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New Zealand Nature Walks New Zealand Native Plants New Zealand Eco-tour

Lonely Planet Tramping in NewZealand

TE Araroa: the New Zealand Trail:One Man Walks His Dream

A practical field guide to NewZealand's native edible plants. Andrew Crowe

Gardener's Encyclopaedia of NZ Native Plants
Cave, Paddison

Trees and Shrubs of New Zealand

Poole and Adams

Tony inhis office
Contact : Bushmansfriend 73 Campbell Rd. TotaraNorth RD2 Kaeo Northland New Zealand Ph: 094051844
info@bushmansfriend.co.nz

Landscapes Relaxing MusicCD
New Zealand Wonders ofNature + New Zealand Kiwi Country Twin VideoPack
New Zealand GreatWalks

KiwiBird' - Set of 5 BlankGreeting Cards

Explore Whangaroa's beautiful native bush and natural harbour

How fit do I need to be to do the walk?.

While fitness and agility are useful, the walk is not that long or strenuous. I can walk the track on my own in 2 hrs easily but with customers I take 4 hrs as we stop and chat and have a break for lunch. The walk is 5.6 kilometres or about 3 and a bit miles long.The worst bit is the first bit. We walk for about 1 km up hill reaching a height of about 200 metres. Here we rest, then its down hill to the beautiful Wairakau Stream where we stop for lunch and a drink. Its then flat along the Wairakau Canyon, scrambling over a few rocks. As the Wairakau Canyon opens up into Rere bay we climb to a height of about 60 metres around a headland and finally arrive at Lane Cove. My oldest customer has been a young 76 years.

What should I bring?.

Sturdy walking shoes, sneakers or similar are ideal. Shorts are better than long pants as we have to cross a small creek twice and also hop into the boat at Lane Cove. We get the boat into about 30 cm of water or calf height.

Please bring a light lunch and a water bottle. We have a cup of tea and biscuits waiting on the boat. I carry barley sugars for an energy boost. If the weather is poor (Not very often in Northland!!) then a raincoat is useful and helpful especially on the boat on the trip back

How do I pay, do you take eftpos or credit cards?

Cash or a cheque is easiest but I have a zipzap machine and can take visa and mastercard.

How do I know you operate a safe trip?.

All guides have a Saint John workplace first aid cerificate. I carry a cell phone and St John first aid kit with me and there is more on the boat. The boat is in safe ship management procedure registration number MSA131759. It has a VHF radio and epirb. Check out customer's testimonials. The harbour tour is on a purpose built 2004 5.7metre Marco aluminium vessel named 'Wairakau'. It has a 90hp outboard 4 stroke honda motor. I am a skipper with Local Launch Operator maritime qualification.