IT’S MY MOM’S BIRTHDAY TODAY. Which happens to be Earth Day, too. Which is very fitting for my mother. The giver of life. The creator of so much beauty. Happy birthday dear mom, love you so much! I figured Earth Day and my mom’s birthday is a good time to dive into the magic of the New Zealand redwoods. I mentioned them in my original New Zealand post, and I’m telling you, they really were magic. There is something about being surrounded by giant nature that does something to your very soul.
Redwood trees were brought to New Zealand from California in 1901 and have obviously thrived there ever since.
two ways we got to immerse ourselves in New Zealand redwood glory
Mountain Biking in the Whakarewarewa Forest
We rented some electric mountain bikes to head on a long loop through this incredibly gorgeous redwood forest.
The bike rental spot was literally right across from our hotel in Rotorua, and we headed out.
I touched on how much I loved this adventure in my original post, but wanted to share more photos here. Because it truly is a new “thin place” for me. I could hardly handle all that beauty cradling me on my bike.
This was actually a pretty big adrenaline rush, and could be a good addition to my “high adventure in New Zealand” post, because I’m not the world’s best biker. We were moving fast and the curves and turns were sometimes a little technical.
Photos taken in my mind
I wanted with all my heart to have my camera out capturing every minute. But since I knew I’d be in trouble if I took my hands (that were in a vice-grip) off those handlebars, I took photos in my mind.
Hundreds of them. And wrote some of them down as fast as I could when we were done.
- New life mingled in with old: green shoots and ferns growing out of the rich black soil built up in berms on the sides of our trail, at times carpeted with brown ferns from the huge fern umbrellas waving above us.
- Giant trunks covered in brilliant green moss intermixed with tropical plants, the most gorgeous light filtering in.
- Overlooking a blue lake and a green lake, side-by-side down below.
- Looking up at those towering trees reaching for each other above.
Luckily, David is a skilled enough biker that he did get some footage. Let me take you there with me for a few seconds:
Some of our stops.
These brown ferns on the left below were so beautiful to me somehow. And the green ones waving above were pretty gorgeous too.
What I don’t have a picture of, though, was our adventure getting pelted with rain at the end.
Once we got back to the main path to get us back into town, it started raining. Just a little at first, and then it started POURING. We put our heads down and biked our little hearts out trying to get back in time for the river rapids. And that road-back-home sure seemed a lot longer than when we headed out! The weather had held out so beautifully for us our whole ride until this point and then suddenly there was no protection, and nothing to do but just keep pedaling through it all to get back.
We were drenched by the time we got back, but the rain sure made it so much more memorable and I hope I will always and forever remember that experience in the New Zealand redwoods.
A “Tree Walk” through the New Zealand Redwoods
We got to immerse ourselves once again in redwoods with our “tree walk” en route back to the airport to get to the South island.
We had thought of doing this at night (there’s a cool light installation they say is pretty cool), but ran out of time. And I’m so glad because I ADORED it in the sun.
The redwood tree walk is a series of suspension bridges that criss-cross through the forest.
I mentioned before that redwoods were imported from California back in 1901, and they have thrived here ever since.
I thought this was a brilliant way to explore.
This gives us a little glimpse of some of the lights that light up when you visit after dark:
A little more information about redwoods.
There’s something almost sacred about being amidst growing giants.
Some interesting redwood facts.
Now I’m so excited to get to the redwoods near where Elle and Carson will live for residency. They’re so lucky they’ll have those natural soothers, healers, around them at every turn.
