Rotorua Walking Festival (2015)
A New Zealand two-day: Dutch everywhere
IML stands for International Marching League, an organized hike or multi-day hike that meets certain quality requirements. Well marked, food and drinks provided for, beautiful routes and very sociable. Every country has an IML hike, and some hikers visit them all. I am not that fanatic, but every now and then I do enjoy the well-attended hiking parties. This time I was in Rototua, where the two-day Rotorua Walking Festival takes you past the highlights of New Zealand’s nature, beautiful forests, bubbling mud and wild knitting is elevated to an art here.
Day 1: 42 km
I should have known. If there is a hike somewhere, the Dutch are responsible. The start of the IML in Rotorua is in the association house of the Dutch Society. Very funny to suddenly be able to speak Dutch again after two weeks of English and to order a stroopwafel or kano (Dutch cookies). Although the barmaid has to think for a moment when she hears her mother tongue spoken again after decades, in between her colleague's English. At half past seven in the morning the building is still horribly empty. Outside, wooden benches are set out under a party tent for the expected crowd. One of the volunteers says that they used to have 1,200 participants here, but nowadays it’s about 300. I suspect that everyone who really wanted to hike this IML has already done so. And this is not a trip to which you travel annually as a Dutchman. In the end there are about 20 to 30 people, gathered for the safety briefing and the starting gun for the 42 km at eight o'clock. Hopefully more people will hike the short distances, otherwise this will be one of the many hikes that are expected and predicted to vanish every year.
The first part is not way marked, but I follow the veterans, some of whom are here for the 19th time. We cross Tarawera Road and immediately end up in the Whakarewarewa Forrest, also affectionately known as the Redwoods. Some 170 tree species from around the world were planted in this forest in 1899 to identify which species were suitable for New Zealand timber production. Many varieties failed, but the California redwood thrived. However, due to the heavy rainfall and fertile volcanic soil, the tree grew so quickly that the wood was less sturdy and reliable, eventually making the monterey-pine the tree most commercially grown. The path between the trees is wide and feels like a cathedral. The redwoods, a tree from the sequoia family with the highest in the forest reaching 72 meters, are impressive. A small group of hikers speed off, but I take it a bit slower. With trekking poles to relieve my hips, I slow down anyway and I also hike for fun. This is the first time in a long time that I have hiked more than 30 km, but I am greedy. This is my first and probably only time in New Zealand and I don't want to miss a kilometer of it. At the visitor center we hike on a narrow path along a fence and arrive at the Whakarewarewa thermal area. Steam billows across the path from a small lake. For a while we hike through a residential area, just a few streets. Then we arrive at the road along Te Puia, the center dedicated to the preservation of Maori culture. On an entrance gate at the service entrance are some Maori statues, traditionally colored red and with enlarged heads, because that is where the knowledge resides. Past Te Puia we descend to a path along the brook Puarenga, which as a tourist I would never have found myself. The brook is buzzing and bubbling between banks full of wide ferns while the sound of the road is heard on our right. Very close, but fortunately unseen. Then there is another forest area, where we are welcomed again by a Maori mask with its typically large eyes hanging above the path. Here mountain bikers have the best trails at their disposal. The trails are strictly regulated, one-way and have different levels of difficulty. We hike on a wide gravel road, the forest beckoning seductively on both sides. The sunlight streams to our feet in broad bands, but does not reach the ground. All forest roads here have practical names, such as Red Tank Road and a water tap is indicated here and there. For us there is a post every few kilometers with super sweet lemonade and water. We don't get food along the way, but at the start we did get an apple and a chocolate bar. Unfortunately, I don't see many hikers on the trail anymore. I try to start a conversation with a man who is hiking near me, but it turns out to be a Czech who hardly speaks English. It takes a while, but then there is a path the mountain bikers have to share with us, although I think that there will not be much cycling, given the staircase with wooden beams and many tree roots. However, it is a wonderful path to hike and I am enjoying it. Slowly the sound of traffic is coming closer, but fortunately the road remains hidden behind a wall of greenery. The route takes us to Blue Lake, where we are welcomed by the sound of children playing and loud music. Apparently some event is going on here too. However, we turn away from the noise and follow a path along the deep blue water. Until now, we walked in the shade, but once out of the cool shelter of the trees, the sun shines down mercilessly on us. It's quite hot and I drink a lot. On the other side of the lake the green hills give way to bare-grazed brown, which in turn carries its own beauty. After the blue lake follows one with green water, which is private property. A sign reminds us to only enjoy the view, swimming is not allowed. I am starting to suspect that the distances on paper are not quite correct. It is now almost half past twelve and according to the map we received I am now at 19 km. Of course I can blame it on my sporting injury or think that my physical condition is no longer as it was, but I prefer to think the map is wrong. It makes me restless and I keep on going. You have to be back by 4 p.m. and I do want to achieve that, injury or not. Fortunately I can still enjoy the hike, because the route remains beautiful. After a while there is a nice winding forest path. Here the New Zealanders have been very creative, because in different places there’s a huge tree across the path. The first one is quite high across a dip and there they have cut out a square piece at the bottom, so you only have to bend a little bit to get underneath. The next one is right on the path and this time they have cut out steps in the trunk so that you can easily step over it. At 35 km I take some rest after all. At this post a group of Japanese are sitting in the shade of a tree and that means that I am no longer the last on the trail. That gives me confidence in a happy ending. It is still early afternoon and I decide that I will get there regardless, but I don't want to so that without calmly eating my bread. After a short break I continue. I start to recognize the forest and around us mountain bikers cycle to the different routes. The last part is a bit of a shame. On the way in we went through the Redwoods, the way back takes us to the asphalt road leading to the visitor center. That does take one to the finish quickly though.
Day 2: 20 km
Today I am taking it easy with the shorter distance, because the route is largely through the city and that is not my favorite area to hike in. In addition, today I am hiking with Coby and her pace is considerably slower than mine. It is also a lot cooler than yesterday with a nice breeze, so it is great hiking weather. For the first time this vacation I miss my sunglasses, which are still in my backpack. The sun is so bright and sharp it hurts my eyes and I squint almost all day long. One advantage of the short distance is that there are now slightly more hikers, although this IML still feels like a event nearing its best before-date. We start with a path along the edge of the Redwoods and then follow the road until we reach a stream. We follow that along the edge of the city. The route is much greener than I expected and I am enjoy myself. We reach a thermal area again, with rocks that are white from the deposited lime and poisonous green algae in the water. A little later I recognize the Whakarewarewa thermal area, where we were yesterday. An elderly hiker is lying flat on the ground near the wooden gate, who has apparently fallen. There are already quite a few people caring for him and I don't have a first aid diploma, so Coby and I keep walking. For a moment we share a few streets with yesterday, but soon go in a different direction. What follows are the streets which are the reason I chose the shorter distance today. I know it is necessary to get somewhere, but would have preferred to stay in nature. Yet here too there are surprises, such as a tree giving new meaning to the word ‘knitting wild’. I have seen a lamppost with a blanket and a crocheted fleece around a single branch, but this tree, with its five thick trunks, is wrapped up at least two meters high in the most colorful knits. Very beautiful, but then, the tree is right outside an arts center. Finally we turn into Kuirau park, a thermal area right in Rotorua’s heart. There’s a lake with steaming water, wells full of bubbling mud, pools of strange-colored water, poisonous green and bright yellow algae. It surprises me so much still grows on the edges of such a well, in a hostile environment. At one of the pools there’s an elegant building where you can bathe your feet in the warm mineral water. Once out of the park we climb a hill from where we have a beautiful view of lake Rotorua. On the other side we descend again and hike along the water for a while. A seaplane is moored on a wooden jetty, while a helicopter stands on a platform. With this you can, if you are rich, fly to a volcanic island and hike around for a while. Sounds quite special to me, but unfortunately that’s out of my reach. Numerous black ducks float on the water, while a few black swans float along the scaffold a little further away. We leave the lake and walk to the Government Gardens and the Rotorua Museum. Here are a number of Maori statues, as a sign that the Maori have donated this land for the benefit of the people. However, one image is white, instead of the more traditional red, and the effect is amazing. The sharp contrast between the white and black lines is much more impressive. At the museum we settle down on a terrace. Wonderful, but not very convenient given the time. When we finally move on, we still have about six kilometers to go. That should be feasible, were it not for the fact that the landscape is so beautiful and intriguing that the temptation to stop for a picture is irresistible. We hike along the shore of Lake Rotorua, where cormorants dry their wings on a rock and countless ducklings float on the water. Due to the time, we are going a bit faster than we have so far. We do slow down to look at a kind of sandpiper, with a graceful black and white markings and a short, straight beak. We now come through an area where the water is low and planking lead us through a thermal area again. Steam comes from potholes and holes along the path, some holes have a yellow edge of sulfur rising from the earth. We are approaching the finish and bearing in mind the deadline of 2 p.m., we keep going a little faster. Fortunately this is not Nijmegen and when we cross the finish line just after two o’clock, we get our stamps and medal. What a wonderful two-day trip. May it still exist for a long time.
