Donkeys by the road, a river turning below

A few roadside donkeys made us stop. Nearby, Tokatoka Lookout was only 700 metres, though much steeper than it sounded.

From the summit, the Northern Wairoa River curved through broad, low farmland. This waterway once linked inland farms and timber country with Kaipara Harbour. Before the roads improved, the river was not scenery but transport and livelihood.

There are fewer working boats now—only farmhouses, pasture and the occasional vehicle below. The city had disappeared behind us. The world was growing wider, and quieter.