Hiking on Motukawanui

After swimming three times with the dolphins, I was chilled through and through, so what better way to warm up than to row ashore, lug the dinghy up the beach and walk across the biggest of the Cavalli Islands. The trail ran from the beach northeast of North Bay, climbed up through some grasslands and then followed a ridge before plunging into a forested valley. In the trees, the trail crossed a couple of small streams before rising again to another ridge with views to the north and out over several valleys that converge in the center of the island. The terrain is rugged on this trail and I cursed the trail makers for not keeping the trail high and following a single contour along the hillside.

The views into the center of the island are particularly lovely with little noise from the outside world to compete with birdsong and insect calls. The views along the ridge of the other Cavalli islands are also worth the climb.

View from the look-out looking northeast - click for larger version.

At the other end, one descends to a hut that can be reserved through the DOC office in Kirikiri. The hut enjoys views out over an expansive beach to the mainland hills. I traipsed the beaches on the inland side of the island, finding a few abalone shells scattered at the high tide mark. On the return trip, I took a side trail to a look-out at the highest point on the island before retracing my steps to the dinghy.

View looking north - click for larger version.