Rocks, Falls & Springs

Note:  All photos on this page have not been manually edited or enhanced because they were rather stunning already!

Labyrinth Rocks

Today, the weather turned glorious and remained so for the rest of my stay at Takaka.  How lucky for me.  I started the day with some yoga in the dining room before taking my breakfast.

My main sightseeing objective today was Wainui Falls but Labyrinth Rocks was along the way.  I hadn’t been to either one of them on my previous visits to the area.

Labyrinth Rocks was only a short drive away.  I parked and walked into the rock formation that was also dotted with native bush.  I took the main straight path, ignoring the alternative paths that branched off to the right, hoping that it would lead me into a circular route but it didn’t.  The main path just finished off and I backtracked.  I then explored some of the paths that branched off.  They all led to dead ends.  I returned to the main path and found my way back to the carpark.

Labyrinth Rocks is a maze of rocks with native vegetation.

Abel Tasman Monument

It was a pretty enough stopover and I continued the drive towards Wainui Falls.  The road there is one I had done before.  This time, with good weather, I took a stop at the Abel Tasman Monument.

I parked and walked the short uphill path to the monument.  You couldn’t have designed a simpler monument.  It was just a white broad pillar.  It was such an ugly thing to put in such a stunning spot.  I’ll let the pictures do the talking.

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Wainui Falls

I continued my drive through Pohara Beach, then Tata Beach and beyond to reach the carpark for Wainui Falls.  The Department of Conservation sign said that the walk would take 40 mins but it took only 25 mins.

The stunning walk through a valley covered in native forests, shallow rivers and hanging bridge led me to the falls.  I was warm enough to crave a swim but with no one else doing it, I thought perhaps it would be too cold.  Two young ladies eventually took the plunge and came out not long after, so I think I made the right decision.

I finished this outing with a real fruit ice cream at a café by the carpark before returning to my accommodation for a light lunch of salad and bread.

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Pupu Springs

In the afternoon, I took the short drive to re-visit Pupu Springs (officially Te Waikoropupu Springs) just outside Takaka.  I took along Tony, an 82 year old man who is touring in a converted bus.  The light at the springs wasn’t as good and it didn’t illuminate the water to its full beauty.  However, my camera seemed to do a little enhancing of its own and the photos looked pretty good.