Piha
Călin / 14 August 2022
Piha – our first hiking trip outside Auckland, that is besides going to look for house rentals on the North Shore. Robert and his children took us there on one of his favorite hikes: Mercer Bay loop. We extended the walk with a trip down to Karekare beach. This is an easy walk on the West coast from Auckland. The views are spectacular and remind me of the Na Pali coast in Kaua’i.
The track is well maintained: this was the first time we saw how mindful are the Kiwis with their nature: tracks are well defined and mostly gravelled; there are stairs to avoid climbing rocks and help with the steep climbs; there are boardwalks to protect vegetation and bird nesting; and on top of the boardwalks they place chicken wire (or sometimes a plastic mesh) to prevent slipping. There were a few people on the track, but it was by no means crowded, even given the proximity to town.
After the walk, we went to the beach at Piha – a nice expanse of a beach, with Lion Rock in the middle. Lion Rock is a Maori sacred place. You can climb on the rock, for the views or just for the exercise, although they no longer allow going to the top. And the views, especially in the later afternoon light were gorgeous.
On the side of the beach there is an inlet that you can walk at low tide and find all sorts of gems: tunnels, caves, rocks, shells. And it is very peaceful!
