I went for a walk along the Waikato River on Te Awa River Ride with Mor-Mor (沫沫) the Labrador. We started at Horotiu and headed south towards Hamilton. It was late on a wintery afternoon with showers coming later in the day.
This is the view south from the Horotiu bridge. The bridge in the background is the State Highway One bridge. There is car parking nearby.
This hinge was part of the former Horotiu bridge which was a road completed in 1921. That bridge used a three-hinged arch system which is good at distributing bending and shear forces.
Mor-mor is checking the sign. The public's continued access to private land depends on us behaving well. Mor-mor's leash is attached to her red harness and I have supplies for us both.
This is the view directly under the Horotiu bridge. I don't think this site is used for lynching rather the rope is probably used by swimmers to swing out and drop into the river.
The spiky plant with yellow flowers is the Gorse bush. Gorse is an introduced pest plant that grows out of control. As a kid, I'd sometimes shelter in Gorse thickets by crawling into tunnels made by sheep. As a adult I'd just get spiked.
The trail is a shared walk and ride path and so everything is nicely paved with gradients rather than steps.
This bridge carries State Highway One - the main highway that goes from North to South. The vehicle noise is constant. The supporting members have a Maori design in them.
The walk has good information signs about the local flora and fauna. This sign thanks the sponsors, but underneath you see another aspect of NZ culture; if we see lost property, we move it someplace conspicuous and leave it in case the person returns.
Mor-mor loves to roll in soft long grass especially if it is wet. This keeps her cool and clean.
Mor-mor loves to swim and tries to chase rabbits and birds. It's important to keep her on a leash to protect the local wildlife. In this case, the ducks didn't even bother moving because they knew they have plenty of time to escape if Mor-mor came near.
Constant light rain makes for dreamy looking settings. I put on my poncho so was dry and warm. Mor-mor has a thick double fur coat so rain for a few hours doesn't bother her. I periodically check her temperature by monitoring her breath, holding her paws or feeling the base of her ears.
Mor-mor wanted to go for another swim. I know Labradors are water dogs, but her interest in water seems greater than average.
Mor-mor investigates an interesting bridge over an inlet.
As the light fades and the drizzle increases, the scenery gets magical.
A few kilometers down the track is the site if a Pa - a fortified Maori village. Mor-mor wants to investigate. There are matters of protocol to visit these places so Mor-mor and I ensure dogs are not prohibited. At a guess, Mangaharakeke means Flax-Stream.
The light has almost gone. The pa site is large and the remains of old earthworks still visible. The raised earth near the back is a defensive footing in front of a ditch. The footing would've been topped with wooden palisades. Such palisades could stop light cannon. The Pou (pole) is called "Te Pou-a-hao-kai" and is both named after and has deities from a religious carving that used to stand nearby. The Pou also celebrates the history of Mangaharakeke Pa. As an acknowledgement to the ancestors of this place, I told them I would be making them known to people who live on the four winds.
A few hundred metres past the Pa we turned back because it was dark. There was no point taking more photos and the rain got heavier. All told we walked about 8 km (5 miles). Mor-mor is sitting waiting for her dinner. She is always on her best behaviour when I get her food ready.
You can see only the surface of her fur is wet. A quick towel off after dinner and Mor-mor was ready for a nap.
Until next time.