SPECTACULAR ON OUR DOORSTEP

BREATHTAKING: The three-hour Bell Rock Loop Track offers the variety of native bush, subalpine scrubland and panoramic views over a big chunk of Hawke’s Bay. Pictures by Julie Haines, unless otherwise stated

Forget the Grampians in Australia and Cappadocia in Turkey. If you want to see rock formations while overseas travel is difficult you need look no further than New Zealand’s own North Island.

Turn off SH2 at Tutira and you’ll find a host of Department of Conservation walks, including the Bell Rock Loop Track.

If you prefer hikes with a bit of variety, this track has it all: native bush, sub alpine scrubland, panoramic views over a big chunk of Hawke’s Bay, and of course spectacular sandstone rock formations.

We started the track with a steady uphill climb through moss-clad native bush teeming with bird song. A friendly robin flew down to inspect me from a fallen branch. Stopping to return the favour was a good excuse to catch my breath. Turns out he was a camera-shy robin though because the moment my phone came out he took off.

Heads tilted skyward, we spent a few minutes trying to locate a tui who delighted us with a full concerto. Apparently my whistling was below par because when I tried to join in he promptly flew off, as did the wood pigeon who swiftly followed him.

When we left the forest about half an hour later the track levelled out somewhat on grassland on the Maungaharuru Range, revealing jaw-dropping views towards the Mohaka Valley on one side and all the way to the coast on the other. As a rain front blew across the ranges in the distance, the scene reminded me of learning shading in an art class, each hill a slightly lighter hue of blue than the one in front of it. I felt like I was staring at a painting.

We continued walking uphill until we reached the walk’s namesake, the dramatic Bell Rock, perched high above the deep valley below. The rocks have been carved over centuries by wind and rain, and true to form we felt like we’d be blown clear off if we stood too near the edge. It was a war of wills as my desire for the perfect photo perched on top of the bell battled against my innate sense of self-preservation and wish to see another day. In the end, compromise won out and I posed on a lower level further from the edge.

“It’s like Wellington on a good windy day,” joked my hiking buddy Nicola.

We sat in the shade of an overhang eating our lunch, staring in awe at the majesty of the scene stretched before us. Occasionally I’d creep closer to the edge, fighting vertigo, only to be buffeted by the unnerving wind.

Eventually we hiked back, sheltered once again by the broadleaf, horopito and matai forest, the late afternoon sunlight dancing through gaps in the branches.

The 5.3km Bell Rock Loop Track is part of the Boundary Stream Mainland Island, an 800-hectare conservation project protecting the largest and most intact tract of native forest in the Maungaharuru Ecological District. It is home to rare and endangered species such as kiwi, kokako and kaka. Mainland Islands aim to reduce introduced pests and restore habitat to its original condition. It’s a difficult and ongoing task given that Mainland Islands don’t have the protective element of being cut off from predators by the sea. But for hikers, it’s an opportunity to see New Zealand at its best, without having to catch a plane or boat to get there.

© Julie Haines 2021