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.

Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway

With an entry point to the Kaikoura Walkway just a few steps away from where we were parked it was too good an opportunity to miss. The complete walkway is a 12km long loop that takes in the town, the coast road to Point Kean, the peninsula’s cliff tops, South Bay and Toms Track across farmland back to town. I decided to just walk the 4.5km sea cliff section from South Bay to Point Kean, where I’d call up David to come and collect me.

I set off up the the very steep stairway behind us and after crossing a couple of paddocks came to a junction in the track with no signposts, one headed over the hill in the direction of town so I took the other track and carried merrily on my way heading towards the cliffs. After a short while the path headed down hill through a pine plantation and next minute (nek minit) I popped out into an alleyway beside the backyards of some houses. Houses in South Bay! South Bay just a short FLAT 20 minute walk along the beach from where we were parked.

Low tide at South Bay with the snow capped Seaward Kaikoura Range behind.

By the time I wound my way through the back roads of South Bay and crossed the reserve to the grand entrance to the walkway I had wasted an hour! (I suppose not wasted as such, it was good exercise). I then realised I had forgotten by binoculars so I was able to call David up and he delivered them to me just down the road. Everything happens for a reason. That’s what I told myself anyway.

The South Bay Powhenua, at the entrance to the walk, tells the story of Maui going fishing in his canoe and pulling up the house of Tangaroa (God of the sea)

It was a very impressive walkway entrance, in fact the best I’ve seen on our travels. The building is shaped like a waka (Maori war canoe) & has a number of large interpretation panels inside explaining the wide range of geology in the area. The second Powhenua is of Maui fishing up the North Island.

The shelter also had a large panoramic section cut-out in the wall providing the perfect frame for the limestone tidal platform out front.

A wide fenced boardwalk led around the edge of the bay to a steady steep climb on a cobbled pathway to the top of the first cliff & to a lookout platform, again shaped like a waka, overlooking Limestone, South & Goose Bays, and the mountains beyond.

At various points along the way there were interpretation panels telling the stories of the land, the sea, the animals & of the people who lived on the peninsula. There was a very cold and bitter southerly blowing and I was very thankful for my scarf, hat, gloves & warm jacket and although there were very few people on the track the few I did pass were not dressed for the weather, no jackets, short sleeves and unsuitable shoes.

Limestone Bay

Behind a predator proof fence located on the sea cliff near Whalers Bay are the nesting burrows of a new colony of endangered Hutton’s Shearwaters. Kaikoura is the only place on earth that the Hutton’s Shearwaters breed. The usual breeding colonies are up in the mountains behind Kaikoura but these sites are under pressure from various environmental issues so this new site was set up as a safe guard.

Chicks are brought down from the mountain colonies a few weeks before they fledge and are fed & housed in artificial burrows behind the fence for up to four weeks. This ensures that this new site will imprint (on their bird brain) and that they will then return here to breed. In 2009 the first of the chicks returned to breed, five years after leaving. It will take some time to fill the area fenced off but eventually the fence will protect a breeding population of 10,000 birds.

I liked the little fenced booth to sit in and catch your breath......and to protect you from marauding sheep perhaps......? :)

The peninsula has many small bays and tidal platforms that would make for some interesting exploring in the summer.

Whalers Bay & “The Sugarloaf”- a wooden stairway follows the same route down the cliff to the shoreline that former whalers used many years ago when Kaikoura was a very busy whaling station.

Whalers Bay nowadays supports a very large NZ Fur Seal (Kekeno) colony. Well I thought it was large until I walked a little further on. These seals appeared to be a lot more skittish than the ones at Point Kean & further up the Kaikoura coastline because as they saw me coming most started to move away looking over their shoulders as they went. I didn’t want to disturb them so I took a few zoomed shots and headed back over the path and up the steep stairway.

Seals rest on a "Hanging Garden"

“I’m the King of the Castle”

Outcast- this little fellow was all by himself out to the side. He wasn’t happy to see me either.

Back at the top I continued on along the walkway and at the next view point it was a huge surprise to see the size of the seal colony below. Like chocolate sprinkles on a cake there were hundreds of seals, dotted across the grass & resting head to tail over the limestone rocks. White rocks with lots dark patches, stained from the resting seals. I was too far above them to get a whiff but I can only imagine the stench that would emanate from that lot.

The track continued on around another small bay to another platform…..

…that revealed even more seals, hundreds of them taking up every available space on every limestone peak that cleared the tide.

It was fascinating watching them through the binoculars, a withering mass of blubber moving about, some finding new spots to rest, others getting a growling for encroaching into another space, some arriving, some leaving, some cooling off in tiny pools of seawater and many just sleeping. A city of seals going about their business. Imagine the food bill!

This next photo should give you an indication of how high up I was. Can you spot the two people exploring on the rocks? While I was standing taking photos near this edge here I got the fright of my life when a person suddenly appeared in my viewfinder. How could that be I thought, I’m pointing it out over the cliff. I moved closer and he had climbed up a very steep ridge that came up the point from below, a steep clay wall with no plants on it and a few gouges he could use for foot & handholds. How he made it I have no idea. He looked pretty startled himself when he found he was at the top. Some people…..

Finally I reached Point Kean & the carpark (with the town of Kaikoura in the distance), and the end of the section I was walking. I thoroughly enjoyed the walk and although it was cold I had walked it in the right direction, I had the wind to my back the whole way.

The carpark seals slumber on. These guys have no fear, unlike their cousins in the colonies further round the point.

My personal taxi arrived and we headed off to get groceries with just a quick stop at the historic Fyffe House, Kaikoura’s oldest surviving building & a link to Kaikoura’s whaling past. It was built in 1860 and stands on piles made from whalebone vertebrae. Across the road is an old brick chimney, this is all that remains of the former customhouse. I thought it looked like it would be a great place to cook up a pot of mussels or BBQ the crayfish you just pulled out of the sea.

Back in town the clouds had lifted off the mountains to provide this beautiful snow covered backdrop. Imagine waking up each day with this on your doorstep, you couldn’t help but go off to work smiling.