Day 33. Scenic drive to Raglan taking backroads and gravel roads….
Drone shots over valleys….
Marokopa village by the sea
Lunch stop Marokopa Falls…. 20 minute return. Short easy track through thick native bush took us out to a viewing platform. The falls dropped 30 metres cascading and separating as the torrents spewed over stepped rock face hitting and misting over the rocky base, racing on, it tumbled over huge rocks flowing away into the rushing river.
Natural Bridge 20 minute loop track….Easy track took us over suspended catwalks, bridges and boardwalks to another of NZ nature phenomenons a natural limestone arch.
Huge steep walls of the gorge bore down on us. Thoughts are they were once the sides of a cave that grew slowly over time, eventually becoming unstable and collapsing creating the gorge and remaining roof section – natural bridge – way above our heads.
Raglan Holiday Camp….pristine camp, great facilities, but way too busy and touristy for us. We did have fantastic fish and chips on the much quieter Wharf side of Raglan a half hour walk away.
Day 34. Early walk along Raglan Beach, ‘A Surfers Paradise’ just one kite surfer was out on the waves….
Bridal Veil Falls 40 minute return. Short walk through thick native forest, bark covered in moss and tiny ferns. Huge tree ferns radiating out above our heads filtering the sunlight.
It was up to the muse to get behind the lens at the top lookout, Long-suffering visibly blanching at the falls 55 metre drop. Water shoots out thundering out and down to a pool 5 metres deep, where a large boulder sits just below the surface.
The second viewpoint, lower and not looking straight down, suited him much better!
The falls really do resemble the long flowing veil of a bride as they flow from the pinch point ‘head piece’.
Of course as always we had to earn our view of the power and beauty of natural New Zealand..261 times, twice over – that’s how many steps down to the bridge at the bottom of Bridal Veil Falls….and that’s how many steps to get back up!
PYO Strawberries….
Hamilton Gardens….I was very excited to visit these famous gardens, an excellent – and well received – itinerary stop from long-suffering. How lucky to have so many beautiful gardens in one place for free – donations gladly accepted – all year round!
Chinese, modernist, kitchen, Indian and many more, we could not get around to see it all such is the scale of the gardens and still expanding as more garden rooms were in progress and planned for the future.
This varied collection of individual gardens stand on what was the site of the city’s main rubbish dump. Strolling around these beautiful snapshots of design over the past 4,000 years, its previous use is hard to believe.
Each garden tells a story using context and meaning from small potagers to grand landscapes.
Our favourite was the Italian Renaissance Garden, the heady scent of the citrus trees filled the flower filled space, fountains, symmetrical lines in front of a whitewashed Italianate villa.
Rogers Rose Garden – roses planted on mass!
Glasshouses
Tudor Knot Garden
English Flower garden complete with the all important rabbit!
Waterlily reflection
More flowers
House on the Hill Farm – overnight stop…Beautiful spot high on the hilltop wonderful stay, friendly hosts and entertaining farm animals, what more do you need!
The Creative Muse 
Love the tree fern, like a huge umbrella…..and the bridal veil, looking at the gardens, well horticulture overload! I think you must have been in 7th heaven!
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I could easily have spent many days in the gardens.
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