We had a short ride to our activities today, and have the luxury of two nights in the Gekko cabins in the Rainforest Resort in Franz Josef. We drove to the tiny hamlet of Okarito, where we got set up for a morning of kayaking in the lagoon there. There is an inlet to the Tasman Sea at the mouth of the lagoon, so it’s a mix of salt water and fresh water that enters from two rivers.
The history of the area is very interesting. Gold was discovered in the mid 1850’s in the black sand of the beaches, so a gold rush set in, quickly swelling the town and creating a town of over 4,000 people. There was a deep port that allowed big ships to come in, and several industries tried to make use of the connection to the world by exporting flax and later timber. The native Maori people used the abundance of flax for most everything — shoes, satchels, rope — and the European community that set up there built machines to dry and strip the flax plant more efficiently. Both this effort and the later attempt at exporting the native hardwoods eventually failed, and with the gold rush ending, the population declined. Currently there are 35 residents, which swells to 45 during the summer months.
Our kayaking experience was meant to take about 3 hours, and it was not windy and the tide was with us, but it was pouring rain for the first hour. I was partnered with a German woman who now lives in Auckland, and we were sympatico with how long we really wanted to be out in the rain, which was lucky for me. We started out with the others heading towards a river inlet that was supposedly filled with bird life, but after 45 minutes decided we’d had enough of sitting in puddle, so turned around. Our total commitment to that activity was about an hour and a quarter. The rest of the morning was spent in the kayak outfitter’s office/cafe, getting dry and warm and waiting for the hardier souls who did explore further and stayed out for over 3 hours! Clearly I’m not a hardy soul when it comes to being out in the rain.
After a lovely lunch in the office/cafe we hiked the Okarito Trig Trail to the top for a scenic view of the lagoon and the sea beyond. It was only a 4 km walk, but much of it was uphill, providing a cardio boost. The trail was lovely and wooded, with lots of moss and Rimu tree saplings. The Rimu is an evergreen with the needles on each branch aiming down. The female has sharp and prickly needles, while the male of the species is softer to the touch. (As in nature….?)
We were back at the cabins early, so had some time for laundry and relaxing before dinner in the group cabin. An early start tomorrow, so back to packing and getting ready for the next day’s adventures.
Curious if the native Maori are still a presence or only just in the historical telling of the region.