By the numbers
2 wet boots
30,355 steps
20.91kms
1 book
I thought I would be smart knowing that the weather might
not be so good for me by taking a wander through Ohope. I wasn’t sure if I
could miss most of the rain or if it was really going to be bad in the
afternoon. I wanted to make the most of my day and I did wonder if I could
change my trip around for the day. For some reason I had set my alarm twice.
Once at 6.30 am and the second for 7.30 am. I wondered how I did that and not
realised when I had set the alarm. It didn’t worry me as I did get up within a
timely manner and went off to do my own thing.
I got myself two extra sandwiches to have for lunch when I
found myself breakfast of a pie. Now I am starting to go back to habits of a
pie for breakfast while on the move, although I did intend on having the bacon
and egg sandwich or breakfast. While waiting for the bus that would take me to
Ohope, an elderly chap sat next to ne and said he had gone to White Island the
day before on another boat run by the same group. He was on his way to Tauranga
on a local bus not Intercity. The bus did come, although he wasn’t paying
attention when it changed to the one he was wanting. I was being nice when I
let him know or else he would have missed it. I did want to visit Opotiki as
well since that had a part in the New Zealand wars with a local church where a
local reverend was killed and his eyeballs consumed. I think the man was buried
at the same location too. Too many places to visit on such little time and many
off the beaten track. I need my own vehicle just to do something like that.
The bus picked me up and they were having some problems with
it as it kept beeping for some unknown reason and the scary part was there were
only two passengers on the bus. Two mechanics had a look and the problem was
fixed so on we all went. I was watching to see if I could walk from Ohope to
Whakatane on the roadside and found I would not do this at all, but I knew of bush
tracks. Once I got off I had to put my wet weather gear on as it was blowing
and the rain was starting to come down slowly. I did look at the bush tracks
from the Scenic Reserve that I could do and found I could have walked all the
way through to where I wanted to, but this course of action could take at least
4 to 5 hours and I wasn’t attempting when it was a wet day no matter what my
skills are. I did find it strange a couple of metres up the track there was a
bike with a helmet and not even locked up. I wanted to wander to the other side
of town as I was wondering about the town wharf. At the time I did not realise
just how long this town actually was. Map makes it look so small, but its so
spread out. I wanted to have a look at the Tauwhare Pa scenic reserve that is
meant to be of historical importance.
Wandering along the footpath I was impressed to see the
posts with beach access written on them and that included a mosaic of a pretty
flower. I did take a walk along the beach, although I didn’t want to take my
boots off so turned back. The sand had only lightly been wet as the layer
underneath was dry. Along the way I fond something that is not on the tourist
guide book and that was the Maraetotara Urupa otherwise known as a Maori
cemetery that is sacred ground and there is no entry. I thought this was pretty
cool that I had come across something like this and it had an information panel
explaining all. A little way later wit the rain becoming steadily heavier, I
found the Tauwhare Pa scenic reserve. I was informed no to go further if there
had been 48 hours of constant rain. The road following past the Pa site takes
you all the way to Opotiki. The information told me that it was partly a food
bowl area and a defensive position. Also the Pa sites had been damaged by
bulldozers in the 1950s. It was interesting how two tribes shared the resources
in the local area. I ended up putting my wet weather pants on and headed down
the hill again so I could take the turn off to follow the rest of the road into
Ohope.
I as starting to wonder about the rest of civilisation in
Ohope as there were more houses than anything else. There were no real parks
and the rain was becoming annoying. I was starting to wonder if I had made the
wrong choice in going into the town as I sometimes make bad decisions. I think
it took around 40 mins before I found some shops near to the wharf that did
sell hot chips, but I went on as I wanted to see what the significance of the
wharf was before I tried to get the bus. Turns out once I found the wharf there
wasn’t any information about it other than a nearby marine reserve. The rain
was becoming a bit too much and I wanted to get the bus. I wandered over the
road as I couldn’t quite decipher the map and didn’t want to see if I was at
the right place on my phone. I came back and waited with another couple.
Luckily 5 mins later at least the bus came and once on it, I found I had
actually seem all there was to see in town though I was going onto my next leg
of the journey even though I was a tad wet by this time.
I jumped off the bus on the corner of Valley and Gorge road,
which was for a perfectly good reason except maybe not the best idea in the
wet. I wanted to walk to a monument that I had seen in my book about a historic
mill site where people had been massacred by Te Kooti. The defenders were
apparently French and had fortified the mill and two days later they were
killed by Te Kooti and there is a mill stone marking the place just out of
town. I was now using my brolly to keep the rain at bay, my boots were now
soaked and I didn’t want to stop as I was determined. Part way to my
destination I came across something I did not expect and that was a sacred rock
called Te Toka a Houmea. Many stories relate to the rock including being an
anchor stone to the Mataatua canoe, also is meant to have magical powers. I was
off again and found houses soon vanished as I was wandering the side of the
highway looking odd with my red polkadot brolly and my yellow raincoat. One
driver even pulled over to ask if I was alright. I responded by giving him the
thumbs up and saying yeah. He never asked where I was going, but my destination
was just up the road. I was waiting for the cops to turn up to ask what I was
up to. I took pictures of the site and then headed back to town so I could dry
out.
The rain seemed to become heavier as I was heading home and
I think the wind was too. Along the way I did hear a siren start wailing and I
had no idea what this was all about. Was it a school bell? Was it a Tsunami
warning? Was it the fire station? I still have no ideas hours later and I never
felt any earthquakes. It did not take too long before I made my way back into
town even though I was now basically sopping wet and I did stop in The
Warehouse to get myself some $30 sandals so I could wear something dry outside.
I had to have a shower and throw my wet clothes into the dryer where they came
out dry. I never threw my boots in there as it would be very loud. I had some
time to visit a second hand bookshop where I found a copy of a kiwi author
called Barry Crump. I want to see what he is like to read even though he is a
little dead. I was happy to have most things dry, but the rest will take time
and maybe I should wear my boots on the bus so they will dry through body heat.
One is actually drying from the heat of a lamp that it is hanging off. So long
as they have a start in drying it should be alright.
Tomorrow I am off to Huntly and will stay there for a full
day before heading onto Whangarei. Really, I do have a day and half to fill in
Huntly, although I am going to visit the museum when it is open. I do like that
it gets dark around 8pm over here. I have even had workmates worried about me
being stuck in earthquakes. I think I would have figured out how to get myself
to the next destination instead of being evacuated home.
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