#takaka

After I wandered the beach, I found a coffee stand where I got a very tasty coffee and pastry 😋

Next up, I stopped at Sculpture705 Lollokiki - a gallery/garden run by a husband and wife who create paintings and sculptures. It was actually really cool - I especially liked the waka collection and the musical instrument sculptures.

The next stop was the Kiwi Spirit Distillery in Motupipi, where I got to taste a vodka, a rum, and two liqueurs (kiwi fruit and boysenberry). Everything was very tasty, and although I had the option of trying a gin, I opted out because of the aforementioned lessons learned at my last gin tasting (read: I still don't love gin). While I was chatting with the very kind young person at the distillery, they asked after my plans for the day, and I admitted that I was winging it! They suggested the springs, which I visited the other day, and then suggested Wainui Falls. I had forgotten that I had intended to visit Wainui Falls, so I was thrilled that they suggested it!

So, on I went to Wainui Falls. It was about a 25 minute drive winding up and down hills along the water. Once I reached the car park, it was then about a 25-30 minute walk up to the falls. The whole path was beautiful. At the falls, I met a lovely British couple - the husband retired just before Christmas and they are now spending three months traveling NZ, Aus, and Bali (or was it Singapore?). Lucky them! I took their picture, and they kindly took mine. I didn't stay too long, as the sandflies were intense and I had stupidly left my bug spray in the car without applying it. 🤦

For the last stop, I circled back around to the Labyrinth Rocks. This is a labyrinth of rocks (very literal name here) that is described as an excellent example of karst geology. Now, if you (like me) have no idea what tf karst geology is, allow me to spare you the googling - Karst is a type of landscape where the dissolving of the bedrock has created sinkholes, sinking streams, caves, springs, and other characteristic features. In this case, the limestone has been eroded away, making a variety of paths, nooks, and crannies to explore. Although I enjoyed it, I didn't love it - as I was walking out, I saw the map at the beginning had certain rocks labeled with names - kissing pig, etc. I wish I had seen and taken a picture of that before I wandered so I could see how much the kissing pigs really looked like kissing pigs! But in any case, it was fun to wander through small pathways, between and under rock formations, and into the bush.