no visible inlet or outlet but is in constant motion, as can be seen in this picture. The water is 62˚C (144˚F) with a pH of 3.5 (about the same as stomach acid).

The footpath through the park steps away from the hot pools for a bit to wander into the bush. The green trees and lush ferns are a welcome break from the harsh landscape of the steaming rocks.

Just a few hundred meters down the path we encountered Kakahi Falls, the largest hot waterfall in the Southern Hemisphere. The water temperature is 40˚C (104˚F). This was a traditional post-war bathing place for Maori warriors, who in addition to certainly enjoying the warm water, benefitted from the healing properties of the sulphur in the water. The entire place is pretty sulphur-stinky, by the way. But you get used to it fairly quick!

The path that leads away from the falls goes to another region of geothermal activity, the Sulphur Crystal Valley. There are black spots resulting from spontaneous combustion of the sulphur deposits. We didn't see any spontaneous combustion explosions during our visit.

In person these formations are bright yellow and sparkly.

They call this Devil's Cauldron. The black mud reaches 120˚C (248˚F).

 The mud volcano shown below is approximately 2.4 meters tall, which is unusually tall for a natural mud formation. Every six weeks or so the top seals over and over a 2-3 day period the pressure inside builds up until the top blows and sends mud lahars down the sides of the volcano.

Visitors are allowed to put their hands into this lake (38˚C or 100˚F) to feel the softness of the sulphur water.

The water in this pool was bubbling like mad!

If you are keen, you can order a traditional Maori lunch cooked in this pool.
The sign says an adult pig can be cooked in the pool in about 2 hours.

 Following the walk through the geothermal area, visitors are directed to a Maori sculpture park. Maori are accomplished woodworkers, and all over the North Island there are totems and marae (meeting house/worship hall) with elaborate carvings. Ruben and I were attempting our best Maori warrior Haka faces (tongue out, eyes open wide), but the sun was too bright!

We also tried our hands at some carving.

Our carving instructor.

Sweet as, bro!

We also took advantage of the mud footsoak in the park. The mud was fine, soft, and warm.

From the footsoak we moved on to the full-on spa. The open-air change room was really (and unexpectedly) nice, especially on a day with weather as fine as ours.

Gayle in the thermal sulphur spa.

We had a nice long chat following our spa with one of the workers who is Californian. He is taking a break from nursing school and working in NZ for a couple of months. We had a good time comparing Kiwi slang notes. "Sweet as!" "Good on you!" "Cheers, bro!" "That's the one!"

Rotorua's city centre was winding down with the daylight when we rolled into town, so we walked around a bit, peeked in some souvenir shops, had dinner in an awesome Venezuelan restaurant called Sabroso, and called it a day.