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Whakatane
We started the day poking around Whakatane (fah ka tah nay), a cute little port on a river mouth.
The town centers on a big rock where a Mauri pioneer made landfall from Hawaii 1,000 years ago.
Here is the rock from above...
...a view you get from the bluff over the town.
Pohutakawa
The trees covering the rock, and in the foreground in the overview above, are Pohutakawa (poe hoo ta ka wa, Metrosideros excelsa). The Pohutakawa, also called the New Zealand Christmas tree, can grow to several hundred years of age and very large, as we saw several years ago in Auckland.
In Whakatane, there are lots of young and middle-aged ones, and here for the first time we saw them starting to come into bloom.
They are currently covered with silvery-white new leaves and buds.
They are just beginning to bloom.
They will be in full bloom by Christmas.
As an aside, Palo Alto is remodelling one of its parks (Greer Park) and the tree design includes planting a couple of Pohutakawas. Of course in Palo Alto they will flower in July and nobody will understand why they are called the Christmas tree.
In a couple of days we'll be driving the "Pohutakawa Coast" road and will probably have more pictures of them then.
More Views
Leaving Whakatane we drove to the top of a bluff for views.
Moutohora, or Whale Island
Last night's campground was at the far end of that peninsula.
There is also a panorama if you like.
Cabbage Tree
Also just coming into bloom is the Cabbage Tree (Cordyline australis), a common roadside sight.
Although it looks like a Joshua Tree, it is no relation. Although it looks useless, according to Wikipedia its fruit is edible and its fibers make rope and clothing, and the missionaries (who were probably desperate) made beer from it.
Strawberries
And also just coming in, strawberries. We bought some from a farm stand and they were delicious!
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