© NZPocketGuide.com
© NZPocketGuide.com

Natural Bridge & Waterfalls in Waitomo – Day 29

© NZPocketGuide.com

Day 29 on the Road

A Road Trip to Marokopa Falls and Mangapohue Natural Bridge in Waitomo

It’s Day 29 of New Zealand’s Biggest Gap Year and today we are finding some free activities to do in Waitomo: the Marokopa Falls and the Mangapohue Natural Bridge.

So today we are going to be doing some free activities in the Waitomo area to a waterfall and a natural bridge. When you’re a backpacker you need to work on your budget and you need to alternate little bit between free and paid activities.

We’ve been advised by our host at Juno Hall Hostel, Dave, to go down the Te Anga Road and make our way to a waterfall and also a Natural Bridge. So we’re just like driving and eating but at the same time get a really awesome view – classic New Zealand scene. It has been raining a lot lately so I really hope that the Marokopa Falls are going to be really big and really gigantic so fingers crossed.

We finally arrive at the Marokopa Falls and it doesn’t rain that much anymore so I’m like we’re going to have a nice little walk and everything. And it’s just about a 15 minute walk through the forest to get down to the waterfall lookout and this waterfall is often described as one of New Zealand’s most beautiful, like amazing waterfalls to look at – it’s just so beautiful and relaxing and stunning. But when we get there this bitch is not relaxing. This is one fierce waterfall. This is just an extreme waterfall viewing session we’re having right here. It’s pretty intense. You can’t see anything through the camera lenses but that was a fierce waterfall. That was crazy.

So after taking a few pictures and really taking about 15 minutes to embrace the falls and just look at them, we head back to our Jucy camper. Laura how was the Marokopa Falls? Very wet. i can’t even see out my glasses at the moment. And look how shiny is my jacket. This is the wettest I have been walking to a waterfall. We rush back up the hiking track, get back int he Jucy campervan, do a u-turn and we are making our way now to Mangapohue Natural Bridge. Straight away, we are like in awe of this place. It’s such a cool little spot. Huge cliff faces on either side and there’s a stream running underneath and we’re just hugging the wall on a boardwalk that’s been made for this walk. There’s vegetation growing on the side of the rocks. There’s swingbridges to go across the river ever so often. It’s a very short walk but we’re just like:”Wow, wow.” Every two seconds in New Zealand we’re just like: “Wow! Wow! Wow! Oh my God!” So, this is just another one of those places that it just like a wow moment.

Then you realise that you’re not inside a cave. You’re inside this natural bridge. It’s a massive path of land, it’s an arch. Basically, it’s a big arch is just a way of calling it. It’s an arch. And there are some steps going up along the side of it where you can get some more lookout so we walk up there and have an amazing view from up there. it’s like another world this place. Again, the whole of Waitomo seems to be. It’s very otherworldly with all the unusual rock formations and things and you kind of think: “I can’t believe this exists on Planet Earth.” It’s really grand – it’s very hard to describe the shear size of this natural bridge and I think it’s going to be really hard for you to feel the size of it while watching the videos. It was raining so it’s a little bit dark. I really hope you can see the size of the bridge. It’s quite a sight. While we’re under the arch it starts to rain again but this creates quite an eerie vibe to the place. It’s like a fog hanging over the forest in the background and it makes it all very atmospheric. So even if it’s a shit day, I would say to anyone just go on a hike anyway because you’re going to find a view that not many people would even get to see. It’s like a whole new atmosphere to the forest so go on a walk on a rainy day. You might enjoy it. We sort of stay there until all the daylight has gone actually cos it’s such a cool little place. Also this arch was protecting us from the rain which has been drenching us for the last two hours so I’m quite happy about that. We take the drive back to Waitomo but we also need to get some groceries from Countdown supermarket and we have to say there are quite a few bargains in there. Thank you. What are you handing me, Laura? Poison. Whhhhaaaaatttt?! So you’ll finally shut up. No one wants to here about your stupid New Zealand road trip. Isn’t she lovely.

Facebook
Pinterest
Twitter