Bridal Veil Falls // Waikato, NZ
I may have mislead you all when talking about our Easter getaway.
It actually started on Good Friday due to one part of the travel squad stuck at work on Saturday, we decided that a day trip was in order. Lucky for us the skies cleared and we had a break in the cyclone. We decided to head 49 minutes west of Hamilton. Our destination? Bridal Veil Falls.
I have lived in Hamilton for four years and not ever been here. We tried to once, but the deserted carpark kind of freaked me out so we decided against it and went to the beach instead. This was probably a major oversight as attractions in New Zealand are very rarely empty, and I probably should have taken that opportunity to take some bomb photos but that in the past. We can't do anything about it now.
When we went, it was crazy busy. It was as if, the hermits of New Zealand saw the sun and sprinted to the nearest pretty place possible. For the Waikato, Bridal Veil Falls and Raglan are one of those places. Traveling from Hamilton, the road is quite windy but the drive is beautiful ...
Okay can we pause a minute? If someone can tell me how to spell 'windy' in reference to a road and not wind, that would be greatly appreciated. Ive tried to google this but still came out confused!
... That is something you will find in all trips across New Zealand. The views here are breathtaking. I remember being told as a kid that the amount of greenery in New Zealand is something to be envied by my British teacher. At that time I didn't appreciate it. The tree outside my classroom window was just a tree, nothing special. However, I know now that a tree is not infact a tree. The landscape of a country is defined by things like trees, and New Zealand has some of the most diverse. I can go from seeing a pine tree to a palm tree within kilometres. When I came home in 2013, seeing a sunset behind flax and toitoi was something I never realised I had missed. So the drives and walks that New Zealand has to offer are one of a kind - well, based on what I've seen.
Bridal Veil is no exception. The well maintained gravel track is only a 10minute walk to the top of the waterfall from the carpark. I have not experience many waterfalls where the track takes you immediately to the top. Feed by the Pakora River, the 55m drop does look rather daunting. You could see the effect all the recent rain had on the valley, with the ferocity in which the water fell. As it fell, the white of the water looked great against the lush native forest. If looking closely, you could see a rainbow emerge from the top of the falls. You could smell the freshness is the air that only happens after rain. It really was the perfect day to go on an adventure!
Don't let the pictures fool you, the track was very crowded. Standard kiwi protocol meant that there was a healthy mix of tourists, families and elderly all taking to the track. In fact, there were people in handles braving the walk. From the top, it is a 10min descend to the bottom of the falls. The rest of the walkway is marked out by a wood and gravel walkway that weaves down the right side of the waterfall. When wet, they do become a little tricky but this is definitely an easy walk; The way back up is a little less easy. Once we were at the bottom it was a lovely view to the top.
Now I am not exaggerating but with the mist created by the falls, it looked like something out of Jurassic park. If a dinosaur was to walk out I feel no-one would have been surprised. With most sound drowned out, we got to the bottom and sat in awe. The way the sun hit the spray was really something. We took the time to relax and look around at the bottom. In fact, my sister and I tried to make it through the woods to get a better look at the falls. Needless to say, we failed and turned back quickly.
I have a pretty limited vocabulary, I once said a prayer that everyone would enjoy holy matrimony over their meal. So I am unable to explain exactly how beautiful it was. In between showers, the sun streamed through the crowds. Though it looks like I took alot of photos, I most definitely didn't do as good of a job as I should. All I could focus on was trying to capture how the sun looked streaming into the mist. Again I will say, this is what I imagine Jurassic park to look like. An unbelievable amount of lush green, covered in mist being lit up by the sun. When the second wave of people came through the stairs, we knew it was our turn to leave. Our time was other and theirs was just about to begin. Or we were just hungry!
We left Bridal Veil falls and headed to Raglan. Theres a great little fish-n-chip shop at the end of the main road in Raglan. Though the place needs a bit of a face lift, the cutest old man cooks some great food! While waiting for our food, we sat and I imagined how it would have looked in its prime. New Zealand has alot of these hidden gems, worn by time but still providing the goods when needed. Here's a good tip for those who plan on coming over, the best fish-n-chip shops are often the ones that are hidden. We took our paper wrapped food to the waterfront and enjoyed each others company.
I always think the perfect end to a day should involved ice cream! And thats exactly what we did! It really was the perfect way to start the long weekend, especially after what felt like forever since we had seen some decent sun. I know its junk free June but I'm about to treat myself!
See you in a couple weeks!
Ps. You found Lydia xx
