Hinewai Reserve

 In the morning we drove up to the private Himewai Nature Reserve.

It was high up in the hills and you could see down to the ocean. If you had the time and energy you could hike all the way down and back up again.

We did a loop trail from the visitor centre down into the forest.  The woods were full with birdsong. We were greeted by the outgoing fantails and the songs of the bellbirds.

Connie stands on a nifty little bridge in among the tree ferns

Leo in among the giant ferns

Leo caught a photo of a chaffinch (European import).

And we saw our first tomtits, a New Zealand endemic and lifer for us,

Immature tomtit, best photo we got

The caretaker here is evidentally a bit of a character.  He made many informational signs with engraved lettering describing the native plants

But he also made similar signs scolding visitors for pulling up invasive foxgloves or 

breaking off fern fronds.

We made a short side excursion to see this small falls.

And eventually we reached the bottom of the loop where we crossed below this larger waterfall.

Then it was time for the long steep climb back up to the van.  Right after the falls we had to ascend a stairs which turned into a ladder.

Seriously, have these New Zealanders never heard of such a thing as a switchback?

Finally we got back to our van and headed south to the town of Timaru.