With some time on our hands before the ferry to Wellington and the North Island, we decided to return to the Cape Farewell area, on the far north side of the South Island, to the beach at Whaririki, redo a few short hikes we had enjoyed in 2014, maybe a bit of the far Abel Tasman, and perhaps even undertake a serious
explore back down the west coast.
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To get to Cape Farewell from Motueka you have to cross the
nearly 3000 ft of Takaka Hill, known as one of NZ's top ten scenic
roads, also listed on the "dangerous roads" website; 3000 feet is not
very high, unless you're driving from sea level; it's a very demanding
30 or so km of high angle and hair pin turns; two lanes with the
occasional passing bay; anyhow, at the top are these interesting
karst limestone formations, which fairly cover the broad summit
(also some large sinkholes); and the Hawke summit lookout and
track, a bit of which we walked |
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From the lookout |
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Looking toward Motueka and Nelson, across the bay |
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Pano |
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At the Whaririki beach car park, one of the hungrier peacocks
I've encountered |
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Environs heading toward the beach; mostly dunes beneath, I think |
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Vicki in a sort of dune-ish holloway |
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On the beach, high tide beginning to roll in, so we didn't have
quite the walk we did in 2014 |
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Only one tired seal pup on view |
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Tidal pool |
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Conglomerate rock; you'd think it would all have washed away
by now |
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Tide coming in, fast and furious |
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War lodge; or so we'd call it in Montana |
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Sea caves |
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Walking back to the camper |
1 comment:
Peacocks and seal pups...an interesting combination.
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