The Grove Scenic Reserve

About

At the Grove Scenic Reserve, a vast area of limestone bedrock has been sculpted into a series of narrow canyons and passageways, creating a natural labyrinth with intriguingly organic shapes. The landscape is made more eerie by the dangling roots of the northern rātā trees, which usually begin their lives as debris caught in high tree branches, but here send their serpentine roots down the limestone blocks. A variety of other plants also cling to the cliffs, and the surrounding forest is dotted with nīkau palms - mainland New Zealand’s only endemic palm tree. The limestone passageways eventually lead to a cliff looking out over the farmland below.