Whangaroa - tackling the Duke's nose

The history is apparent as soon as you turn off S.H.10 at the Kahoe Bridge and take the road to Totara North. Looking across the harbour towards the tiny settlement of Whangaroa, quiet waters hide the wreck of the Boyd. In the peaceful morning of our visit, it is impossible to imagine that in 1809 this was the scene of massacre, of sixty-six people.

Climbing steadily we enter the bush and our guide Tony shows us how the variety of species in Northland's coastal forest create its unique beauty. Tanekaha, ponga, kohekohe, kanuka, nikau, mapou, rimu, manuka and ferns provide a tapestry of shapes and shades of green. Whangaroa harbour is characterised by the igneous plugs of St Paul's and St Peter's, and rough andesite cliffs. The cliffs are layers of volcanic boulders and pebbles, deposited by lahars and cemented by mud and sand. At the base of such a cliff sparkles a swimming hole, and we take a break in its cool waters.

There is a sense of peace in the Wairakau Inlet. In the mangrove fringed estuary, the tide creeps over the mud to old coastal trees and on the steep volcanic cliffs bush tumbles around towering rock. For day walkers like us there is a DOC shelter by the water's edge. So we stop for drink and decide to tackle the Duke’s Nose. The track to the Nose is steep. Here the regenerating bush is more exposed and the limey green tones of tarata, rewarewa, and hebe stricta predominate. The track stops at the base of a bluff and a rock climb is necessary to go further. Luckily, cobbles and boulders provide plenty of places for your hands to grasp and for feet to stand. From the top the view is majestic. Before us lies the entrance to the harbour. Imposing volcanic headlands and crags dominate and define the harbour's arms. The bush reaches down to the many bays and coves, its reflection adding to the magic of the water's colour. Formed as water eroded the volcanic debris of twenty million years ago and bush filled its valleys and hillsides, it is a place like no other. Whangaroa is a unique gem.

 

The Duke's Nose - Whangaroa