Today we are not going to be traveling a long distance but we are going to head north to the farthest northern point on the South Island called Wharariki Beach. This is just a short distance beyond Cape Farewell. Cape Farewell is a headland in New Zealand, the most northerly point on the South Island. It is located just west of Farewell Spit. Discovered by Abel Tasman, it was named by British explorer Captain James Cook in 1770 - it was the last land seen by his crew as they departed on the ship's homeward voyage.
In order to travel we need to go over a the Wakamarama Range. What is interesting about the range is that it seems to be steep up and steep down. The height seems to range in the 1000 meter to 1200 meters. To build a road across the mountain range New Zealand takes the contoured route with lots of switch backs and “S” curves. The road up has to be taken slowly since there is no shoulders and the surface is narrow. The road down requires a foot on the brake and an awareness of gravity. Here is a picture taken from the valley showing you the type of roads punched into the mountain sides to go up and over.
After crossing over the mountain range and dropping into the valley on the other side we started to realize how isolated this area really is, although there were lots of inhabitants the towns were small. We started to see more sheep and cattle (often dairy) farms which raised the question about how they got things to market. Apparently over the road we just travelled since it is the ONLY access to this area by car.
We turned off Highway 60 (actually I think it was a continuation but because it was so narrow it was hard to call it a highway) and headed up towards the Farewell Spit. We are starting to be concerned about whether or not we would find the town where we think there is a campgrounds. By the time we headed down a gravel road for about 10 kms we were really not sure but alas we came to the campgrounds right beside the parking lot for the Wharariki Beach trail. I should mention that in this region (Tasman) this beach is the 2nd most visited place so it really was a surprise to see so much gravel roads.
The campground is a unique situation where an original owner of the area sold almost all of his property to the Department of Conservation but kept 2 small acreages for himself. Three years ago the land was sold to the present owner who had a visition of setting up a caravan park on one property and living on the other (lots are adjacent). The entire land around these lots are owned by DOC but some of it has been leased out as farm/ranch land. As you walk the trail to the beach or to any of the lakes/ridges or other sightseeing trails you will be going over stiles and walking amoung the sheep or cattle.
What is amazing is that the owner took a satelite picture of this area of New Zealand and used the outline it created and a few pen marks created the image of the Kiwi. The eye of the Kiwi is the location of the campsite.
The campground itself was very busy but we were fortunate to be there early enough in the day to get a spot. Since the campgrounds only opened up last February, the owner is still working out things and trying to figure out the camp needs. By the time everyone settles in tonight there are about 170 people camping in this campsite and I suspect it is a bit overwelming considering there are only 4 bathrooms, one kitchen with limited capacity (one kettle and one toaster for example) and one fridge. However, everyone seems to be cooperative and it worked out well. Needless to say we got to meet and chat with people from all over. It is important to remember that this is the PRIME season for New Zealanders as it is the middle so summer, school is out, and they have 2 stat holidays for Christmas and 2 for New Years.
Having said this, and considering the number of tents, trailers and vans onsite, the facilities were clean and functional so we all felt welcomed. The host was very knowledgable about hikes, trails and best times to be on the beach. So after we settled in we headed off to the beach to explore by taking the long route (we walked along the topline to the far end of the beach, then returned on the beach). This route is only possible when the tide is out since 2/3 of the beach is unaccessible when it is in.
The granite rock that forms the cliffs along the beach are pocketed with caves and arches. The best way to see them is by walking and exploring. This is what we did and with our feet walking in the sand we really were able to enjoy the sights of nature and the wild life since one section has seals (Fur Seals) and they are just starting to cub. The seals seem very tame since they do not seem to be bothered by all the people walking around them and taking pictures. Of course no one actually went up close to to touch them.
At one point we were able to walk around one of the rocks where the seals were lounging to find a ‘cave’ on the backside (again this could only be done when the tide is fully out). In the cave we could see several young pups but they were far enough away so protected by any intruders.
At another point of the beach in another rock in the water we were told of a ‘tunnel’ that ran through the rock to the open ocean on the other side. When the tide is fully in, the water actually flows through this tunnel, but when the tide is out, the water from the creek flows out to sea through this tunnel. Of course it is big enough to walk through so we had to give it a try. As we walked into the narrow tunnel (about 8 feet high and maybe 3 feet wide at some places) and listen to water and waves on the ocean side crash against the rocks. Some people have actually walked right through and out the other side but they would have to swim a short distance around the end of the rock back to the shore. We were a bit late for that (shucks) since the tide was turning and as we got to the end (about 10 feet from the end) we noticed that the waves were actually coming back in so we turned and walked back out.
Along the shores are huge sand dunes which I am sure kids love to play in. Of course to walk back off the beach we needed to climb a few of the dunes and that was fun – and yes hard work.
Our day ended with a sense of interest in the area and we both were really pleased that we had come to this area. Since we are staying two nights we know that tomorrow will be a day of hiking and exploring. We will talk to our host about options. However, before we can do that we need bread and we have learned that the closest store is 35 minutes back up the road. We had thought that there would be a store at the closest town which is about 10 km back but not so. We drove back to Collingwood to the ONE store there only to learn that they were sold out of bread. We bought crackers for lunch tomorrow instead.
It is one of the less visited of New Zealand's major capes due to its remote location. The "Clifftop walk" (2-3 hours one-way along the heights of the coast north of the cape) joins the area with the beginning of Farewell Spit, and has stunning vistas of the Tasman Sea to one side, of the sanddunes in the northeast and of the towering cliffs and rocky, primal landscapes to the shoreward (east) side.
No comments:
Post a Comment