April 1, 2013
After treating ourselves to coffee drinks and a goodie at the Mansion House’s cafe, it was time to get some exercise and take one of the walking trails in the area. We wanted to see the ruins of the old copper mine; so we opted for the Lady’s Bay Track, which would give us a view of the mine and Dispute Cove alongside it, an anchorage we wouldn’t otherwise get to see.
The walk turned out to be pretty spectacular, winding through pine, fern, and native bush forest with beautiful views of the north Hauraki Gulf. No matter how many walks we take in New Zealand, each one manages to be different in some way. Kawau’s unique features are the tall pines which carpet the ground with pine needles, orangey-brown soil contrasting with dark green water along the rocky shorelines, the sight of a darting weka or two as you walk through the forest, and the view of boats sailing amidst islands backed by a mainland coast not far away. Kawau is definitely an place like no other.
Above is a gallery of photos from our hike. The old copper mine is on the bottom left of the gallery. As always, click any to enlarge and scroll.–Cyndi
