Cape Palliser, 2

More of fascinating Cape Palliser...

Looking toward the sunrise

Looking down

Driving back up the coast...entertaining fur seals

The lay of the strata contributes to the jaggedness of rocks
on this coast

Way up, a huge block teeters...

There is no cove nor harbor along here, so the fisher-persons
launch and recover their boats using trailers and--not tractors--
but bulldozers

My guess is old bulldozers are cheaper than old tractors

Cape Palliser, 1

Not many miles beyond the Dimholt Road is Cape Palliser, the North Island's southernmost point, and a free DOC campground, right on the beach.

Cape Palliser

And its lighthouse

Along the way, a beach house, or "bach" (batch), as Kiwis
call them

Facilities at the campground; we've never seen one cabled-down;
hmmmm...

We considered parking on the pebble beach

But decided not; at our age, proximity to the bathroom outweighs
scenic view in priority

This is the end of the road along the southeast coast; a couple
hundred miles north to the next coastal pavement the road does
not go ever on from here

Night-time light house

Next morning I climbed up to the light house and its deck

252 steps, the sign said

Leftover old hauling machinery

Nice views of the sparse environs

The DOC campground below

"You Must Take The Dimholt Road"

Along the southeastern bit of the North Island, not many miles from its southernmost point, Cape Palliser, is Putangirua Scenic Reserve, aka the Putangirua Pinnacles, and as the North Island's "badlands," and finally as the setting for the Dimholt Road scenes from LOTR's Return of the King. It is off the beaten track and, understandably, one of the least visited LOTR sites. The Road leads into the mountain of the dead, from which none return, where even the dwarf is terrified to go...

It's all 2-3k up a supposedly dry creek bed

(Pinnacles)

The trail turns toward the head-wall, and Vicki, who is ahead of me, disappears;
she forgot to take Narsil with her, too; meanwhile, as I am recording the drama,
a bee climbs up my pants and stings me right on the kneecap; good thing it
didn't get any higher; in any case, hike over... 

I am not reacting as serenely as Legolas might have; for more on
the Morgul bee incident, as it came to be called, see https://roadeveron.
blogspot.com/2018/04/quaint-curious-quirky-kooky_5.html

A look back down the trail

Much of the rock here laden with fossils

Most of it--all of the pinnacles--conglomerate

Despite the injury and pain, I have added to the cairn; testament to those who
have traversed the Dimholt Road and returned

Looking back to the bay

The real roads are scary enough

Very badlandy