14/3/09 The day after our second day at Rotorua was a Saturday, and because of this Ian and Kaye offered to show us around the local countryside. They drove us through Waimana Gorge into very mountainous country - and on the way, we passed by a small Maori cemetery and a big sign that told us we were now in on Tuhoe land and to treat the area with respect because of it. The Tuhoe were one of the few Maori tribes which did not sign the Treaty of Waitangi with Britain, and ever since then they have considered themselves a lot more independent of white NZ than most of the other Maoris. Eventually we stopped at a big campsite next to a river, where we had a picnic lunch and skimmed stones. It was empty apart from one group on the other side, and a couple of horses roamed. We were now in Te Urewera National Park, and apparently horses and livestock aren't allowed on National Park land, but because of the Tuhoe connection, in this Park they turn a blind eye to it.
After lunch, we went on a walk in the forest/bush. It was quite a long walk up the side of a hill - quite strenuous, but the scenery was beautiful. We passed several possum traps (possums were originally introduced from Australia, and are considered great pests) and a trap for weasels on the way. When we reached our stopping place we rested for a while before turning back. Ian and Kaye had been here before, and although the vegetation had got overgrown since then, if we stood on the bench we could still get a brilliant view of the valley and mountains nearby.
We stopped at a couple of other places before we got home. These included the oldest 'Pa' site (pre- European Maori fortresses on hilltops) in NZ with a great view of almost the entire Bay of Plenty, a lookout over Opotiki estuary and beach, which was incredibly beautiful, and a stopoff at Ian & Kaye's other farm near Opotiki, which had more incredible views.

15/3/09 On our last full day in Waimana we went for a long coastal drive round the Bay of Plenty and along part of the East Cape. I had thought of trying to get to the town of Gisborne for the day, but then we realised that by the time we got there we'd only have a very short time before heading back again, so we settled on the coastal drive instead. It's famous here for being quite off the beaten track and really beautiful, so I didn't mind at all!
It certainly lived up to its reputation, but in a slightly different way to what I had expected. One beach we stopped at was made up of very dark grey, almost black pebbles, and the sand on the other beaches we stopped at was very greyish, giving an impression of bleak beauty which was enhanced even further by the lack of other people. Something I was surprised at was the sheer amount of driftwood - mounds and mounds of it some places; but because lots of it was stripped of its bark by the sea and then bleached even whiter by the sun, from the artistic viewpoint this contrasted well with the colour of the sand, and added even more to the impression of pristine, stunning wildness. The last beach we stopped at in particular was so wide and incredibly beautiful, yet almost completely untouched, it was certainly on par with some of the other amazing beaches we've seen on our travels. It may not have been tropical and with white sand, but aesthetically it was just as good - just in a different way.

16/3/09 We had to return the car in Auckland by 9 am on the 17th, so in order to avoid having to get up at about 4 am that day, we decided to drive back today instead and stay at a place with a car park overnight. It was at a hostel called 'Pentlands', recommended by Ian & Kaye, in the suburb of Mt. Eden - very nice place.