Tongaporutu And The Three Sisters

The Three Sisters is one of our favorite places in New Zealand...a low-tide beach where, against the backdrop of cliffs, you can walk out among the stacks and arches and caves, and, much of the time, have it all to yourselves. It's on the coastal highway, north of New Plymouth, but the road curves inland, staying in the valley to cross the little estuary and avoid the bluffs. Of course, at high tide, the little estuary become a bay. See illustrations below.

At the DOC (Department of Conservation) freedom campground
there; middle of map below

Thus; the little settlement of Tongaporutu is at the bend to the
right; nowadays it's just holiday homes and baches; this is a low-
tide shot; at high tide, it's more of a little bay

About an hour before low-tide; to get to the beach and
the coastal scenery, you have to wade this for about
100m's cold Tasman water

Done wading, Vicki is heading for Elephant Rock

Bypassing the cliffs and caves on the south side of the river/estuary

Cliffs on the north side; access to them is from a carpark 3km up
the highway; we've scouted those beaches/cliffs, mostly looking
for spherical boulders that occasionally pop up in the drifting tides
and sands; not this visit

Elephant Rock and its cave/tunnel

Light at the end of the runnel

In the tunnel, next to a small spherical boulder, gradually emerging

Towards the end of the tunnel

Three Sisters; actually, in the years we've been coming here, the 
"original" third fell over, but a new third has popped up; so to
speak; differential erosion; and the incessant pounding of the Tasman
Sea

Me, there

A small arch on Elephant Rock

Heading on south along the "beach"

Vicki advancing; we got beyond this stack and almost to the next
huge cave

But then a sneaker wave knocked Vicki over, and we decided we'd
gone far enough

Us, there, 2023

Wading back; a small spherical boulder has emerged

Evening walk, passing the baches, a favorite jandal (sandal) wall

Specimen bach, dating from the 50s

We kept our distance...

The coastal track leads under the highway bridge and into old
Tongaporutu town

Little gets thrown away...a surfboard fence

The track actually passes through backyards along the river

Google Lens says this is a Blue Lily; whatever it is, it is the most
ubiquitous plant in New Zealand, on the North Island, anyhow,
lining most every highway...

Backyard art