After the Water Gardens and the supermarket it is time for our last nature stop of the day, the Grottes de Mara’a. Luckily they are open 24 hours so even though the stores are closed we can just park on the side of the road and visit the grottos. There is no map or anything but our phone maps work so we decide to explore on our own. There is no one else at least in the beginning which makes it quite a nice hike and exploration of the area.
The first grotto we reach and visit is Grotto Vaipoiri which is quite close to the parking lot. However it seems a different world, far away from the hustle and bustle of the ring road. It fact it looks as something from the Lost World with a water filled grotto with mosses and a slow waterfall covering the entrance. Quite beautiful.
And then just a waterfall away is the second grotto, Mata va’a grotto. It is quite similar with the first grotto however the lake inside the grotto is smaller and it seems a bit drier here. Still it is a beautiful area and we spend some time just relaxing here before the next group comes along.
We continue past a few more waterfall and a beautiful trail to the presumed third grotto which should be a short additional hike away.
While the hike is short it passes for a portion near the ring road, so away our peace and silence go and then as it goes inland again we have to pass through mud, quite exciting.
The third grotto is also beautiful but a bit different so it was worth the hike. Specifically there is no waterfall flowing over the entrance and you cannot get close as there is a small pond even outside. It is quite beautiful and we spend some time enjoying the area before the mosquitoes come so it is time to return to the car and then drive to the last stop of the day, ‘Ārahurahu Marae.
