Wairere Boulders near the Bay of Islands

It has to be said that Wairere Boulders are a bit out the way and you need a certain level of fitness to go and see them - winding paths, climbing up over rocks, squeezing through crevices, but they are definitely worth a visit. En route to the boulders we had to make several stops for random cows and the odd horse roaming loose on the road; definitely gave us the impression we were in the middle of nowhere... but still we ploughed on.

On arrival we entered an information shed/ shack where we were greeted by a friendly lady called Rita Schaad, who enthusiastically gave us the low down and information about the walk. It turns out that the land was owned by Rita and her husband, and through a labour of love the two of them endeavoured to build the walkways and bridges along the walk to allow people to come and see these magnificent rocks and boulders on their land. 20 mins debrief and $35 later we headed off on our walk.

I can honestly say I've never seen anything like it - this relatively small plot of land filled with massive boulders and it beggars the question, how on earth did they get there in the first place? As the Rita explained the interesting point is that these rocks are not limestone but solid dense basalt - but they have a pattern of ridges flowing through their surface (flutes) - which is believed to be created by the acidity of the Kauri tree that once lived in the area.

After our stroll round Wairere boulder filled valley and various weight lifting exercises, we then headed back to Takapuna, stopping off for a quick cuppa at one of Dan's collegue's bach in the Bay of Islands... a beautiful little spot with the most amazing views... thank you Tim, a true stunner!