March 19 Truman Track (Day 174)

Another beautiful day for a walk. We were headed to the Pororari River Track, which we have been on twice already, when we passed the Truman Track. We’ve passed it many times and the small parking area is usually full. There was one parking spot available and we’d better do this track now, before we leave! It’s a short 15 minute walk through a grove of native forest to the coast and a small beach. Along the track there are placards with information about the trees and bush.

The Rimu is the canopy tree in the forest in this area. It would be the trees towering over the bush in forest pictures.

The Rata is the two thick trunks on either side of it’s host tree here. The host tree seems to be dead and decaying in the center!

After walking from the forest then through a flax field, the view widened to encompass the ocean from the pancake rocks south to a small bay on the north.

The waves into the bay weren’t huge, but you could see the undertow and the roiling waters in the bay!

We climbed down the stairway to the beach, past signs warning that “Due to extreme tidal currents & rips it is advised not to swim at river mouths & beaches along this coast”! It being near low tide we took the risk to walk on the pebbly beach and explore the water-carved sandstone caves.

Robert took a picture of me from the cave, I took a picture of him in the cave!

A panorama of the small side bay with calmer water.

A close up of the wave eroded outcrop/arch.

And a crab claw we found with a perfect articulating hinge!

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