ARATAKI REGIONAL PARK

(Adapted from my earlier article written for www.nhne.org “Special Reports”) by Bonnie Willow

At the edge of the Waitakere (pronounced Why-TACK-ery) Range of mountains on the western coast of the north island, life is serene. Towns are tiny, just a handful of comfortably well-used business buildings anchor a smattering of homes and farms. The countryside is quiet, traffic infrequent. The Waitakere Mountains are an especially good area to visit. A central feature there is the Arataki Regional Park. It is humongous and wild.

I spent a happy afternoon above the canopy of the rainforest, walking along the boardwalk. What an unusual vantage point! Looking down onto the tops of the thick jungle was like viewing a kaleidoscope. Fern fronds of the giant silver ferns overlapped in hypnotic swirls, creating optical illusions. Other trees, some tall as date palms, some short as fireplugs, fanned out their feathery leaves in concentric circles. Flowering bottlebrush adds moments of color in the profusion of green. Silence reigns.

We walked the trail through the bush (forest) that afternoon. On the way in, I was surprised to see dozens of kids' backpacks left on a covered platform, unattended. Hours later we saw the school field trip far along the trail, confident of the safety of their packs. In the United States, that would be unheard of! Incidentally, almost all of the 10-year-olds smiled and greeted us with cheerful "G'day's" as we passed. That's a perfect illustration of the type of friendly and trusting country this is.

We met a little Fantail bird (Maori name is Piwakawaka, pronounced PEA-waka-waka). It flitted and flirted all around our heads, with tail fanned out, playing in the branches. It wins the "Cutest Thing in New Zealand" award. (Gary, my husband, won second place.)

The kouri (COW-ry) trees found throughout the forests made a tremendous impression on me. They are massive, stately trees that seem to emanate wisdom. Their imposing presence fosters that impression. They are like Ents (from Lord of the Rings) only grander than the ones in the book and movie. Gary walked on, absorbed in his photography, while I spent time alone in Kauri Cathedral -- an ancient grove on a knoll. I just stood and breathed in the clear air that the trees breathe out through their leaves. The dozen magnificent trees each had a unique look and feel to them, but equally magnificent.

One of the many quotes I saw on plaques along the path is appropriate to include here: "We need both civilization with all its comforts, and wilderness with all its discomforts. We are both social and solitary beings, whose personalities as much as our culture derive from the interplay of the wild and the ordered." -- Craig Potton (NZ Landscape Photographer and Conservationist)
Another quote was:"The ongoing Waitakere. It holds more diversity than all the forests in Europe." -- Professor John Morton (NZ Marine Biologist)

The Arataki Visitor Center was well worth the time it took to find it. Its information displays told us that we were situated on top of New Zealand's largest active volcano. (I checked the floorboards for heat. All appeared to be well.) The impressive Maori sculptures telling stories of their ancient gods were dramatic and fascinating. I listened to recordings of traditional Maori music and of rainforest sounds, which were also available for sale. It was a good place to buy souvenirs of genuine quality.

Piha Beach (below), located at the foot of the mountain where the Arataki Visitor Center is at the peak, is lovely and rugged simultaneously. It's an international destination beach for surfers. Gary nearly drooled over the perfection of the waves, but we weren't equipped for surfing that day. The black volcanic sand was sparkly and swirly in appearance. I was glad to see that local government prohibited taking shells from that beach. When the natural beauty is this pristine, it does need some protecting from overly-enthusiastic folks, including myself. Piha Beach

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