wanderlust: pouakai range

This weekend we thought it would be nice to NOT be in a car or airplane for a long time, so we did a hike on the Pouakai Range, which is here in Taranaki. We left on Saturday, when there was some rain but it was supposed to clear up. Yeah, that's when it started hailing.
However, there was a lovely rainbow just as we were headed out.

We started up, and kept climbing up, and up and up and maybe even up some more. There were lots of stairs. But really nice views.

Good stuff! Pretty! Worth all those damn stairs! Yes, stairs. You've got to hand it to these Kiwis--they keep up the trails and just MAKE fantastic trails. I can't imagine being the one to put in all the stairs and ladders and staircases and rails. It's a good thing.

So the range used to be a big ole volcano of similar size to Mt Taranaki back about 250,000 years ago. Josh informed of this as we were hiking, and then we came across a little sign that said that exact thing. Funny! Anyway, then I looked up more: The Pouakai Range has eroded to produce a rugged range of rolling hills covered in sub alpine bush. Tucked between the range and the mountain, the Ahukawakawa Swamp is the largest montane mire (had to look that up--it's just types of land, mire is like wetlands and montane is transitional between forest and mountain) in the park and home to 260 different plant species.
The Pouakai Circuit is an awe-inspiring chapter in the New Zealand landscape and geology story. The turmoil of centuries of volcanic activity is apparent as soon as you cross the active erosion scar of the Boomerang slip and pass beneath the towering columns of the Dieffenbach cliffs.
The circuit traverses lowland rain forest, sub-alpine and alpine vegetation zones, and crosses the unique Ahukawakawa wetland and the headwaters of the Stony (Hangatahua) River.
Yeah. Lots of good words.
So after we climbed up and up and up, then continued on a cool track that was filled with water! And a brief sunny moment.

Our lovely trail.

So after it hailed, then it sprinkled, and was quite foggy. We were in fun scrubby vegetation, and practically swam through the swamp (most of the way was on a wooden track, but this was under the water at least a few inches for the most part), and then had lots of muddy trail to go up before we got the the hut (thank goodness!). And, of course, what happens when we get to the hut? It clears up beautifully!

There's actually a great view of the city (New Plymouth) from the Pouakai hut. And the stars were out! The hut has a fireplace too, complete with firewood and coal (though we didn't have coal there yet, that's for the true winter season). So great to get out of wet clothes and warm up by the fire!

Bright and early the next morning...

View of New Plymouth, with the Sugarloaf Islands looking tiny!

It's clear! Yayayayay! Sure, I like hiking just for hiking and to be outside. But it is so much more fun when you actually have a view.
And LOOK at this view!

Taranaki over the tarn (aka an alpine lake...though this one was more like a mini pond)

Snowy mountain!

After we left the hut, we had some easy hiking then started more climbing up and up and up to the summit of Henry (he's one of the range, Maude is another).

This old backdrop? It's nothing. Doesn't it look fake? Crazy.

Looking down from Henry, this is the swamp (Ahukawakawa) we traversed the day before.

Just one of the dead (sad) mountain ceders...before they got the possum population under control, they ate up all the trees and left all the bare skeletons.