Kawakawa and Bay of Islands Train Ride

Gorgeous day for a tour and train ride. First up, Kawakawa and the Te Hononga Hundertwasser Memorial Park and library, both closed on Sunday. 

We walked around the outside, then headed over to the Hundertwasser Public Toilets. Built in 1999, these are a thank you note from the architect in appreciation of his living in New Zealand. 

Because of his belief that humans own verticale surfaces, but nature owns the horizontal, he decreed that all the native vegetation removed when the toilets were built had to be replanted on the roof of the building. 




Since the train ticket office wasn’t open yet, we walked along the main street in Kawakawa in search of an open dairy (ice cream shop) where I could have a taste of Gooey Gooey Gumdrop which is a favorite of small children. I had seen a quart at the grocery store, but the other adults poopooed the idea. Hence, my need of an ice cream shop. Finally a success. My opinion: not too bad, a little like bubble gum flavor, but with little pieces of gum drops in it. I had a passion fruit cone instead.

We walked back to the train station for tickets and boarded the train. Originally built to bring coal from the mine in Kawakawa to the harbor for shipping, it now runs to Te Akeake from Kawakawa, the second oldest railway in NZ, and the only one in the world that runs down the middle of a road for part of the journey.

Our train was pulled by an engine named Kauri, with 2 closed in cars, Tui and Kingfisher; an open covered car, Blue Heron; and an open car, Weka, that can accommodate bikes. With only 8 people on board, we tried every car.

As pleasant as the ride was, rolling along through pastures and beside the Te Akeake River, the highlight for me was seeing an Australasian bittern hunting on a mudflat. The train attendant showed us where to look, and, indeed, it was there. On the way out, it was just standing out in the open. On the way back, I watched it lean flat and sway its head back and forth before striking at prey, probably a small fish. What luck for us. And fortunately, the train has to stop on the bridge both ways, so I had plenty of time to watch this endangered bird.


We drove up to Opua for lunch; mine a pulled pork sandwich on kumera sour dough, Grant’s fried squid and salad. There are tall Māori carved poles along the marina, which may not be traditional, but are interesting.


From the beach, we could see Jan’s house, the flat roof building furthest out the point. After beach combing the past few weeks, I think I would like to live near the beach.

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