This one’s just a continuation of my time in Takaka…

The one long hike I did was to the top of Parapara Peak. It’s a great option for a long day out, and it must not see too much traffic, because the trail is not very well manicured, which I guess could be good or bad, depending on how you look at it.



 



 

After hiking up Parapara, I made a quick stop at Waikoropupu Springs, or Pupu Springs for short, which has to be the clearest water I’ve seen in my life. The springs produce about 14,000 liters (enough to fill 40 bathtubs) a second, from either different vents.

And on my last day in Takaka, I hiked up to the Rawhiti Cave. You can’t get deep into it, but just seeing the mouth of it is enough.
Some of the stalactites here are a bit unique, as they’re actually phytokarsts, which is a combination of calcium carbonate, moss, and algae. As the stalactites form, moss and algae begin to grow on them, and more densely on the sunlit side, which points out of the cave. As the moss grows, it gets swallowed up by the growth of the stalactite. As this cycle continues, the phytokarst ends up growing out towards the sunlight…For anyone from a cold area, they look very similar to icicles that have formed on a very windy day.

 


 

And that sums of my time in Takaka…if you’re ever in New Zealand, don’t miss Golden Bay…it’s definitely worth visiting for a few days (which could easily turn into a week!)