We're Back in the South Island- Kaikoura; Part 2

Real-time

Continued on from Part 1

The Ohau Point seal colony, north of Kaikoura, has always been a regular place for us to stop on our way up or down the main highway and I was keen to see how it had fared after sustaining extensive damage during the 2016 Kaikoura Earthquake.

It was a pleasant surprise to see that as a result of the 'quake the colony now has a large rocky platform to rest on, most of it having been pushed up out of the ocean. The platform also contains numerous small pools, a perfect nursery playground for the seal pups to play in while they wait for their mothers to return from the sea.

There's also a new landscaped parking bay and viewing area along the edge of the colony's rocky platform. 

This was the old parking area, look how close the sea was before the 'quake. The seabed has been pushed up quite a height, it now finishes at the back of the seal colony's platform.  

The world famous Ohau Stream Waterfall pool was destroyed in the 'quake. This was where the seal pups from the colony used to travel 500mtrs up the stream to the pool seeking shelter, safety and to play in the fresh water pool. It's also where they entertained hundreds of tourists.

I'm very grateful that we were able to visit the pool a number of times in the past, it was a very special place and especially if you were the only one there being entertained by curious seal pups. Although towards the end it was getting a bit out of hand with dozens of people descending on the pool daily, many of them disturbing the pups by swimming with them, touching them and trying to get selfies. I was due to do a month at the pool as a volunteer ranger when the 'quake happened. These photos are from one of our previous visits.

Now with several pools on the platform, the pups can play and are safe from crashing waves, marauding males and overpowering people...

...as they wait for Mum to return from the sea. And when she does arrive there's no way this pup is letting go.

The road north of Kaikoura was lifted by over 4 metres in places and although the road has been reopened for over 18 months, there's still a lot of road repairs, rail line embankments and rock face work going on, along with stop & go people and lights (with helpful countdown).

They certainly have done a lot of work though and it's actually quite hard to see where old sections of the road finish & new ones start.

Our next overnight stop is at an old favourite of ours, Donegal House, an Irish Hotel on the outskirts of Kaikoura. 

Donegal House also has a campervan park; there are two large areas for RVs to park. Power is available on one side of the Park at $20 per van, if you don't need power then it is free to park. Of course it would be courteous to partake in happy hour or a meal at the pub though. And especially when it's a cold winter's night and the fire is roaring away inside.

We parked in the smaller area this time, backed up to a paddock with a small pond. Last time we were here there was a lonely (& rare) white swan on the pond, he was missing this time so I hope he's been packed off  to find a mate.

We stopped at the South Bay Marina on our way to the Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway which we'd decided to walk. The snow covered Seaward Kaikoura Range made a great backdrop to the hauled out fishing fleet.

The last time we stopped at the marina, it was in atrocious weather but we'd wanted to see how the rebuilding of the harbour was going after the seabed was pushed up by the 'quake making it very difficult for the commercial boats to enter & exit the harbour on anything but a full high tide.

The tourist tour boats now have their own jetties at the new South Bay Marina and there's also a separate jetty for cruise boat tenders to disembark passengers.

I've walked the Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway previously, this time David decided to walk in from the Point Kean end and meet me half way. He dropped me at the South Bay entrance and then drove back into town and out to Point Kean at the end of the peninsula. I love this view back over South Bay as I climb the walkway to the top of the sea cliffs.

From the lookout above South Bay the track crosses farmland until it reaches the edge of the cliffs on the ocean side of the peninsula. There are magnificent views out over the sea and down to the papa rock reefs below. A large seal colony rests in the sun on the rocks here with some snoozing the day away stretched out in amongst the overgrown grass above the beach. Some of the people walking along the track around the shoreline cross through the grass without realising that there are seals there. They move pretty quickly when a large brown 'slug' lifts it's head nearby.

I meet David about two thirds of the way along the top and we then retraced my steps for a short distance and descended the steep stairway down onto the beach below and walk back around the rocks, David crossing the same grassy seal track but being very cautious he doesn't stumble over one of those hidden seals. It is actually quite hard to see them down at ground level.

I walked around the edge of the rocks taking photos of the snoozing seals tucked into nooks and crannies and lolling over  the edge of the rocks close to the beach. They seemed totally oblivious to people passing by although I did see the odd eye open, scan & then shut again.

The only movement in the colony were these two young seals play-fighting and a wary guy watching from behind.

There was once a large colony of seals at Point Kean, they used to be everywhere, on the rocks, over the road, up the stairways, under the bushes and on the boardwalk but once again the 'quake has raised the seabed here and it seems that they have moved further south and joined up with the colony we've just passed.  Some have moved out to the edge of the reef at Point Kean and there are still three or four seals loyal to the carpark but nothing like it used to be when most of the car parks were taken up by seals.

But the saddest sight of all was the old nursery pond alongside the boardwalk. This was once teeming with seal pups, now it's an overgrown stagnant duck pond.

From Kaikoura we headed south aiming for Christchurch but only making it to Parnassus. Why the hurry we said.

The main road south of Kaikoura is also still under repair although they have done one heck of a lot of work since we last came through, when we did a loop from Hanmer Springs to check on progress. I bet not many people would be able to say they drove through one of the Raramai Tunnels the wrong way. The photo on the bottom right was from that loop trip, it looks like they have increased the height from 4.38 metres  to 4.6 metres and widen the mouth (it's still pretty tight though).

As we were driving through the Hunderlee Hills, I spotted a familiar looking rig, complete with bright coloured kayak on the roof, approaching us through a thicket of bare poplar trees. There was a lot of mad waving from both sides as we passed.  

We've often been in a similar area but usually one of us is leaving as the other is arriving. We did manage to meet at Omakau a long time ago & at Warbirds a little later on. Then there was the time we didn't realise we were together at Napier's Ericksen Road Park until one of us was pulling out the gate. A friendship made over the internet through a love of RVing and belonging to the same motorhoming forums and Facebook pages. After some frantic texting the bus turned around and that is how we found ourselves having a coffee and then happy hour at NZMCA Parnassus in the company of John & Lorraine. It was lovely that they turned around and great to catch up with them because it could be another 4 years before we see them again!

Sunset- Parnassus NZMCA Park

From Parnassus we headed straight through to NZMCA Weedons Park which is not far south of Christchurch city. We have stayed at Weedons on a regular basis over the years and it felt quite comforting arriving back there, a bit like coming home.

It's a pity the weather didn't get the memo we'd be arriving though (and we'd need some sun to ease us into a South Island winter).

I think we had one blue sky day (and that was on the day we were leaving) during the week we were there. And then one of our diesel heaters spat the dummy and had to be serviced which was probably just as well going by the extreme frosts we've been having since we left Christchurch.

A Walking Adventure to Cape Campbell

Catch-up; November 6, 2017

I have wanted to do the 14km (return) walk along the beach, from Marfells to Cape Campbell, for a very long time. Cape Campbell forms the south-eastern tip of Cook Strait and the top of the South Island's east coast. 

This photo was taken just past Mussel Point, from here there's still 6kms to walk to reach the lighthouse; that tiny dot on the end.

Before the earthquake, the walk was subject to the tide and I'd never quite made a concerted effort to time it right. Either the tide was wrong or the weather wasn't great, though I'd always watch wistfully as quad bikes loaded with families and/or divers, fishers and all their gear, disappeared around Mussel Point.

Looking back towards Mussel Point

Now that the 'quake has lifted the seabed, the tide doesn't have quite the hold over the coastline it once did. There are couple of bluffs where it does reach and one landslide that looks like it came down in the 'quake. You'd have to reach them right at the top of the tide for them to be a problem and if you did I would say you'd only have to wait 15 minutes or so before the tide turned and it cleared enough to pass.

It was a stunningly beautiful day for a seaside walk and I had the whole beach to myself all the way to the Cape. With not another soul in sight I took my time exploring the newly formed rock pools and checking out various shore birds in the driftwood and dunes above the high tide line.

I also found a seal resting in the warm sunshine, obviously the quad bike that was returning home just as I left camp had found it too, cutting in a bit too close for my liking. Amongst the Variable Oystercatcher and Black-backed Gull pairs there were quite a number of  Banded Dotterel pairs who were acting a lot like they had either a nest or chicks nearby- can you see one resting behind the driftwood? 

I left them to it and moved back down onto the smooth sand, where it was much easier walking. You can see where the tide reaches in this shot looking back to Mussel Point. There is a narrow dirt track just above the tide line that I suspect sheep have formed. I guess if there's a lot of wave action it might be a little harder to pass through here near high tide.

And speaking of sheep; how's this for living on the edge; ewes and their lambs right at the top of the cliffs peering down at me passing by.

And as I scanned the papa cliffs I found a few more resting on the slopes which are way steeper than they look here. I thought they were goats at first. Sheep have now gone up in my estimations, they are way more agile than I'd given them credit for. They're still crazy though (click the photo to enlarge)

As the kilometres shrink, the lighthouse grows in size. I zoom in and think I spot a couple of vehicles parked beside the buildings. Selfishly I think 'darn!', I'd have liked the place to myself. 

In this eastern corner of Clifford Bay and just before the Cape, the ocean current and wave action has dumped great piles of seaweed on the papa rock platform and up onto the gravel behind. The top layers have dried in the hot sun but underneath it's a smelly, slippery, slimy mess. And I think to myself that I'll carefully walk over it to the papa platform near the water, then cut the corner off to the lighthouse.

I know before I even hit the deck that I've stepped onto something even slipperier, wet papa rock that hasn't had time to dry in the late morning sun. I stumble forward, then sideways, one arm flailing trying to gain balance the other trying to keep my camera safe. I think I have it under control just as my foot slips into a narrow channel and I pitch forward landing on my knees, belly and hands. Bugga! 

My camera hand is buried in mud, the camera resting in my palm and just out of the muck, there's blood trickling from one knee and a massive scrape on the other. A few small sharp shells stick out from my other palm and I'm dripping wet (I've landed in a shallow water filled scrape) with odd bits of seaweed and driftwood stuck to my clothes. And I ache. 

Thankfully my pack is safe on my back, I remove it and find one lonely dried out wet-wipe to wipe the camera down (which I find has taken a small hit on the lens- double bugga!), clean my hands and then wipe away the blood and mud- all in that order. Even though I know there's no one around I still look to see if anyone has seen my little performance. I then feel eyes on me, I'm sure they're wondering what on earth I'm doing and I guarantee they're laughing under those blank stares.

I gather everything together and step forward....Yee-o-ouch!!!....my left foot can hardly take my weight, I've done something serious catching it in the channel. Until I moved I'd been unaware of how bad it was. Now what to do, there's no phone reception and I can hardly walk. I think I'll have to hobble to the buildings and if it hasn't come right, see if the people there can help me. I move cautiously forward, one small step at a time until I reach the lighthouse buildings.

I'm sure I saw two vehicles parked in front of the cottages, now there's not a soul in sight. They didn't pass me so where did they go?

I decide that there's not much else I can do except walk very slowly home. And yes I have a PLB (personal locator beacon), we always carry one, but this situation wouldn't warrant setting it off- I can still move and I'm not in any danger. And anyway I still have photos to take. Because I've come this far and the lighthouse is my target, I'll not let a bung foot stop me from climbing the stairway to it.

I cautiously hobble across the grass to the bottom of the stairs and then slowly haul myself up them one at a time. 

It's hard work and I make sure I hold on to the rail at all times, it is rather steep.

I stop often to rest my foot and to take in the views below and back over Clifford Bay.

Finally I reach the top and I shuffle around the side of the lighthouse to find a step or something to sit on to have my lunch and rest awhile.

When I look over the otherside, I spot the two vehicles from the cottages heading south towards Cape Campbell Station. The farm actually owns the lighthouse cottages now and hire them out for self-catered stays. They also run the Cape Campbell Walk, a 4 day trek through the farm and around the coastline, staying at various farm cottages along the way.

The cottages can be accessed via the farm and when I zoom in on the people, I see they have a TV camera and big fluffy microphone; perhaps they're doing a doco on the earthquake; they have just walked back from off the rocks.  The other vehicle's occupants have closed the gate and headed off around the far point. I'm now definitely on my lonesome.

Although it's a nice surprise to find out that I now have phone reception so I call David to let him know that I've had a small fall and while I'm OK, it might take a while for me to walk home. So don't panic. He wants to come and get me and while the beach would be fine to drive down, we both doubt he'll get through the very deep and soft pea metal back on the camp side of Mussel Point. I assure him I'll be OK, I'll just take my time.

I also get the usual "Oh no, not again, weren't you being careful?" "Yes, of course I was being careful, do you think I do this for the fun of it? Grrrrr.....

I have my lunch and then take a few photos of the lighthouse; I'm getting quite a collection of lighthouses now; like swingbridges, cribs and churches they make interesting subjects.

I change to my wide angle lens so the lighthouse doesn't fill the whole shot and I can see the surroundings...

...and I can take a wide angled shot of the Cape. Cape Campbell is in the middle of Ward Beach and Marfells Beach and much of this rocky platform would have been under water before the 'quake too; the green algae is the new low tide zone.

That's the North Island across the water, centre right and the Marlborough Sounds to the left. I really wanted to clamber down and out to the point in front of me so I could get a shot looking back towards the lighthouse but I managed to restrain myself.

I gave David one last call to say I'd be on my way in 15 minutes, just so he could monitor the time, then I carefully made my way back down the stairs, stopping to take some photos of the cottages before carrying on.

The lighthouse and cottages were used in the the film 'The Light Between Oceans', based on the bestselling novel by M. L. Stedman. Here's my photo and a screen shot from the film's trailer-

I carefully hobbled along the driftwood strewn gravel track and made my way around the outside of the pesky seaweed pile (the cause of all my problems) back to the smooth sand. I knew once I reached there it would be a lot easier going and I could get into a less painful walking rhythm that might not be fast, but would get me home at a steady pace.

I hadn't dare take my boot off back at the lighthouse, in case I couldn't get it back on but I could certainly feel that my foot was swelling up inside. It looked like the weather was about to change too, hopefully I'd get back before any wind or rain arrived. Wait.....is that......yes it is! It's a vehicle and it's heading my way. My hero!! (click to enlarge)

David made it through the pea gravel- after a chat with, and a few tips from the camp host- the art is to somehow just keep the vehicle moving. He also threw our large rubber mats in the back in case he had to use those to drive over to get out. He could have let the tyres down a little too but thought he'd risk them as they were. 

What a relief it was to see him. I'd managed to cover about 2kms but I was beginning to think the task ahead of me was going to kill me....ok, well not kill me, but certainly damage my foot.

A mirage? 

It was heaven to lower myself into the front seat and have David navigate our way back home. Although I had a tinge of disappointment knowing I couldn't complete the 14km round trip.

We both had a bit of a 'hold your breath and egg the vehicle on moment' driving back through the metal, I think I even closed my eyes as the momentum died and we very nearly ground to a halt but David managed to just keep it ticking on and inching forward until we were free. 

And that was how I found myself at the Blenheim Hospital A&E the next day having an x-ray (heavily sprained), wearing a moon boot (no half or small sizes left) and being told to rest my foot for three weeks. Yeah right, didn't they know we were heading to Tauranga to catch up with family and prepare for Christmas. The boot lasted all of two days, I did rest my foot as much as I could over the next few weeks. I tried my best to not rush around and eventually, after 4 weeks it returned to normal.