Mermaid Pool of Matapouri

Since we have been so busy with getting settled into our new country running errands, looking for cars to buy, and looking for houses to rent, we haven't had much time to explore and go on any fun adventures. With the boring but essential business out of the way, we made it a priority to spend our first free Saturday out on an adventure. Before we made the international move, we invested in a great book about outdoor adventures in New Zealand. So since summer is almost over here, we wanted to choose somewhere that would include water before it gets too chilly to do beach things. Enter the Mermaid Pool of Matapouri.

We signed papers for our new rental home in the morning and then headed 2 1/2 hours north along the coast to Matapouri. This was our first time getting out of the Auckland area. And although what we've seen before now has been pretty, what we saw before us was much more beautiful! We were surrounded by green rolling hills, forests of a variety of tall trees, cows & sheep happily roaming and grazing on lush green grass, blue skies filled with white puffy clouds, and cute wooden fences and some really cool handmade stone walls. Matapouri is actually closer to us than it really took, but because the roads are curvy and narrow and the speed limit is slower it takes longer getting places here.

Click here to see Cody's GoPro video



The book told us about a trail on the beach of Matapouri that takes you up through a jungle and down to an emerald pool when the tide is low. We made sure to check the tide chart so we could experience the beauty. We parked the car and headed to the beach. We had to trek over to the green hill in the distance on the right. It is a trail known mostly by the locals. We had a quick lunch in the cove just outside of the hill and then headed straight up the steep slope. It was like we were walking through a rainforest! The air was still and you could only hear the waves off in the distance, birds singing (not just chirping), and cicadas humming. We were surrounded by a canopy of tall trees and had to step over and duck under the growth. It was unreal! When we got to the end of the forest, we saw a breathtaking view of rocky cliffs beneath us and a gorgeous emerald pool. The tide was already starting to come in so we didn't stay too long. But Cody and Ethan braved the cold water and swam to the cliff across the emerald pool to get a closer view of the waves coming crashing in. It was such a cool place and one we would definitely had not known about if we hadn't read about it. It was a great little hidden treasure, one where mermaids would love to sunbathe =)

We headed through the rain forest again and out to the quiet little cove. The sun popped out and the kids loved creating in the sand. It was a perfect afternoon in such a picturesque place. We love admiring God's beautiful creations!