After leaving Waikaremoana and driving again through Wairoa, we headed towards Napier through once again interesting countryside. Lots of huge rock formations, rivers in deep ravines, and some really funny little villages which were almost like ghost towns. We had seen Lake Tutira mentioned in the NZMCA book as a DOC campsite (previously just a rest area). We arrived in the afternoon in nice sunshine and I loved it the moment I saw it. There were black swans galore and their baby cygnets, ducks and their babies, herons etc. We parked with a metre of the lake edge and while poor Stu was setting up the caravan I already had the camera out. There appeared to be a very strange family consisting of a blackswan mother, 8 cygnets still covered in buff coloured fluff, and a white goose who was SO protective of the cygnets! They were gorgeous, the black swans so tame that they immediately left the water to come and investigate the newcomers (more likely wanting food says Stu). There was another campervan there also who turned out to be a german girl we had seen at Waikaremoana, so in case she was feeling she may be the only one in this little 'rest area', we assured her we would also be staying the night. Poor girl was not impressed by all these great big black swans wanting to come and make friends with her. Once we were all set up we went to explore the area and discovered that not only were there walking tracks, but around the lake further was a large camping area with a few motorhomes and tents already there. We were tempted to shift but as we had promised the german girl we would be near her, we felt obliged to stay where we were. It really didn't matter as we had a great 'possy' but I think it was only meant for day parking. Anyway, we did a walk around the adjacent small lake before dinner. Next morning we set off on a long walk which took us right up along the ridges above the lake - fantastic views. Very uphill of course, but it wasn't too arduous. When we returned to the caravan the german girl had gone, so we decided we would shift round to the bigger camping area which proved to more shelter. Their were quite a few people there including a family with kayaks and trout fishing gear etc, and then in the afternoon a great mob of sheep arrived with their lambs. We were very amused by way the sheep, swans, ducks etc all mixed in peaceful harmony. Not the same can be said for some of the human species, as there was a woman camping there who had nothing better to do than chase the sheep every half hour of so as she didn't want them near her tent. So there was plenty to watch in between reading and relaxing in the sun. Stu is onto his 2nd book - amazing! Must admit the sheep were a mixed blessing that night, as some of them had obviously been separated from their lambs and every so often the 'woolly chorus' would awake us from our slumbers. Next morning was nice and sunny again so we left for Napier. Would return to Lake Tutira anytime - one of the highlights of our trip.
After leaving Waikaremoana and driving again through Wairoa, we headed towards Napier through once again interesting countryside. Lots of huge rock formations, rivers in deep ravines, and some really funny little villages which were almost like ghost towns. We had seen Lake Tutira mentioned in the NZMCA book as a DOC campsite (previously just a rest area). We arrived in the afternoon in nice sunshine and I loved it the moment I saw it. There were black swans galore and their baby cygnets, ducks and their babies, herons etc. We parked with a metre of the lake edge and while poor Stu was setting up the caravan I already had the camera out. There appeared to be a very strange family consisting of a blackswan mother, 8 cygnets still covered in buff coloured fluff, and a white goose who was SO protective of the cygnets! They were gorgeous, the black swans so tame that they immediately left the water to come and investigate the newcomers (more likely wanting food says Stu). There was another campervan there also who turned out to be a german girl we had seen at Waikaremoana, so in case she was feeling she may be the only one in this little 'rest area', we assured her we would also be staying the night. Poor girl was not impressed by all these great big black swans wanting to come and make friends with her. Once we were all set up we went to explore the area and discovered that not only were there walking tracks, but around the lake further was a large camping area with a few motorhomes and tents already there. We were tempted to shift but as we had promised the german girl we would be near her, we felt obliged to stay where we were. It really didn't matter as we had a great 'possy' but I think it was only meant for day parking. Anyway, we did a walk around the adjacent small lake before dinner. Next morning we set off on a long walk which took us right up along the ridges above the lake - fantastic views. Very uphill of course, but it wasn't too arduous. When we returned to the caravan the german girl had gone, so we decided we would shift round to the bigger camping area which proved to more shelter. Their were quite a few people there including a family with kayaks and trout fishing gear etc, and then in the afternoon a great mob of sheep arrived with their lambs. We were very amused by way the sheep, swans, ducks etc all mixed in peaceful harmony. Not the same can be said for some of the human species, as there was a woman camping there who had nothing better to do than chase the sheep every half hour of so as she didn't want them near her tent. So there was plenty to watch in between reading and relaxing in the sun. Stu is onto his 2nd book - amazing! Must admit the sheep were a mixed blessing that night, as some of them had obviously been separated from their lambs and every so often the 'woolly chorus' would awake us from our slumbers. Next morning was nice and sunny again so we left for Napier. Would return to Lake Tutira anytime - one of the highlights of our trip.
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