We went for a hike with Richard (a member of Ngati Whatua tribe we were staying with) who led us up Mt. Atuanui. The weather was far from ideal: rain, serious winds, and cold temperatures were all tough for most of us. Richard led us up a ridge where the wind and rain nearly knocked us us off our feet! After a short walk we entered the rainforest and were sheltered from most of the elements. The forest ecology system was incredible. There was everything from ferns and vines to palm trees and water falls. We went off trail and went through dense jungle, over volcanic rock rivers, and even ascended a few waterfalls. In a couple hours we reached the summit where were faced withheavy fog cover and gusting winds. As we descended, the weather cleared up and we found ourselves in the rolling cow pastures just uphill of the local marae(maori village). By then, the fog had cleared and we had spectacular views over the countryside and Kaipara Harbour. Throughout the hike we covered roughly 65 square units of land, 1000 units of hike, and saw a Kauri that was 15 kilaunits of tree.
Cameron
