Strangers then friends...
If Matapouri is for the surfer and Tutukaka the game fisherman, Ngunguru River is perfect for a river cruise - bush lined, peaceful and home to so much history it should be declared 'a must do'. This former scow infested river is definitely historic, and as we motor upstream mine workers cottages soon give way to rimu, totara and manuka trees mixed with willows and ferns. It's two hours before high tide. "We'll just feel our way up." says Capt Percy. I'm on board MV Kiteawa a 24' luxury pontoon boat 'fully surveyed for a maximum of fifteen passengers' and we're spending 3-4 hours exploring the river. Capt Percy is an expert on this area and points out former tram lines, hidden bridge abutments and a rusty scotch boiler. "From as early as 1892 these coal mines and clay quarries serviced Auckland needs..." he says as he paints word pictures reminding us how things once were. Facts and figures, stories and...