Exploring Auckland, New Zealand

The next part of my journey takes me to Auckland, New Zealand. This city is on the north island and I explored different places around it to get a gist of the nature and wildlife it has to offer.

My first day I traveled with friends to the town of Piha, a beautiful place full of hikes and nature. The sand there is so different than what I have seen before. It is a blackish color but with some white pieces that sparkle in the light. There I learned about the endemic Longfin Eel (Tuna Kuwharuwharu or locally known as orea). Piha Stream is home to the endemic eels along with nine types of native fish and is also the only known stream to contain the nationally vulnerable lamprey (pirahau). It is unusual today for a stream to contain so many native fish species, making Piha Stream the ‘gold standard’ for fish biodiversity in the Auckland region. You can help conserve Piha Stream’s unique ecology by minimizing water pollution caused by litter and fecal contamination. You can dispose of garbage in the bins provided, don’t feed the birds, and picking up after your dog.

Views from the side of the road in Piha

The water meeting the land in Piha

Historically, eels were a great significance to early Maori, featuring in many myths. The abundance and size of eels contributed to their importance. Maori valued eels as an excellent source of food. Eels are a taonga which need to be treasured, respected and protected. These eels are found only in the rivers and lakes of New Zealand. They are truly remarkable fish, they are able to travel overland for up to two days by breathing through their skin! During the day, eels are secretive, hiding under logs and boulders or under river banks. They hunt mostly at night, using their excellent sense of smell. Their protruding tube-like nostrils help them to get a good scent of what’s ahead. Longfin eels only breed once, at the end of their lives. When they’re ready, adult eels leave their creeks and make a long journey all the way into the Pacific Ocean near Tonga to lay their eggs and complete their lifecycle. They can grow up to two meters long and can live for up to 100 years! They are the largest freshwater eel on the planet. Because of their unique breeding habits, protecting these eels from commercial fishing, loss of habitat and very low replacement rate, is essential to their survival since they are under threat of becoming endangered.

Longfin Eel

After exploring Piha for awhile, we went to Kitekite Falls. That view was absolutely breathtaking, as you can tell by the pictures below. We hiked to the waterfall, and then all the way up to the top of the waterfall. Very hard not to slip on mud but completely worth it! The pictures don’t even do this place justice. I can’t believe some people live there and can see those beautiful views everyday. There I partially learned about the Kauri dieback, a fungus-like disease that kills New Zealand kauri trees of all ages and sizes. It is spread mainly through soil movement on equipment such as footwear, machinery and mountain bikes. Microscopic spores in the soil infect kauri roots and damage the tissues that carry nutrients within the tree. This effectively starves the tree to death. Symptoms of kauri dieback include thinning canopy, yellowing leaves, bleeding gum and dead branches. Nearly all infected kauri die. Scientists are working hard but there is no known cure at this time. The only way we can save the kauri is to contain the disease where it is and stop the spread into healthy areas. This is why when you visit kauri areas (such as this rainforest) you have to clean your gear before and after entering/leaving the area by cleaning off your shoes and equipment. They also advise you to say on the tracks and off the kauri roots while hiking. This is also why when I flew from Australia to New Zealand they made sure I didn’t have soil on my hiking boots (they ask you if you have been hiking in those areas).

Amazing friends I met at my hostel in Auckland!

Proof that kauri dieback disease is real 

I would gladly make the hike to see that breathtaking waterfall everyday of my life, I wish I had something like that near me at home! Just sitting there taking in everything was so calming. Everyone needs to focus on saving the kauri so they they can continue to enjoy amazing nature like this.