With fronds like these, who needs anemones?

One of the things I wanted to do while in New Zealand was to hike in the bush with my dear friend and flatmate, Leah, and her husband, Derek. The planets aligned just so and I met them the day I flew into Auckland (Thursday) and on Friday we went for a hike in the Hunua Ranges. 

The weather was a bit iffy but we took jackets and Whittaker's peanut slabs and hoped for the best.

The jackets lasted about ten minutes.

This was mostly what we saw of Derek, as Leah and I did what we do best: yack and walk.

There is nothing quite like the New Zealand bush. 

The way the sun filters through the fronds of the tree ferns.

The way the undergrowth stacks in layers.

The way epiphytes make each tree interesting.
Yes, there is a trunk under all those plants.

The vines, mosses, and parasitic plants that live on the tree ferns and other trees.

I believe this is one of the four reservoirs in the park that supply up to 60% of Auckland's water.

We stopped for a few minutes to rest in the kauri grove. Kauris are mighty trees and one of the largest trees in the world is a kauri tree that grows north of Auckland. Its name is Tane Mahuta, which means Lord of the Forest. Its girth is 45.2 ft, trunk height is 58 ft, total height 168 ft, and the total volume is 18,250 cu.ft.

The ancient Maoris revered the mighty kauris as gods, but unfortunately only about two dozen of the giants survived logging by the early European settlers. Many of the trees that were felled were much bigger than the survivors. 

Leah and Derek.

I love them!

There is nothing in the world like the damp, fertile smell of the New Zealand bush.

Clambering around on the rocks was not my favourite part, but I managed it without mishap.

Leah said the falls were not impressive, so we didn't bother.

The impressive part was the bush track.

We emerged from the bush a few hours later, damp, sweaty, and tired.

It was perfect.