TE WAIKOROPUPŪ SPRINGS

LIQUID CRYSTAL

Through the forests of Takaka flow an abundance of waters, all underground, making their way towards the sea and carrying with them the energy of life. Yet, in one small area of the forest the waters bubble up into beautiful springs, creating an aquatic wonderland. These are te Waikoropupū Springs.

The waters of these springs are so very clear, that visibility can be measured at up to sixty-three metres, making this some of the clearest water in the world. Looking down into the springs, one can see all kinds of grasses, seemingly close enough to reach out and touch. However, these plants are actually bobbing about six metres below the crystal clear surface. 

Dive down into the springs, and you would find an underwater forest: long tendrils of red grasses, golden aquatic pillow weeds, pasture weeds and forest mosses swaying in the moving waters, delicately framed by rays of light, which perfectly reflect the whole scene onto the roof of the springs above. 

If you swam a little further through the forest, you would find the Dancing Sands, where over 14,000 litres of water rise from the dunes of the floor every second, creating small vents where the sand seems to shimmer in the water. 

SACRED SPRINGS

In such a beautiful place, with its impossibly clear water and dancing sands, it is easy to feel the magic of the earth. The local Māori people have long known that te Waikoropupū Springs are home to a female taniwha, a water spirit, who is both brave and wise. For this reason, the springs have been called waahi tapu - a sacred place - and they are used for healing, and ceremonial purposes.

The magic of the place is very visible, if one looks closely... Each visitor seems reverent of the springs' beauty, and in some sections, people have woven flax fronds into beautiful shapes as a kind of gift to the area.

In such special places, I try not to disturb the delicate balances of ecology and spirituality by swimming without permission. Instead, it feels simply wonderful to pick up on the pure energies of life flowing through the area, and to feel a sense of gratitude for the miracle of H2O... water.

WILD WATER

Further down from the springs lies the sea, only four-hundred metres away. Here, the sacred spring waters meet those of the vast ocean...

THE NEVERLAND

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The Neverland is a real place, not so difficult to find as one may think. To get there, you will not need any map, just a few directions such as these...

“second star to the right, and straight on till morning”

— Peter Pan and Wendy, J. M. Barrie

... and you will find it at the breaking of dawn. Of course, one must always add an ounce of imagination into the matter, because the Neverland exists somewhere between the spaces between the stars, the mind, and the twinkling of the sun on the surface of water. 

And, not every Neverland looks the same. For instance, one child's Neverland may have flamingos flying over a lagoon, and another's might have lagoons flying over flamingos. Nevertheless, they are all quite magical places. 

My own Neverland exists here in New Zealand, in a place called The Able Tasman. It has white beaches of soft sand, bordering yellow and turquoise seas, where the pirates dock their ships to hide treasure in the rocky coves. 

Further inland, there are several lagoons. There, you may find the mermaids, who are quite vain, and like to comb their hair lazily and bask on stones in the midday sun. Sometimes they hide beneath the surface, near rocks and things, and blow small bubbles for fun.

In the deepest and densest part of the forest, there are all manner of birds, tigers, lions and bears, which you have to watch out for. And right in the middle there, is the fairie's hollow, where tiny sprites shine in the night, when nobody is watching.

My Neverland is inhabited, not only by pirates, but also by the Lost Gypsies - a raggedy bunch that traipse about the land, searching for adventure. It is a circular kind of world, in the Neverland, as for many moons each beast has been hunting the Pirates, who in turn are hunting the Gypsies, who are actually hunting the beasts. If one is caught, they are promptly released and the hunt can begin again. 

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All photos were taken on the Able Tasman walking trail, in New Zealand, a most beautiful place that brings people great joy. 

HOLIDAYS IN POHARA

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Pohara is one of those places that seems to be cut off from the world. There, time gets anywhere of its own accord, and noise is silenced. What is left is a kind of steady calm. The villages around about - of Pohara, Takaka, and Golden Bay - are places of refuge, where one can go to seek nature and humanity at its finest.

The people of that region have developed a way of living that seems so simple: in Golden Bay, they have set up a system of alternative currency, and in Takaka there are many festivals of music and art, bringing the peoples and communities together.

The natural world of this region is also very special, with extensive cave systems under the earth, soft sand beaches on the coast, beechwood forests reminiscent of Lord of the Rings, and some of the clearest spring waters on the planet. With this abundance of natural beauty, the energies of the area seem very strong, drawing in all kinds of wandering souls...

If you find your own soul wandering in the direction of Pohara, then be sure to check out these awesomely awesome favourite places of mine:

AMAZING EXPERIENCES

te Waikoropupū Springs

Rawhiti Caves

The Able Tasman

Wild Earth Nature Park

Luminate Festival

DELICIOUS EXPERIENCES

Jester House Cafe

The Mussel Inn

Toad Hall

The Naked Possum

The Langford Store

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