Waiohine Gorge

We like to explore different areas when we can so in the weekend so we took a trip up to the Waiohine Gorge.   Peter and Elaine came along with us for the ride.  We turned off SH2 and drove the 15km into the hills, past farms and life style blocks, along gravel roads, and finally reached our destination. 

The Waiohine Gorge is full of rugged beauty.  People can go abseiling from the platform leaning out over the river if they so desire.  Not us though, we got a little dizzy just peeping over the edge. The Waiohine River is popular for rafting, tubing and kayaking, and is a Grade 2 river.  Fishermen can try their luck as  both brown and rainbow trout are plentiful upstream.  Deer hunters can try their luck in tracking red deer in the surrounding hills.

  Waiohine Gorge from the abseiling platform

As we looked around the picnic area  the midges and sand flies feasted on us.  Day trippers would have to bring along plenty of insect repellent, we decided.  What a shame that ours was back in the caravan, we certainly could have used it that afternoon.  We were keen to see the camping area, but it was obvious that this DOC Camp would not really be suitable for our large caravans.  Back into the car we climbed, and drove up a narrow winding road, getting higher and higher.  We went past stands of pines that were being felled, and numerous logging tracks veered off into the distance.  The road got more and more narrow, and we thought we had missed the campsite, so we decided to turn back.  Once down at the picnic area again, we checked the map on the board.  Unfortunately, we had turned back too soon, before we had come to the camping area and the impressive new swing bridge. 

Close by the picnic area

The Waiohine Valley boasts some unique flora and fauna, including the forest tree giants matai, northern rata and red beech. It’s home to such rare species such as the tiny native short tailed bat and the semi parasitic beech mistletoe. Bellbirds, kereru, morepork, tomtits, long tailed cuckoo, kaka, and forest gecko also reside in the forest, along with the native snail.  Also  a peculiar creature called peripetus, an ancient species that is a cross between a caterpillar and a worm.  It slithers about in the loose soil of this area, squirting slime to attack its prey while hunting at night.  Doesn’t that sound like a creature straight out of a horror movie?  Robin spotted this kereru high in the canopy as we walked along the track.

Kereru (wood pigeon) high in the trees

On the drive back to camp we stopped at a small flock of black sheep.  The fleeces from these are very popular with home spinners and weavers and the natural coloured wool produces beautiful knitted garments.  On our return back to camp Elaine was horrified to see that Robin’s previously shiny 4WD was now covered in a thick layer of dust.  Never mind, that’s what happens when you travel on gravel roads.

Baa baa, black sheep