It's been a while since I've posted. I went on a few trips these past few weeks. I used to worry about not being able to post more regularly but I just think about the other important activities I got to do from my time away from Hive. I also tell myself that my time away from Hive will give me more content to share here.
As promised, here is a continuation of my travel series about my trip to New Zealand earlier this year. This is a short post, as this will be a preview of my solo trip to Skyline Rotorua, a famous attraction in New Zealand situated on Mt. Ngongotaha. In my full blog post, I'll share with you the main activities I did. For now, I'll talk about the nature walk I did right before leaving the mountain.
The only thing I planned for this place was going on the luge rides. But I discovered that I could go on a nature walk around the mountain and there was no way that I would pass up on that.
I followed the map that told me where to go for the walk. There was no guide. The day before, I also went on a walk through the Redwoods Forest and I was a bit shocked to know that it was a self-guided walk and that there would be no guides.
The trail must be easy, I told myself. The path was clear and paved. It led to a higher part of the mountain, and I had an amazing view of Rotorua city below.
Some of the trees and foliage in the mountain looked familiar but I knew I wouldn't find them back home. I saw some tall trees with strange hanging leaves. A sign on the trail told me that it was a podocarp tree. I thought they looked creepy. I learned that the trees were heavily cut down in the past, and now they're already protected.
I climbed some steps and encountered a lot of signs and stations that told me so much about the mountain and the forests of New Zealand. There were some wooden structures that were supposed to serve as houses for some insects. One of them had its cover open. I saw some spiders living inside. I decided not to get too close.
I climbed further up and saw a sign explaining the growth rings in trees. There was also one about birds and the mud pools in the lake.
From the nature walk, I learned about the legend of the mountain and the fairy-like creatures, Patupaiarehe, that lived in the forests of New Zealand. I was a bit creeped upon learning about this. There was nobody else on the nature walk except me and nobody would know if something happened to me.
As if on cue, I slipped on some muddy soil and hit my butt on solid ground. Thankfully, I wasn't hurt and I was able to recover. I wiped the mud off my clothes and decided to end my nature walk. Maybe the Patupaiarehe had had enough of me.
I exited the trail and went back to the main area. I got on the gondola and rode the return trip back to the foot of the mountain. The nature walk may have scared me away but I still extremely enjoyed it.
