West Coast Wilderness Trail & the Whio

Real-time

While at Lake Kaniere, and with David giving fishing a miss for the day, we decided to check out our favourite Whio/Blue Ducks at the Kawhaka Intake which is fairly close as the crow flies from the lake but a good 40kms by road. We have to head back to Hokitika before heading north and then back inland on the Old Christchurch Road. We took a shortcut once we reached Kaniere village, along a forest track and over Blue Spur and down the Arahura River valley which is lined with dairy farms.

Then it was 16kms up the Old Christchurch Rd before we turn onto a familiar track (another 10kms further on and the road exits on to SH73, the Otira Highway to Arthurs Pass). This must be our 3rd or 4th visit to this special part of the Coast.

A 5km track runs along the bank beside the deep, dark and seemingly still waters of the canal... 

...passing several small coves...

...and a couple of larger pools along the way. The white foam spreading out over the pond is natural and comes from an inlet waterfall where it's thick and frothy as it enters the canal.

At the end of the track is a carpark...

...and the Kawhaka Intake, the water used to generate power further downstream.

The canal road we've just travelled and the track that carries further on up the river and onto Lake Kaniere is part of the West Coast Wilderness Trail, a 139km multiday bike trail that is very popular and very scenic. When we first visited this area a couple of years ago, we had the area to ourselves, the next time we saw a few people on bikes, this time we saw a few dozen. The Kawhaka section is also a very popular day trail. 

The Kawhaka Creek splits in two on the other side of the dam wall; part of it entering the inlet holding tank (up above) before continuing on down the canal. The other half spills over the dam wall and continues on down the natural water course.

On the other side of the inlet and dam wall the river stretches off up the valley. It's here and along the early part of the canal that we've found the whio/blue ducks in the past. I thought we'd probably not see the ducks in the canal (where we'd seen them up close previously) because if they were breeding they would have a nest up the river. If they had ducklings there would be no way they could get into the canal as the adults fly there to feed.

We climbed to the top of the dam bank and scanned the river for the ducks including the rocky beach where they sometimes rest and the rapids further up the river. We were disappointed but it wasn't a surprise not to find them.

We walked back tho the ute and had some lunch overlooking the reservoir...

...before deciding to walk up the trail a couple of kilometres to where the track met the river once again and where we could see on our map, a walk-wire crossed the water. We thought we might be able to scan the river there for the whio. 

Along the way we were passed by several cyclists. The track was a once an old stage coach and supply route to the Waimea goldfields.

It was a surprise to find the bush covered track suddenly opened up wide to reveal a small ramshackle farm...

...complete with one friendly but lonely bull (I actually have no idea if he was friendly or not but I assume he was given that there was just a single electric(?) wire separating him from us. 

The small paddocks were littered with overgrown wrecks in typical West Coast style.

And high up on the hill across the river was a small 'off the grid' abode.

This is 'The Farm' of Mr Paul Sinclair and until the cycle trail opened he'd have lived a charmed but isolated life deep in the West Coast bush. Now he's set up a 'coffee cart' at his front gate where he can boil the billy while chatting to people who stop on their way past, he even has a chalkboard sign 'Sinclair is in'  

He also takes people on tours around his farm and the old Waimea water race and goldfield settlement. He has an old flying-fox for access over the river when it's in flood, the 'walk-wire' we'd seen on our map.  This is a man making the most of the opportunities that pass by his gate. He is also the local trapper, protecting and monitoring our Blue Ducks.

We had a look up and down the river but still didn't see an ducks. A few more cyclists passed by while we were looking. This section of the track looks to have been washed away and repaired recently. We headed back to the carpark...

...taking one last look up the river when we reached the dam wall. Wait.....is that...no, it can't be...

...two blue ducks chilling out on the rocky beach. I couldn't believe my eyes. There they were resting on the beach exactly where we'd seen them on one of our previous visits. They had arrived while we were walking up the river. They definitely weren't there the first time we looked but I still had to check the earlier photo (up near the top of this blog) just to be sure.

It was a thrill to see them again although it would have been better if they'd had ducklings with them or were in fact sitting on a nest somewhere. I wonder if they've lost their brood already or possibly haven't nested yet. I've sent a query to Hokitika DOC to find out. I waited for 20 minutes or so to see if they felt inclined to move closer but they stayed put. Which was fine, I have plenty of Whio photos.

We drove slowly back along the canal, admiring the reflections, checking for more bird life...

...and wondering at the close call the driver of the vehicle that ran off here had. 

Back on the road we stopped to let this gangly and dare I say it, slightly ugly, pukeko chick run across in front of us. I love his developing blue bib...

...and his extra big feet! (apologies for the slightly out-of-focus shots- he was running fast!) 

While we haven't ridden the West Coast Wilderness Trail, we've visited and walked in a number of the sections and I'd have to say that if I was looking at cycling one of the many trails around New Zealand then this one would be up near the top of my list. 

The scenery is spectacular from pristine wetlands near the coast to luxuriant bush and forested valleys ringed by snow capped mountains just a few kilometers inland. There's historic water races and reservoirs, crystal clear rivers and stunning lakes, along with old gold mining fields and settlements and many beautiful old rail bridges. And then of course there's the prolific birdlife.

Taken on a previous visit to the Whio

Photo Journey- Lake Brunner to Hokitika

Here are some photos that got left behind in the last couple of weeks...

Iveagh Bay, Lake Brunner from the water-

You'll remember David saving the swan signet, well we went out in the boat the next day to check on them. He was a little worried his saved signet had joined the wrong family....that one at the back looks a little smaller don't you reckon? 

Lake Brunner reflections-

Whitebaiting at the Hokitika River- this was last Tuesday, November 8th. Looking down from the bridge as one 'baiter returned from an island in the middle of the river.

This was taken today, a week later with the river in flood (after a few days of rain including 54mm overnight), the kayak above was sitting on the shingle in the middle of this pool.

Stands along the town side of the river-

Last week the stands below hardly reached the river and in fact, the one in the foreground was nowhere near the water-

And today, you can see the blue tarpaulin from the photo above, tucked into the scrub below-

Some whitebaiters fished from the town steps-

Today the water was one step from the top-

This stand is on our side, the south side, of the bridge, it's totally under water today.

And I had this one ready to post the other day, the title was 'High & Dry'- today he'd need a snorkel.

Sailing on the next tide? I took these photos of Sunset Point, at the mouth of the Hokitika River, today just after high tide. People come here to capture the sunset from the lookout on the concrete ship. It won't be long before the ship will be marooned on its own island, the waves were crashing over the point into the river behind-

I take my sunset photos from the other side of the river and over the fence from where we're parked....sometimes I'm just too lazy to stand around for half an hour waiting at Sunset Point. These ones from last week were a lucky surprise. And not only because of the lovely colour and the added interest of the cows.

It wasn't until I was processing the photos I suddenly spied not one, but two White Heron/Kotuku in amongst the cows! You can see one of them on the right in this shot. I'd been looking for herons in the paddock all day, I know they are regularly seen around the park and in fact we saw one resting on the house roof next door but I hadn't managed to spot them in the paddock.

It had been overcast for most of the day, then the clouds parted just as the sun went down. I didn't have time to get across the park to the clubroom deck where there is a clear view so I leant out over the fence (and received an electric shock for my efforts) and snapped away. The cows are wondering who was making all the noise! 

And here's a few more photos from Lake Mahinapua where we stayed the other night at the DOC camp and where we were when the 'quake hit. There's a good view of the snow covered Southern Alps behind those clouds.

Sunburst sailing dinghies, boats we are very familiar with. A very long time ago when we were in Napier, David had business making fibreglass Sunbursts for many secondary schools; it's the boat they use to train their sailors in.

While I was watching the yachts, I spied a White Heron/Kotuku hiding in the nearby reeds. 

Later I went for a couple of short walks, I thought I might get a good lake shot from Swimmers Beach. 

The 1km walk was lovely along a nice wide path through bush and ferns and over a couple of open glades. Towards the end a sign told me the beach wasn't too far away. 

Imagine my surprise (and anyone else who walked the track thinking they might take a swim) when it ended here. A small gap in the undergrowth with thick bush on either side. That was a huge disappointment. 

I suspect a long time ago when the lake was a popular place for early settlers to spent weekends picnicking and boating, and when there was a paddle steamer plying its trade on the lake, the beach was once a proper beach where people came to swim. Now the bush has regenerated and this is all that's left, it's now a name only. Maybe DOC should put that on their sign to save the disappointment.

Oh look, weka are back in my good books. This family of one adult and 3 chicks were feeding around the van at Lake Mahinapua.

The chicks were quite independent but came quickly when the adult found something to eat. They were all very submissive to the parent and came in from underneath when begging for food.

The parent was quite tough on the youngsters too, pecking and chasing them if they did something wrong. The chicks cowered down on the ground if they thought they were in trouble and waited until the parent moved off before dashing away.

Other times she took no notice when one or the other stuck like glue to her side (I'm thinking it was the mother).

How's that for an eclectic mix of photos!  

But wait there's more.......in another short blog coming soon (if there's a internet connection down the line)