Rotokare Sanctuary, Te Popo and New Plymouth

Today I focussed on the east of Mt Taranaki with more walking than gardens. The forecast was great for today and not at all good tomorrow, so it was a no-brainer! The first place I stopped was Eltham, another quirky little arty crafty town with a fabulously decorated public toilet!

I visited a pottery in Eltham too and really enjoyed discussing pottery with the local potter.

From here it was a short and pretty drive to Te Rotokare Sanctuary, a fantastic predator free sanctuary for many species of native birds, lizards, fish and trees. It is incredible to think of how much work was required to build the fences right around this large park.
    

It was a perfect day to visit this magical place. I was alone on the track but it was good to know a volunteer was at the entrance in case of problems. The weather was brilliant with hardly a puff of wind, and it was a pleasant tempersture for walking the 1.5 hour track around the lake, through the forest. I was very thrilled to see Saddlebacks, lHi hi, Tui, and North Island robins for the first time, and lots of native pigeons, Kereru.

The forest is dense and swampy so it is also home to kiwi, which are doing so well that they have to be placed in other forests to allow them to have a large enough territory.

The Taranaki landscape with its rolling hills and copious dairy farms is dominated by the ever present ,yet ever disappearing under the low cloud, dormant volcano, Egmont/Taranaki Maunga. 

My final gardens for the day was a well known tourist destination, Te Popo Gardens with dozens of life-size animal sculptures with fascinating, often disturbing facts and figures. I enjoyed the trip there as much as the visit. The roads were typically narrow rural Taranaki roads with lots of twists and turns but with some breathtaking views over the hills. A bonus was the impressive views of Mt Taranaki. Which were somewhat distracting because the snow clad volcano is so magnificent.

The weather stayed clear thankfully, and although it was the  end of a long but fantastic day and a perfect evening, the uninterrupted views of the majestic peak behind Te Rewa Rewa enticed me out once more to walk part of the coastal walkway northwards. Not far but well worth it.

This iconic sight of the mountain through the bridge is simply spectacular.

To sit in a restaurant on such an evening seemed a very poor choice, so I picked up fresh fish and chips, the best ever Gurnard, which I ate on Fitzroy Beach, watching the surfers enjoying the great surf and watching the sun set over the sea. 

What a perfect end to an amazing day!