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Arrived in Wellington and walked our bags down to the YHA, a modern building of hotel standard - without the en-suite. As soon as we had settled in we walked over to Te Papa, Wellingtons museum, where we spent a couple of hours looking around the exhibits. Most we had seen before in one form or another but it helped to re-enforce what we had already learnt.
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Wellington YHA is well situated, across the road from a supermarket and not far from Te Papa and the rest of the city. Apparently it was originally a hotel before being converted into a hostel and the quality of everything shows it with good size rooms, good facilities and good internal decoration.
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Carried out a few chores before returning to Te Papa this time to look at the Lord of the Rings exhibition, which cost us NZ$10 each and well worth it. The displays were of the costumes and artefacts as well as miniatures of sets which would have been too expensive to build in full size. A large part of the exhibition was given over to the techniques used in filming to create the effects and seamlessly join the whole action together. All amazing.
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Returned to the hostel for our rental car pick up and then out to our friends for a couple of nights to sort ourselves out for the rest of our stay.
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Having collected a large number of leaflets and a few souvenirs as well as found that some of the cloths we had brought with us would not be needed we decided to post as much as possible home. Bought the largest box the post office had and filled it up, the maximum weight that they would accept was 20kg, we came in just below this.
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As the weather forecast for the next few days was good, we decided it was a good opportunity to go for the summit of Taranaki and so started planning around that.
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After a couple of phone calls to put back our flight from Australia to Singapore a couple of days we left and drove into Johnsonville to stock up on food for the next few days, allowing for the possibility that not only would we be doing the Taranaki summit but that we would follow that on immediately with the Around the Mountain Circuit.
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Drove north on the SH1, retracing the route we had already been along a couple of times, though this time we hit a series of road works along the way. For our accommodation we had booked into the historic Camphouse at North Egmont Visitors Centre, a tramping hut with mod cons such as electricity and mains water.
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North Egmont Camphouse
In 1854, Colonel Wynyard was petitioned by the people of New Plymouth to provide military protection at a time of feuding between various Maori factions. On April 16th, 1855 he wrote to Captain A Clarke of the Royal Engineers (Melbourne) requesting construction of "nine iron houses" for the accommodation of the troops in New Plymouth. These prefabricated buildings were shipped out to New Plymouth aboard the brig Alexander. Arriving on the 4th July 1855 and costing #6232. In 1856 the barracks were erected on Marsland Hill where they remained for 18 years serving the need of military accommodation
In 1874 after the feuding tribes had settled the barracks were used as a temporary housing facility for immigrants until 1891.
No longer used, the building was demolished, but part of the structure was sold and relocated to this present site. In 1892 it was officially opened by Messrs Wheetman, Robinson and the Archdeacon Govett as an Alpine visitors accommodation building. This building now beared the name "Tahurangi House" and its first caretaker was appointed.
In 1913 it became the caretakers residence when a larger hostel (The Chalet) was erected and the name changed to the "Old House".
In 1977 its name changed to that of "The Camp House" and its role turned back to that of a visitors accommodation facility.Interesting to note this building is one of the few surviving buildings with a military history from the 1860 New Zealand Wars. The building is clad with hand made corrugated iron reputed to be the oldest corrugated iron in the world. You will note slots in the iron that are covered over, these are rifle slots that reflect some of that history. Also it is reputed to be the oldest remaining example of a prefabricated building in New Zealand and the oldest building in a New Zealand National Park.
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We had thought to do the 'Around the Mountain Circuit', but with our time limited, and as we had already seen the views that we would get when we went to the summit, we decided to move on.
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Before leaving the park we called in on Dawson Falls, the other visitors centre. The view of Taranaki took on a different perspective with the Sharks Tooth edge of the crater being very prominent. The right hand edge of the perspective was about the line that we took to the summit and so gave an idea of the angle of the climb. Whilst there we took a short walk on the Kapuni Loop which included a view of the falls.
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Drove back to Eltham to pick up the SH3 for our drive down to Wanganui. Stopped off for lunch at a picnic site besides William Birch Pool, it would have been interesting to know something about the pool which had been constructed and seem a cross between a swimming pool, a fish pond, a mill pond, a weir, or perhaps none of those.
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From Maxwell we turned right and took the coast road stopping at Westmere Lake for a stroll. The lake was predominately the home of grey ducks but there were also a small number of paradise ducks, black swans and a lone goose. In the woods around the lake a number of fantails showed themselves.
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Completed our journey to Braemar House, a 106 year old two story building where we took a spacious furnished cabin.
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Drove out on the SH4 again and turned off on the Whanganui River Road. The first section of road, known as Gentle Annie, climbed up the hill to the Aramoana saddle that stands in the way of the Whanganui River reaching the sea by the shortest route and forces the river to take a wide loop around a mountain. From the saddle the river could be seen deep down in the gorge surrounded by cloud covered hills. We drove down the precipitous road to get to the bottom of the valley and follow the Whanganui up stream through river flats given over to farming.
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On the opposite bank on our left hand side white oyster shell bearing cliffs were a reminder that the area was once below sea level. Deeply cut banks contained the river but not always successfully, as a sign on a barn door marking the level of a 1990 flood testified
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The road passed through a number of small communities whose names had been given to them by the early missionaries with a classical bent, and then given Maori spellings and pronunciation so that we had Atene for Athens, Koroniti for Corinth, and Hiruharama for Jerusalem, but how London became Ranana was difficult to comprehend!
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The road, which took 30 years to build - on and off, was finally opened in 1934 having been dug with pick and shovel and a little help from dynamite to remove sections of hill side into which the road could be cut. The road is now tar sealed for about half its length but the remained is just gravel.
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Along the road were quite a number of dead possums, either there are more possums in the area, or the possums have less road sense here, or the local drivers are more skilled at hitting them, or the hawks are less diligent at cleaning up, or perm and combination of the previous.
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Maori Habitation
By 1100AD the Maori began drifting into the Wanganui Valley to settle. They used the river as a major access way into the North Island interior. Food sources were abundant and kainga (villages) were located along the length of this sheltered valley.
To survive, the Maori had to live with nature, not fight against it. The relationship between people and the land was therefore deep. As a consequence intimate legends such as "The creation of the Wanganui River" evolved.The Missionaries
The first major European influence on the river came with the Missionaries in the 1840s. They created mission stations and some selected biblical names, eg Hiruharama (Jerusalem).
Rev. Richard Taylor, Father Lampila, Father Soulas, Mother Aubert, and many others were responsible over the following years. Their influence on the majority of the Maori population was evident by the cessation of tribal warfare, the associated abandonment of Pa, and the development of large scale cultivation. In fact, by 1848, an estimated 30,000 acres of wheat were grown along the river and flour mills were soon established. The Kawana Mill near Matahiwi ground flour for over 50 years. The Riverboat Era
As farming and wheat cultivation developed along the river valley, so did the need for better transport.
In December 1891, Alexander Hatrick's P.S. Wairere started a regular service to Pipiriki.
Three years later a thriving tourist industry was underway. With the addition of smaller boats, the service was extended to Taumarunui in 1903. The Wanganui River was now on the tourist route between Wellington and Auckland via the "Hot Lakes District" (Rotorua and Taupo). A three day, three stage voyage from Taumarunui to the Houseboat, on down to Pipiriki and out to Wanganui opened up a scenic wonderland. Early Farming Pioneers
After World War 1 isolated areas of very rugged terrain were offered as rehabilitation settlements. The returned servicemen had no easy task, transforming the thick virgin forest into grazing pasture. However, the problems of isolation, the 1930s depression, erosion, regenerating native forests and decreasing soil fertility saw the decline and final abandonment of many farms.
The Bridge to Nowhere now stands as a reminder of those early pioneering days.
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At Pipiriki we joined five others for a jetboat trip up the Whanganui to visit the 'Bridge to Nowhere', a government folly of the early 20th century when they built a road into the area but in clearing the bush the roots that held the subsoil together were destroyed and many land slips resulted. The road was abandoned in the late 1940s and the bridge is the only structure left, sitting in the middle of regenerating bush.
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Reflections on Whanganui
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The Whanganui is the longest navigable river in New Zealand though it would depend on how you define navigable. There are no large rapids of waterfalls though there are a number of small ones that does not trouble a jetboat, even with the river about 1m below its normal high level. Paddle boats also used to travel up the river but to get over the minor rapids they had a system of cables anchored to the rocks with which they would winch themselves up. Our journey up the river was most enjoyable as we skimmed along the deep sided gorge with occasional deep crevices and small waterfalls. In places the water was so still it was difficult to tell without looking closely at the reflection where the join was between the surface and the bank.
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After about an hour we reached Mangapurua Landing and got out to walk for 40 minutes to the Bridge to Nowhere following the old road way which in places had reduced down to a path. Spent a lunch break on the bridge before returning to the boat and back down the river to Pipiriki. On the way grey ducks and other water birds flew about and sometimes matched the speed and direction of the boat. From Pipiriki we continued along the gravel road on our way to Ohakune where we would be staying for two nights at the Matai Lodge, a modern comfortable establishment. After setting in we took a stroll around Ohakune which is mainly geared to winter skiing on the slopes of Ruapehu with plenty of ski shops and cafes. Dark clouds started to gather and as we returned to the hostel rain started to fall. The rain was most welcome to the locals, and after a day on gravel roads it gave our car a wash down
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Bridge to Nowhere
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It had been raining during the night but by the time we were up it had stopped, though it still didn't look very promising.
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After booking out we drove up the Ohakune Mountain Road to the ski resort, if the weather had been fine we had planned to walk to Surprise Lake, but with low cloud and poor views we decided it wasn't worth it. Called in at the DOC office on the way out and watched part of a video on kiwis. Then with the weather looking as if it could change for better or for worse we drove out on the SH49 to Irirangi where we turned north to drive along the SH1 Desert Road up to Turangi, stopping for a snack. And from there to Taupo. The lake was just about visible from the road, each rock in the lake seemed to be occupied by a bedraggled shag, But more surprising was that there were fishermen standing up to their waste in water casting their lines. Welcome to the trout capital of the world. By the time we reached the hostel it was raining in earnest, luckily we were able to park undercover to unload.
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For our afternoons activity we chose to visit the Volcanic Activity Centre, which had the added attraction of being in doors.
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Another day, another change in the weather. The rain stopped and the morning started out with white clouds and patches of blue sky which increased as the day wore on.
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Artists Palette
Hidden Valley
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Drove out along the SH1 Hamilton Road for a few kilometres before turning off right on a side road to Orakei-Korako to visit the Hidden Valley, a geothermal area with interesting deposits where some of the scenes from 'Walking with Dinosaurs' were filmed. The valley lies on the other side of the road over Lake Ohakuri, which has helped to preserve the site. We were ferried across on a two minute boat ride to the start of the walk around the area. The formations were interesting to see and the walk was pleasant. One almost unique feature was the 'Ruatapu Cave' one of only two known caves in the world to be situated in geothermal areas and whose formation is uncertain.
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Continued on along the byroad to reach the SH5 and followed it north to Rotorua where we stopped at 'The Redwoods'. In 1901, stands of 170 types of trees were planted in order to compare growth rates and so determine the species most suited to commercial harvesting in the Bay of Plenty area. The Radiata Pine was found to be the best and now accounts for the majority of commercial trees grown in New Zealand. Some of the species planted didn't survive in foreign soil but the Californian Redwoods did, and flourished.
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Took a short walk through the Redwood stand to marvel at the tall trees standing side by side with ponga ferns.
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From Rotorua we headed west along the SH30 to Whakatane calling in first at the Visitors Centre to book a visit to White Island. We had hoped that we could go the following day but found that both companies running trips were fully booked and so had to delay for a day.
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Drove back to Karabu Backpackers which we had spotted on the way in and booked in for the next two nights.
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Set off first to walk in to town by going down to the river and then following the flood bank around. The sky was again blue but the early morning temperature was cool with dew still on the grass. After a little shopping we set out at 10.15 to walk the Nga Tapuwae o Toi Path . Once we had located some steps behind the pillar of rock near The Strand we were off.
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The path emerged at the top of the steps and followed the road around to the left before veering off left back off the road. After dropping down for a short while to cross a foot bridge we started a stiff but shaded climb up a well worn path to a look out position, Whale island and White Island lay out to sea.
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A little further on and we could see the narrow mouth of Whakatane River and passed one of the few mainland Grey Faced Petrel beading colonies. Sat for a while to enjoy the view and identify some trees.
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Descended a series of steps into Otarawairere Bay with lava and millions of broken sea shells being gradually reduced to sand against the rocks and mixing to give a mottled effect.
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Passing over and around a headland brought us to Ohope Beach with its long, broad stretch of sands which a small number of people were enjoying. At 12.20 we found ourselves a washed up log and sat and ate our lunch before venturing slightly further along to a cafe for a drink and ice-cream.
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After an hour we moved on, crossing the road and starting up the track. We were offered a choice between two routes, one 20 minutes the other 25 minutes, we took the 20 minute one which climbed gently up through the Ohope Scenic Reserve before crossing a couple of tracks and moving into the Mokoroa Bush Scenic Reserve with plantations of fir and eucalyptus. Passing White Horse Junction we climbed again along a ridge, then just before reaching Gorge Road we descended a long series of steps to reach it. All that was left was a walk through town to get back to the hostel.
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The walkway was said to have information boards at strategic places but we didn't come across any of any relevance except for a broken one. The sign posting also was a bit erratic with plenty of signs where they weren't need and none where the were. But otherwise the walk was enjoyable.
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In the evening we went to watch 'Whale Rider', a New Zealand film that had been recommended to us. It told the story of a young girl whose mother and twin brother died at her birth. Her grandfather, a local chief had been wanting a boy who he could teach to be the next chief and so save his people. Although he accepted the girl she could not replace a boy, but this was the 20th century and holding on to ancient traditions wasn't always possible. The film depicted the struggle between the traditional and modern world in Maori culture.
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A perfect day for a sea trip with clear blue skies and waves just large enough to let you know you weren't on a lake.
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Left the quay at 8.35 with 46 other passengers to visit White Island, the only active volcanic island in New Zealand and believed to be the only active volcano in private ownership. Laying about 50km out to sea the island was never the less clearly visible on the horizon as we left harbour and passed though the narrow mouth with a statue of Lady Whakatane' on our left. This depicts the Maori legend of when they first arrived at Whakatane and all the men jumped ashore to inspect the site, failing to secure the canoe properly which then drifted out to sea. It was forbidden for women to handle a paddle but in the emergency one woman stood up and shouted to the gods 'I act as a man' and grabbed a paddle. Other women followed and they paddled to the safety of the shore. Whakatane means 'to act as a man'.
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Lady Whakatane
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The 20m boat passed out of the shadow of the hill and out into the sea with Whale Island ahead. Now own by DOC it was a privately owned farm until 1984 but since then it has been cleared of predators. The bush is regrowing and the island is being restocked with birds. Looking back, the Bay of Plenty stretched out all the way to the east with the end obscured with the strong reflection of the sun on the sea.
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White Island
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Slowly White Island, so name by Captain Cook because he seemed to think it looked white, grew in size. A white cloud of steam rose from the centre with intermittent puffs. The island was formed 150 to 200,000 years ago and has had its present form for the last 16,000 years. Eruptions take place regularly, the last being in July 2000. Sulphur had been mined and processed on the island on and off from 1885 to 1933 with little financial success and a number of disasters including a landslip killing all 10 workers in 1914. In 1936 the island was bought by the Buttles family who still own it.
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There is only a small jetty on the island which even our boat was too big to use and so we were transferred by an inflatable dinghy and climbed up a ladder onto the jetty. From there it was just a scramble over some boulders to get to a firmer footing. Others with considerably more money who wanted an easier and quicker transfer were arriving by helicopter. For our protection we were provided with gas masks and a hard hat and given instructions on what to do in the unlikely even of an eruption. Our tour started from the old sulphur factory, now almost derelict and we followed a stream bed up toward the crater.
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Crater on
White Island
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Fumerol vent on
White Island
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We were invited to taste the water in the creek, it turned out not to be too bad even though it contained sulphur, chlorine and magnesium amongst other things. Walked up to a fumerole to see it spouting steam like a boiling kettle, around the edges yellow sulphur was being deposited. Then on to the craters. Even over a short period of time the craters are forming, becoming active, and dyeing back. The current main crater was created in 1976, in the bottom of it is a bubbling lake whose colour changes between greens, browns and yellows depending on its moods. The bottom of the crater which was 110m below the rim we were standing on was 30m below sea level.
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Returned to the old factory and then re-boarded the boat. Before leaving we sailed around the island to see trees growing on the outer flanks, a large colony of Australasian Gannets also nested on the island. During the circuit we disposed of the packed lunches we had been provided with.
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Returned to Whakatane with a short diversion to a small boat which had run out of fuel, but another small boat came by to help so we were able to continue into harbour, getting back about 2.30.
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Picked up our car and started to drive out along the Pacific Highway going first to Opotiki to make sure our tank was full and then continued along the coast, around headlands, down into bays and small coves and through small communities with a strong Maori presence until we came to our stopping place for the night Maraehako Bay Retreat at Whanarua Bay. After following a number of signs as the track from the road divided off to various dwellings we finally descended a steep hill where if the breaks had failed we would have ended up in the sea. We were at our hostel, the rooms were spacious and comfortable, with the door open, laying on the bed we could watch the bay.
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View from bedroom
Maraehako Bay Resort
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"We're as poor as can be, but we live the life of kings."
East Cape saying
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Carried on round on the SH35, most of the time we just admired the view from the car window but at a few places we stopped to take a closer look at points of interest. The road turned out to be better than we were expecting but with few other vehicles on it in either direction. Above Hicks Bay we stopped to look back at the view, however the way to the top of a small, nearby hill had been blocked and so we had to make do with 2nd best from the car park. Called in quickly at the East Cape Manuka Company to buy a tube of hand cream.
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At Te Araroa we turned off on a side road to drive the 20km down to the East Cape, the most easterly point on the New Zealand mainland and except for some Pacific islands, as close on land to the International Date Line as it is possible to get. The road which had both sealed and unseal stretches passed by deserted sandy beaches interspersed with spits and flats of rock and strewn boulders. At the end of the road we climbed the 735 steps up to the light house to look east into yesterday about 60km away.
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East Cape Lighthouse
Latitude 37degrees 51.5minutes South - Longitude 178degrees 32.9minutes East
This 14 metre high lighthouse tower is made of cast iron section that are bolted together. It originally stood on East Island just off the tip of East Cape where its light first shone on 9th August 1900. However, years of earthquakes saw the steep cliffs on the island progressively slip into the sea and in 1922 it was decided to shift the lighthouse to its present site.
The light is 154m above sea level and flashes once every 10 seconds. It can be seen for 19 nautical miles (35km). The new rotating beacon has a 50 watt lamp and operates on mains electricity with a battery as a standby power supply. The light replaced an old second order classic lens and 100 watt lamp in 2002.
The last lighthouse keeper was withdrawn in 1985.
The operation of this light is completely automatic and is monitored by a computer and Maritime Safety Authority staff in Wellington.
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Whangaokena (East Island)
The name Whangaokena, is so ancient, its origin has been lost. Houana, Mounu and Te Motu o Kaiawa are also traditional names for East Island. They each refer to the names of ancestors who at one time held mana of the island, which is steeped in history, traditions and mythology of the local hapu (sub-tribes) and Ngati Porou.
According to oral tradition, Wheketoro, captain of Mangarara waka, an ancestral canoe, introduced tuatara, lizards, insects and creatures that crept and crawled upon the earth to the island. To protect his pets, he made the island tapu (sacred), and blocked access with high cliffs. Wheketoro also left torea (oystercatchers) and pihoihoi (pipits) to watch over his pets.The rip tides and strong currents that surround the island are said to be attributed to Mohorangi, a taniwha (water monster) in the form of a dog left by Wheketoro as guardian over the island and surrounding sea. Mohorangi has been likened to the legendary taniwha Parata, who causes the rise and fall of the tides by opening and closing his mouth.
Traditionally, three species of seabird from the mutton bird family, were harvested seasonally from the island. They were known locally as titi, hakoka and kuhia.
Tuhorouta, noted warrior son of famous Ngati Porou fighting chief Tuwhakairiora, used the island as a defensive strong point. The descendants of his son Hunaara, Te Whanau-a-Hunaara, deserted their pa Rangitane at Horoera, to defend the island against Te Whanau-a-Apanui invaders, so important was Whangaokena to them strategically, historically and as a kapata kai (food cupboard). The first Europeans to see Whangaokena were with explorer James Cook when he visited the area aboard the ship 'HMS Endeavour' on 31st October 1769. Cook named it 'East Island'. Lighthouse History
The rough seas and rugged coastline around the island caused over ten shipwrecks during the 19th century. This promoted the Marine Department to establish a lighthouse in the area. A mainland site was selected in 1875, but this decision was changed in 1897 in favour of a site on Whangaokena.
Lighthouse construction started in 1898 and the light was first used on 9th August 1900. For the following 22 years the light was operated by three lighthouse keepers and their families who lived in the small cottages overlooking the Pacific. The old journals from this time tell of difficulties and frustrations of island life.
During the island lighthouse period, accidents and shipwrecks occurred. A small cemetery was established on the island. Five seamen and three lighthouse children were buried on the island.
By the 1920's. landslides threatened the lighthouse. This threat and the difficulty of regular servicing to the island promoted the dismantling and removal of the lighthouse to the present location on East Cape. The Goldsmith Story 1930
Three houses left on the island when the lighthouse was removed, became a challenge to an East Coast farmer, George Goldsmith. George purchased the buildings from the Marine Department for #30, enlisted the help of two local men and proceeded to dismantle and raft the material back to East Cape.
George and his workers completed this job in nine months, successfully transporting 24 rafts of building material back to East Cape without breaking a single pane of glass. 1960
George Goldsmith again took an interest in this island. He was concerned at the effect goats were having on the remaining vegetation including a lone pohutukawa tree suspended on a bluff.
George enlisted the help of seven Te Araroa locals and headed to the island for a days hunting. Sixty-eight goats were killed, finally eliminating a legacy of the lighthouse keeping days. The only intruders left were Pacific rats (kiore). Whangaokena Restoration
Following discussion between tangata whenua and the Department of Conservation (DOC), the removal of Pacific rats (kiore) from the island was carried out in August 1997. After two years of monitoring, Whangaokena was declared "rat free" in December 1999.
This island is home to four different sea bird species - the grey faced petrel, black-winged petrel, fluttering shearwater and the sooty shearwater.
Since the removal of the Pacific rats (kiore) all management efforts such as weed control and replanting native trees have been undertaken by DOC in partnership with tangata whenua.
Tuatara were last seen on this island in the 1920s. Once native plants and insects are restored to a level that can support them, the ultimate aim is to return tuatara to the island.
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Returned to the main road via Te Araroa school yard which boasts the largest pohutukawa tree in the world, then continued on round, stopping to admire the outside of Tikitiki church. Stopped again at Tolaga Bay, first to look at the longest jetty in New Zealand (660m), whose concrete supports are starting to crumble and so can't really be save without replacing them and then it wouldn't be the original any more.
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Tolaga Bay
At 660 meters it is said to be the longest in the southern hemisphere.History of shipping in Tolaga Bay: 1870s - 1900s
The isolation, sparsity of settlement and lack of roads of the East Coast of the North Island combined to give rise to a surf landing service for the inhabitants. Mariners called it the 'call at your farm service'. It was largely run by seamen, many of them ex-whalers or navy men, with experience in handling small boats. It was achieved by the farmer driving a loaded bullock wagon into the surf to create a kind of temporary 'jetty' to which the surf boat would be secured, while the ship lay in the roadstead awaiting cargo. This service lasted until well into the twentieth century. Increasing need for a wharf
Just after the turn of the century, a Farmers' Co-operative Company had erected a wharf in the mouth of the Uawa River at Tolaga Bay as a loading-out port for lighters taking cargo out to ships in the roadstead. This wharf was also used by scows which could cross the bar at high tide on calm days.
In 1908 control of the wharf passed to Uawa County Council which sat as the Harbour Board. As early as 1913 there was local interest in a jetty outside the river. In 1919 Tolaga Bay formed its own elected Harbour Board and rates were imposed on the Harbour District from early 1920 onwards. Building the Wharf
On 13 November, Frederick Goodman of Kaiti Bridge, Gisborne, signed a contract with the Harbour Board for the construction of a wharf and road for the sum of #60,331. In February 1925 G.D. White-Parsons was appointed Resident Engineer and Inspector of Works.
As the construction of the wharf progressed, heavy seas caused much damage to the new piles resulting in delays and the #70,000 loan being expended well before completion of the project.
On 22 November 1929, the wharf and shed were officially opened. The Hon. J.G. Cobbe, Minister of Marine officiated. The opening was marred by a terrible accident when a truck pulling a rail wagon loaded with people down the wharf passed ships tied up at bollards; four women with legs dangling over the side had their legs crushed. 1929-1940s: The "Hey Day"
The opening of the Tolaga Bay Wharf enabled larger coasters to load alongside and for many years the Richardson & Company coaster Kopara called regularly.
In December 1929, soon after the wharf opening, The Bencruachan, a ship chartered to Geo. H. Scales, was the first overseas ship to load at Tolaga Bay.
However, even as the Tolaga Bay Wharf opened, improved roading and motor vehicles had begun to compete with coastal shipping, especially on short hauls. It was ironic that much of the cargo that passed over the wharf was road-making material used to construct the road through to Gisbourne, thus providing an alternative means of transport.
The onset of the Depression greatly reduced the amount of cargo going through the port. One hundred and thirty-two vessels worked Tolaga Bay in 1936, but by 1939 only eighty-eight called. Trade was further reduced by the war which centralised shipping control. The Decline
In November 1960, the Harbour Board considered the falling off of trade to the port, and decided rather than replace the existing Harbour Master (who had tendered his resignation), to pass control of the wharf over to the Uawa County Council, who accepted. On 29 November 1961 the final meeting of the Harbour Board was held.
In November 1963, the southern side of the wharf was closed to shipping due to damage and deterioration. A report on the condition of the wharf from a Mr Booth in 1965 gave the structure a conservative fifteen years life. In 1977 Cook County banned all vehicular traffic on the wharf.
As early as June 1930, deterioration of several piles was discussed at Harbour Board meetings. In subsequent years there was ongoing concern about the deterioration of the ferro-concrete piles, under decking and railings are in quite bad condition. The problem is that the aggregate used in construction consisted of beach gravel from Napier and local beach sand, the salts in the resulting concrete have attacked the reinforcing which has expanded and is spalling off the concrete. The Resurrection
The wharf in 1998 is no longer part of a registered port and considered too dangerous for vehicular traffic or berthage. The structure has evolved into a very popular fishing place for locals and tourists alike, and particularly for travellers, a challenge, because of its unusual length and the high scenic value of its environment.
A strong desire by the local community to retain the wharf has led to the forming of the Tolaga Bay Save the Wharf Committee who are raising money to restore, or at least prolong, the life of the wharf in the hope that we can preserve this icon for the enjoyment of future generations.
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Just a few metres up the road from the jetty is the start of the Cooks Cove Walkway. We spent 30 minutes climbing on a good path, just a little damp in places, over the headland, with a lookout point and down into the quiet cove. As well as the cove itself we also took a look at and walked through the 'Hole in the Wall', a sea bridge, and walked up to the Cook Memorial, a block of concrete with a plaque screwed to it. Returned to the car park to complete our trip to Gisborne and the 'Flying Nun Backpackers'.
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The hostel was a former convent, a bit drab looking on the outside but the rooms were pleasant enough. However, the kitchen was in great need of modernising, there weren't enough sinks and those were cluttered with other peoples dishes. Much of the hostel was occupied by a large group of surf life savers who were in town for the weekend for the national championship being held in Gisborne. With them were three mothers who were running the cooking arrangements and with a large group to cook for they inevitably took over most of the kitchen making it difficult for the rest of us.
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The day started not just wet but tipping it down as we loaded the car boot. On the way out we called in for some shopping and then drove to look at another Cook Monument, this time commemorating his first landing in New Zealand on 8 October 1769. From there we took a look at Cooks Statue, much more artistic and Young Nicks Statue, the lad who first sighted land and after whom the headland he sighted is named.
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Cook Statue
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A fine seaman, an outstanding captain, an honest man, Captain Cook was one of the last of the great explorer-navigators and the first of the scientific expedition leaders. After his three global voyages of 1766-71, 1772-75 and 1776-79 the map of the world was substantially complete.
Here on the 9th and 10th of October, 1769 Cook walked with men from HM Bark Endeavour seeking fresh food and water. Nearby on the river rock Toka-a-Taiau, Maori chief and English captain greeted one another. When traditional challenges were misunderstood, Maori were killed, the ship sailed without provisions and thus Poverty Bay received its name.
From here the Endeavour circumnavigated New Zealand and Cook plotted the first map of this country.
This meeting of the two peoples marked the beginning of the New Zealand nation.
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Drove out from Gisborne and picked up the SH2 heading south until we reached Nuhaka where we turned off to briefly explore the Mania Peninsula. Mahia Beach is a favourite for swimming and surfing and a popular holiday resort for those who know about it. Followed the eastern peninsula road out as far as Auroa Point where we stopped to admire the view before returning to the main road.
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We had hoped to call in at the Whakamaha Bird Sanctuary which we were told about in a leaflet but couldn't find it on the map or any direction signs on the road.
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Drove in to Wairoa for a quick view of the town which seemed quite pleasant and then north on the SH38, a mixture of sealed and gravel road, to Lake Waikaremoana. Called in at the DOC visitors centre to pick up our passes for the tramp around the lake and then booked in at the Waikaremoana Motorcamp. We had booked a cabin for the night which turned out to be almost luxurious as these things go. For NZ$40 we got a 4 bunk room with fridge, cooking facilities and heating, as well as a view across the lake. Could spend a week here if we had time.
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Left Waikaremoana Motorcamp and drove the SH38 back to Wairoa where we stopped for a drink and another brief look around the town which seemed to have quite a few businesses with Clyde in their name, we were told that Wairoa was once known as Clyde but changed the name to that of the river that runs through it because there was another Clyde on South Island.
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Picked up the SH2, the Pacific Coast Highway and headed south in glorious sunshine. The road ran inland into the hills and then along various deep river gorges and over saddles, the steep surrounding hills were green with natural terracing.
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As we approached Napier the road returned to the shore with flat coastal plains. Fields with orchards or vines stood beside the road.
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As the hostel was on the sea front we followed the shore road around through the port area and then down to Marine Parade. The YHA hostel is not a modern building nor one of Napier's famous art deco structures but it was comfortable and well located.
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After lunch and settling in we walked into town to Visitors Information to sort out our itinerary for the next couple of days with and then find an internet cafe to catch up on our messages. Sat in a cafe in the pedestrianised area at the next table was a girl with a T-shirt saying 'I love Max'!
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Spent the day being a tourist. First we visited the Mission Estate Winery, the oldest winery in New Zealand, set up in 1851 by the Brothers of the Society of Mary. The winery is now run by a trust through still owned by the brotherhood who have moved to smaller premises. We were taken on a tour of their seminary building and wine cellar and given a history of the estate which we found very interesting and entertaining.
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Next we drove on to Hastings (originally known as Hicksville), Napier's sister city. Like Napier it was severely damaged by the earthquake of 1931 and was reconstructed using Spanish Mission style, though it could only generally be seen by looking up above the ground floor. Walked down the main street to the pedestrianised square with a fountain in the middle, through the centre of it all, including the fountain, runs a main railway line!
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Called in at the McDonald's McDeco restaurant to enjoy the experience and then drove on the near by Havelock North and out to Te Mata Peak, a high hill just outside Havelock from where we were able to look out in all directions. Through the heat haze we were able to see as far north as the Paneriki Ridge and to the west Ruapahu both of which we had recently climbed. Closer to the hill were the Heretaunga Plains with the three townships set among vineyards and orchards. Returned to Napier via Clive and the coast road.
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Railway line through Hastings town centre
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Another beautiful day, got up early and took a walk south along the sea shore. Large ocean waves were crashing on to the steep sloping beach. Returned to get ready for our first tourist attraction of the day a guided town walk starting from the visitors centre. Learnt all about Napier's history and in particular the earthquake of 1931.
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Napier was quite late in being settled by Europeans when it was the base for the 35th Regiment which had been sent from India to assist in the quelling of Maori uprisings. The town derives its name from General Napier, the commander of the 35th Regiment and a number of street names reflect the regiments time in India.
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By 1931 the population of Napier was 16,000. At 10.47 on the morning of 3 February an earthquake at 7.8 on the Richter scale hit the city resulting in the death of 162 of its inhabitants. Most of the buildings in the central area collapsed, and of those that still stood most were then gutted by fire. But the forces of the earthquake were constructive as well as destructive, the town rose by 2m resulting in the shallow inner harbour and some lagoons draining and providing the city with new additional land close to the centre.
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Although the Government did little to help, making a contribution of #10,000, the city planners were bold. A temporary city centre of tin buildings was set up in a near by park and the rubble of the destroyed centre was dumped along the sea shore and later used to create a wide promenade and gardens. There was no conscious decision to build in the Art Deco style, it just happened to be in vogue at the time. Spanish Mission was also imported from California with its similar climate and earthquake problems. Not all motifs were standard designs, some Maori motifs were also given an Art Deco treatment.
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In reconstructing the centre it was decided that all power and telephone cables would be laid underground, which was quite an advanced idea at the time. The trams were also retired and so an uncluttered eye line was created. Also, the streets were widened.
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Normality returned to Napier and no one thought much about the architecture until around 1985 when some of the building started to be demolished and replaced. The citizens realised that it they weren't careful, they were in danger of loosing a valuable asset and so the Art Deco Trust was set up to protect and promote Napier's Architectural Heritage.
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With time pressing we left the tour just before the end to make our way back to the hostel to pick up the car and drive out to our second tour, a visit with Gannet Beach Adventures to the gannet colony on Cape Kidnappers. Even if we hadn't seen the gannets the trip was worth it just for the ride.
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Our transport was a trailer towed behind a tractor, although apparently a bit primitive we came to find it was the only practical way. The journey started from the car park at Clifton and we drove out along a rough beach strewn with boulders and sometimes with bare rock. The distance between the cliffs and the water line wasn't always very far and so the trailer would sometimes be in the sea and with the large waves rolling in would have washed over our feet if we hadn't picked them up. When we entered the sea the driver would wait until a large wave had broken and then try to make the excursion as quickly as possible to try to beat the next wave. In places the shingle on the beach was quite soft and the tractor struggled to get a grip. On the way along the 9km of beach we had the geology of the area explained to us.
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After about one and a half hours we arrived at Cape Kidnappers where after eating our lunch we climbed up to the headland to view the gannets. Numerous interpretation boards explained all about the birds and their habits.
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Takapu - Australasian Gannet
The gannets here are members of the Booby family, related to shags and pelicans. Two other sub species of gannet are found in the Atlantic and South Africa.
The three colonies here at Cape Kidnappers are the largest mainland colonies in New Zealand. An estimated 1,500 breeding pairs live in the Plateau Colony and 2,200 pairs in the Saddle Colony below the lighthouse. A further 2,600 pairs inhabit Black Reef Colony. Gannets have been breeding here since the 1870's.
Breeding gannets are at Cape Kidnappers from about July (when they begin courtship and nest building) through until April. Some roost here during winter.Age and Beauty
Among the most majestic birds of coastal waters, the gannet can glide, soar and dive with the help of its near two metre wing span.
Gannets may live as long as 33 years, although their average life span is 20-24 years. Male or Female?
Female and male gannets usually look alike. They equally share incubation and rearing the chick.
During the nesting season (September to December) watch for birds carrying construction material - seaweed, grass or feathers - to the nest site. Generally only the male brings in nesting material.
The nest is held together with excreta. Egg-laying begins in early July, and most eggs are laid by October. The egg is incubated beneath the parents webbed feet. Parents incubate in turn, often for 24 hours or more at a stretch.
The young chick hatches out about 42 to 44 days after the egg has been laid. Chicks
A chick will live at this colony for about 15 weeks. In that time its appearance will change dramatically; from its black and "naked" state at birth, to a white fluffy month old chick and then, by 3 months, it will have become a grey and speckled juvenile.
At flying age the average chick will weigh fifty times its 60 gram birth weight. However, most extra fat will be lost while learning to fly and feed.
The chicks depart for their first flight, to Australia, at 15-16 weeks of age; 70 to 80 percent die over the next 2-3 years before their return to Cape Kidnappers. Body Language
Paired gannets rub their beaks and necks together, preen head feathers, bow and call to each other. These displays are performed during courtship and when a partner returns home to its nest site.
If you see lone gannets swinging their heads from side to side and bowing their beaks beneath their wings, you are witnessing "solo bowing". You may be watching a gannet on its territory who is feeling "threatened" by another bird. Males may perform this most intensely when a female gannet (not its partner) calls or land nearby. What do Gannets eat and how do they catch it?
Kidnappers gannets eat live fish, in particular herrings, pilchards, mackerel, mullet, saury, garfish, anchovies and squid.
They dive for their fish, usually from a spectacular height of up to 30 metres. A gannet can enter the water at 140kph and swim to a depth of 8 metres. Under water the birds swim beneath the fish, catch it and swallow it at the surface all within a few seconds. The gannet may spend up to 15 hours away from the nest while feeding.
The front of the gannet's skull is especially strong to withstand the impact of hitting the water and inflatable air sacs beneath the skin on the breast and lower neck cushion the body against shock. The internal positioning of the nostril prevents sea water being driven into the birds lungs.
Gannets usually feed not far from their gannetry, but some are known to have collected fish up to 200 km away from the gannetry. Small fish (anchovy, pilchard, yellow-eyed mullet, garfish, etc.) and small squid make up the bulk of the catch. Feeding their young
Chicks are fed on demand but usually near dawn and dusk.
On returning to the nest, the parent bird with its load of fish is immediately pestered for food by its yapping chick. Convulsive movements are seen in the lower neck of the parent as partly digested food is brought up from the stomach. The chick puts its head into the parent's open bill. The tiny chicks are fed on a fine, almost liquid paste. Well developed chicks may receive almost whole fish. Preparation for flight
By the time the young birds are about three months old, wing exercises become part of their daily routine. The amazing first flight
At about four months old (February/March), the young birds set out to find their way across to Australia, some 2,700 km away. The reason for the epic trans-Tasman flight is not entirely understood by scientists. Most birds have never flown before the flight, and so swim some of the first part of the journey. Crossing times vary depending on weather conditions. Some birds arrive in Australia as soon as one or two weeks after leaving the Cape. Most of the survivors return to New Zealand after 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 years. On average 25% to 30% of young Cape Kidnapper birds survive the dual crossing. The high mortality rate is compensated for by the potentially long breeding life of the survivors. Few birds do the trip again. Return to the Colony
From early May to mid-July the gannetry is usually empty. Birds returning to the colony for the breeding season belong to three groups:
1. Following the full moon in July adult males take possession of their nesting sites. They are later joined by their mates. Gannets generally mate for life i.e. each breeding season the birds in a breeding pair reunite.
2. The second group consists of adolescent birds which have returned from Australia during the previous two or three years. They lay claim to nesting sites on the colony margins. They do not begin breeding until they are at least four years old.
3. The third group are young newly arrived trans-Tasman flyers which gather in groups near the nesting area and on gannet roost during December and January. Arrival of the Gannets
Although Cook and his companions made detailed observations of sea birds in the area, no reference was made to nesting gannets.
The French explorer, Dumont D'Urville, passed within 5 kilometres of the Cape in 1827. Although he recorded gannets in the sea north of Cape Palliser and again near East Cape, he made no mention of them at Kidnappers.
The Saddle gannetry had its beginnings probably around 1850, twenty years before a Hawke's Bay naturalist, Henry Hill, visited the Cape and recorded gannets in the Saddle Colony. There were then no more than 50 birds in the colony. The Plateau Colony nearby and the Black Reef Colony became established probably in the mid-1930s. Gannet Colonies in New Zealand
In 1980/81 census of New Zealand breeding gannetries report that there were 46,000 breeding pair of gannets in New Zealand. This is more than double a 1946/47 census figure. Several of the gannetries are joined to the mainland only at low tide. About 90% of the gannets nest on islands up to 60 kilometres offshore. The islands are advantageous to the birds feeding grounds. Cape Kidnapper colonies are the only true mainland gannet breeding sites.
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Returned along the beach on the trailer. On the way out we had been facing the sea, on the way back we got to look at the cliffs with their millions of years of strata showing. Along this section of beach there are not many places to park up boat trailers while a boat is at sea. To get around this the locals build trailers with buoyancy attachments. They ran the boat and trailer down into the sea, fired up the outboard engine and cruised out beyond the shore. There they anchored the trailer and backed out. Returning, they nosed back into the trailer and headed for the beach using as much power as possible just before reaching it. For the final journey up the beach they used a winch.
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Returned to the hostel, but our tours still weren't finished. After dinner, when it was dark, we took a stroll up to the Tom Parker Fountain which puts on a light display. The Norfolk Island Pines along the sea front were also lit with coloured lights.
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More sun shine. Before leaving Napier we took a short drive to the north of the town to look at the Rothman Building an ornate entrance for an industrial building constructed in a small town at the height of the depression.
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Rothmans Building with 'Berty' outside
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Then out south on the SH2 stopping first at Hastings for their excellent Sunday morning farmers market where we stocked up on fruit, meat and eggs. The countryside that we then drove through became less sever, loosing the angular look of the folded geological landscape, though we were still surrounded by modest rounded hills. As we neared Palmerston North we had to cross the tail end of the Tararua Range, following the Manawatu Gorge as the river cut through the range to the west coast.
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Stopped at Palmerston North for a lunch break and took the opportunity to have a look around the Square. The place was quite busy with Sunday shoppers and families out strolling. Also took a look in at the Rugby Museum for something different before carrying on down to pick up the SH1.
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Our stop for the next three nights was Moana Lodge at Plimmerton. We were expecting high quality as it's rate at 97% by the BBH guide. Initial impression was that they probably aren't far out, we don't even have to wash our plates just put them in a dish washer.
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Started out at 9.15 to walk around the coast to Pukerua. The first part of the walk was along the road up to a private quarry where we mostly followed the quarry road but sometimes strayed off onto the beach just for added interest of to get away from the dust of the occasional lorry.
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An hour from the start the quarry road came to an end and we started to pick our way as best we could. In many places there was a trampled path but in others we had to scramble over drift wood or scrunch our way over rocks and pebbles. On the beach were numerous silver paua shells with a row of small holes, these Maori use to place in the eyes of carved figures. We also saw the skeleton and leathery skin of a puffer fish and the skeleton of what we can only assume was a large finned fish. A few birds were standing around or taking to the air, black backed gulls, red billed gulls, white face heron, and shags. On the scrub covered hillside to our right a loan goat could be heard but not seen. Stopped at Wairaka Point to take in the view of Kapiti Island and relax, this were supposed to be a bird watching area but there were few about.
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Arrived at Pukerua car park at 11.45 and walked along the sea front before turning to climb up the hill to Muri station. to catch one of the regular trains for the short journey back to Plimmerton and a walk to the hostel.
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After sitting in the garden of the hostel to eat a leisurely lunch we took a drive out around the Pauatahanui Inlet, stopping at Pauatahanui to visit the nature reserve and the bird hides but the weather must have been too hot for them as they didn't show themselves.
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The days visit was the long awaited trip to Kapiti Island. There had not been any rain in the area for over 10 weeks and so they were starting to run short of water - they weren't going to get any today. First formality was to have our bags checked for mice and rats to ensure that we were not inadvertently importing predators into the bird sanctuary. The sun shone brightly with Kapiti Island silhouetted against a light blue sky as we boarded the boat in Kapiti Boat Club car park, the first part of the journey was overland with the boat in a cradle towed by a tractor. Once we had been backed into the water and floated clear of the cradle we were off to the island.
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Kapiti Island is a nature reserve that's been in existence for over 100 years but it is only in the last 20 years that strenuous efforts have been made to rid the island of predators. By the end of the 1980s all possums on the island had been eradicated and in the mid 90's rats were exterminated so that today the birds are able to enjoy a safe environment similar to the one they had over 1000s of years before the Maori brought in the Polynesian rat and Europeans introduced a whole range of non-native creatures. The eradication has also enabled the bush to start regenerating, providing a suitable habitat for the birds.
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So concerned are DOC about the reintroduction of predators that we needed to get a permit to visit and visitor numbers are very restricted.
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After a brief talk we took a short walk with the guide before setting out on our own to climb the Trig Track to the high point of the island, Tutaremoana at 521m, in time for lunch. Later we descended by the Wilkinson Track, this time at a more leisurely pace to give ourselves time to observe the birds. Weka were very numerous, scratching about for grubs on the ground like chickens, New Zealand robins (Toutouwa) were also very friendly hopping about on the ground or nearby branches but other birds we had to be more patient to see. To watch the stitchbird (hihi)we sat by one of their feeding stations, a container of sugared water, and waited for them to appear, which they did do after about 5 minutes. Saddlebacks (tieke) were very elusive and we only spotted them with the help of the guide. We were able to see whiteheads (popokatea) now and again and tui and bell birds (korimako) were quite easy to see when we stopped for a while. At lower levels the kaka and pigeons (kereru) were difficult to miss. Also in the same area we saw New Zealand parakeet (kakariki) and a kingfisher.
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Kapiti Island
looking south to South Island
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Once all New Zealand bush was as much alive with bird life but now the population has been reduced by 90%.
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At 3.00 our boat returned to pick us up and we sailed back to the car park at Paraparaumu Beach.
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Before returning to the hostel we took a short drive up the road to the Lindale Centre to do a little shopping.
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Left Plimmerton and drove around the north of Pauatahanui Inlet again to get on to the SH58 and then the SH2 to follow the Hutt Valley up through the Rimutaka Saddle, a winding road, narrow in places, but the main connection between the thinly populated south-east coast of North Island and the more populated west coast.
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Once over the saddle we descended on to a flat plane given over to farming and drove up to Masterton the main town of the area where we stopped for a break before continuing on to the Mount Bruce Wildlife Centre.
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Mount Bruce is the DOC centre where New Zealand's endangered birds are bred so that they can be reintroduced into the wild. We were able to tour the aviaries to see some of the birds, including kiwi, the first we had seen. After a couple of hours we returned to Masterton to stock up on food be driving up to Holdsworth Lodge for our nights accommodation. The standard was category 3 and on arrival we found we were sharing it with a school group so we set out our things in a corner and sat outside while they were going through the process of cooking the kids dinner.
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It had been our intention to tramp the Holdsworth - Jumbo Circuit but during the night we had a heavy fall of rain and as the Holdsworth to Jumbo ridge should only be done in clear weather we decided to leave it for another day.
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Before leaving we took a walk up the track to Rocky Outlook. The path was in very good repair and surfaced with granite chippings on most level surfaces. On the lower slopes we passed through a forest of kamahi and beech. As we climbed the beech gradually became the more predominant. After 45 minutes we reached Rocky Outlook with views back down to the valley and also up to Holdsworth and Jumbo summits, perhaps we had been wrong not to go.
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After ten minutes we returned to the lodge down the path we had come up.
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Back at the lodge we picked up the car and drove out to Carterton where we sat in a cafe and considered our options. We decided to take a look at the southern most tip of North Island and so took the road to Martinborough and then on down to Lake Ferry where we booked into a cabin for two nights at the Lake Ferry Holiday Park.
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Spent a leisurely lunch sitting outside in the sun before setting off for an afternoon walk.
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Drove down the road towards Palliser Lighthouse for 13km until we came to the Putangirua Pinnacles Scenic Reserve. Although only a minor road it was sealed and well maintained making it a pleasant drive through rolling, parched yellow hillside. Looking back at the Rimutaka hills we could see that our earlier decision was after all justified as they became covered in cloud with darker clouds hanging over them.
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From the car park we followed the narrow Putangirua Stream bed up the valley, hopping from one bank to the other as required. Staying with the stream rather than veering off up the loop track we entered a canyon and started to climb the now dry steep bed. At the far end fantastic pinnacles of ancient dried mud embedded with stones appeared, known geologically as 'hoodoos'.
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After standing a while taking our photos we retraced our steps to pick up the Loop Track which took us to the top of the cliffs so that we could now look down on them. Completed the walk by following the Bush Walk along the ridge and then back down into the valley.
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Before setting out to the Palliser Lighthouse we took a stroll down to the beach at Lake Ferry but under a low grey cloud there was nothing much to attract the eye. Although the map shows a mouth to Lake Onoke by Lake Ferry it seemed from our view point that the sand bar was continuous.
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Ngawihi harbour
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Again drove down the same road as the previous day but continued on along the coast and over landslips where herculean efforts were being made to shore up the soft cliffs and prevent further erosion. Though the small town of Ngawihi with its boats drawn up on the shingle in frames towed by retired bulldozers whose travels are now confined to a straight line 50m to the sea and back. Passed Kupe's Sail, a rock formation that we would stop to look at on the way back and down to Cape Palliser.
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From the road to the Cape Palliser Lighthouse is a flight of 225 steps but we weren't able to use them as they were closed off while the lighthouse was being repainted. Instead we explored the beach area where a few fur seals lay basking and occasionally looked up at us before settling down again.
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Returned back to Ngawihi and surprisingly found a cafe for a refreshment stop and then drove on to a section of coast where surfer were waiting patiently for the occasional large wave that they would ride for all of 15 seconds before it broke on the shore. We had hoped to spend some time there relaxing in the sun but the sandflies got the better of us so we return to the holiday park.
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Spent the afternoon relaxing and catching up on a couple of odd jobs and generally doing not much.
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Back to the city. Drove out of Lake Ferry going around the east of Lake Wairarapa, but the ground was so flat and low lying that we never actually saw the lake. Passing through Featherstone we saw a sign 'House Movers, second hand homes bought and sold'. When they talk about moving house around here they mean it literally, many houses are of a timber construction on a raised platform so that, with difficulty, they can be moved to another site.
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Picked up the SH2 and followed it into the clouds over the Rimutaka Pass and down into Hutt Valley and on to Johnsonville where we had lunch and did a little shopping before travelling out to Larry & Anne's.
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In the evening we took part in an old Kiwi tradition, we went to watch a rugby game, Hurricanes, the Wellington side, against the Chiefs from Hamilton at the new Westpac Stadium, a large circular tin can. The Chiefs are one of the weaker sides in the Super 12 league but Hurricanes were lucky to hold on to their first half lead. Jona Lumu one of rugby's better known players for whom Bristol are supposed to be buying for NZ$6,000,000 seemed to have very little interest in the game and came off at half time.
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Phone Air New Zealand to check our flight times for Sydney to be told that NZ143 doesn't fly on a Tuesday and that we were instead booked on NZ141 which leaves at 6.15 in the morning. After a quick consultation we thought that we would prefer to fly in the afternoon, even though it would mean leaving a day earlier. More phone calls to book a hostel room in Sydney, all doubles and twins were taken and so we are in a mixed dorm for the night.
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With the sun shining we thought we would explore locally and drove up through Takarau Gorge, a miniature version of some of the big gorges we had been passing through, and down to Makara Beach. The local car park was already busy but it didn't feel crowded. Headed off southward along the coast, behind us lay Mana and Kapiti Islands and in front was South Island. At a fork we took the route to the gun emplacement and started to climb up steeply, accompanied by midges, to reach the top of the cliffs. The gun emplacements were constructed at the start of World War I and guns were installed during World War II. Continued on along a track which after a short while turn left took us down a roughly sealed track to Ohua Bay. At the top of the track was a cow shed type structure and another one at the bottom, both connected by a cable on new telegraph poles. Very strange!
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At the bay we sat on a tree trunk to eat our sandwiches and kick over a few pebbles which included some small white stones with a thin spiral through it, possibly the worn end of a snail shell.
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Continued on following around the coast, small lizards scuttled about beneath the rocks. The shore was lined with drift wood, to the shore side of the line was talus with sharp, angular edges, to the sea side were rounded sea washed pebbles.
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Returned to Makara Beach for a refreshing visit to a local cafe before driving back to start our packing.
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With most of the packing done we were able to have a relatively relaxed morning tidying up loose ends. At 11.30 we called in on Anne and Larry for an early lunch and say good-bye before returning
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the hire car and setting off for the airport for our 4.15 flight to Sydney.
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Booked in and through to departures without any problems. The flight was only about 3/4 full so we had three seats between the two of us which enabled us to spread a little. With everyone loaded promptly we got away 10 minutes early.
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