Living on the Edge

Catch-up 

While we were at Uretiti DOC camp we did a tiki-tour south along the coast stopping at many of the beautiful east coast beaches along the way.

First up was Waipu Cove...

...which was also where I received a few strange looks as I walked slowly around the toilet block photographing the very detailed artwork on the building, which included the history of Waipu and pointed out local attractions including the Hen & Chicken Islands which seemed to be at their closest to coast here at Waipu Cove.

Next up and just over the hill from Waipu Cove was Langs Beach, a small seaside holiday settlement that looks to be filling up fast with permanent houses and larger holiday homes.

We stopped for lunch on the edge of the estuary and harbour at Mangawhai...

...and then drove around to the beautiful surf beach at Mangawhai Heads, the promontory you can see in the centre of the photo above.

It was a beautiful sunny day but with a chilly breeze blowing there weren't too many brave people in swimming. Taranga Island (the Hen) sits on the horizon with tiny Sail Rock silhouetted at the right hand end.

Out in front of the surf club and below the lookout is Sentinel Rock and the breakwater that forms the northern entrance to the Mangawhai Harbour.

I walked along in front of the surf club to a spot where I was able to see across the harbour entrance to the beautiful white sand dunes that form Mangawhai Spit.

At another lookout point near the carpark we were able to watch several boats fight their way home over the swift waters of an out-going tide.

From Mangawhai we drove inland a short distance before heading back towards the coast where there were some magnificent views out over the farmland to Bream Bay.

 Next stop is Te Arai Point and another stunning sparkling white sand surf beach...

...with the added benefit of a camping area. Te Arai Point is the most northerly of the Auckland Regional Parks and camping here is under the same terms & similar conditions to all of their parks. Book and pay and you'll then receive the gate padlock combination to gain access.

There's also the bonus of a dump station beside the park, although it would take a bit of careful manoeuvring to access it during wet weather and, with a bank on one side, bigger rigs may struggle depending on what side their outlet is located.

From the carpark a short track leads walkers to a tiny cove tucked in between two rocky points. This would be an ideal and safe swimming pool on a calm day at high tide.

David walked to one side of the cove...

...while I walked to the other. From my position I was also able to scan the beach to the south. There were several groups of fishermen trying their luck out on the rocky reef.

With one last look at this stunning beach we headed off back up the road and back to the main highway, crossing the Brynderwyns once again and forming a loop back to Uretiti.

We did stop in Kaiwaka so I could photograph St Pauls Church again. This was one of the first churches I photographed when we came north to see the family not long after we hit the road.

I was hoping for a better shot than my previous one; the church is in an awkward spot sitting up on a small plateau, surrounded by houses and with wires crisscrossing the air space around it.

But wait I have more! A very special sighting.

We stopped several times along the coast, checking estuaries and tidal streams for birdlife.  We saw the usual suspects; quite a number of New Zealand Dotterels/Tuturiwhatu in their rusty breasted breeding colours; including this one finding a tasty morsel to snack on.

A few dozen Bar-tailed Godwits/Kuaka, just home from an epic 13,000km journey from their breeding grounds in the Arctic tundra.

'It was a long flight, I'd just like to rest awhile...'

And in amongst the godwits, far out across the mudflats and in the middle of a channel there were three smaller waders. It wasn't until I processed my photos that I identified another long distance flyer and another first sighting to add to our virtual bird list; the Ruddy Turnstone.

This stocky little bird also flies to the Arctic tundra to breed before returning to the Southern Hemisphere in the summer. Most birds stop in Australia with only 1000-3000 continuing on to New Zealand. But, while this was a special sighting, it wasn't the special, SPECIAL sighting.

It was then that we had an OMG 'is it/isn't it, maybe, yes it is' moment. There, not too far ahead of us resting on the mudflats, were two tiny birds.

Two tiny birds living on the edge. These are Fairy Terns/Tara iti and with a population of around 45 individuals and just 12 breeding pairs, these are our most critically endangered endemic bird. Fairy terns are around 250mm long and weigh in at a mere 70gms, hence their name. In 1983 there were only 3-4 breeding pairs and the birds were headed for extinction. There are just 4 breeding sites in the upper North Island and the population has increased slowly with pest control, nest site monitoring and full time volunteer wardens looking out for the birds while they're nesting. 

We are thrilled to be able to say we saw Fairy Terns, and the best bit? We weren't even looking for them.

Nailed! Another one off the virtual list, and a very special little bird at that.

Peters Pool- Glacier Country, West Coast

Catch-up- West Coast

There are a number of walks that leave from the Franz Josef Glacier car park, including of course the main attraction, to the Glacier itself. On what turned out to be our last sunny afternoon (the weather packed up and so did we), I returned to walk a couple of the shorter tracks.

The first walk was to Peters Pool, a short 1.2km return walk. It's a lovely walk through beautiful luxuriant green rainforest with the occasional view of the glacier valley and the mountains behind.

With most visitors walking the glacier track, I had this one to myself and was able to take my time, enjoying the bird life along the way...

...and stopping often to take photos of the many different mosses, lichen, fungi and berries growing in the damp understory and along the moss covered banks.

Peters Pool is another Kettle Lake just like Lake Matheson. There are numerous kettle lakes around the valley, left behind by the retreating glacier hundreds of years ago. Large blocks of slower melting ice left huge depressions in the valley floor. Kettle lakes have no inlets or outlets and are basically just great big puddles filled by the rain (of which there is plenty) and evaporated by the sun. Eventually the kettle lakes (especially these smaller ones) will disappear as vegetation grows in from the sides, and peat and mud naturally fill the depressions. 

And here is the reason Peters Pool is a popular walk. Just like it's big sister, Lake Matheson, the reflections of the mountains behind are magnificent. The pool is named after a 9 year old boy, Peter Westland, who camped here all by himself in 1894. Of course back then the glacier was in full view, reaching around the corner with the terminal face right at the back of the lake. Of course the forest has since re-generated too.

A group of foreign tourists (English speaking) arrived as I was taking photos, they got all excited about the birds they could see across the pool sitting on the grass mounds at the edge (right hand side).

I tried to keep a straight face as they turned to me and asked if they were Kiwi! 

I carried on further down the path thinking that it might have looped back around to the Sentinel Rock Walk, the other short walk I intended to do, but it joined the Roberts Point Track and a walking track back to the Franz Josef Village. 

Roberts Point Track started on the other side of the swingbridge across the Waiho River, which contains ice melt from Franz Josef Glacier and the contents of the many waterfalls that cascade down the mountain sides along the valley. 

I crossed to the otherside and could see straight away why the Roberts Point Track is classed for experienced trampers only. The track was narrow, muddy and very rocky and that was just the first few metres along the edge of the river. 

It then climbed steadily up and along the valley wall towards the glacier where the views are meant to be stunning, looking out over the surrounding mountains and down over the glacial ice. There's another large warning sign (there's one back at the carpark) clearly pointing out that this is a difficult track and that trampers have in the past lost their lives by not following the guidelines.  

It's a 5-6 hour return tramp and you need to allow enough day-light hours for the walk. Something I'm not so sure my 'kiwi spotting' group took any notice of. They disappeared up the track as I returned across the bridge; half of them wearing trainers and carrying no backpacks. I took these photos at 1:30pm.

I retraced my steps back past Peters Pool to the carpark and then took another track to the Sentinel Rock lookout. It's a short 20 minute steady climb to the rock platform...

...where the views are pretty impressive looking up the river valley to the glacier.

Sentinel Rock emerged from the glacier in 1865 (not that long ago in the scheme of things), it's an example of how the glacial ice ground the schist bedrock into a Rouche moutonee or 'sheep rock'.

Since 1909 the glacier has retreated over 3kms...

Here on the information panel the glacier retreat over the years can be clearly seen, there was even a lake at the terminal face for 10 years from 1939-49 (remember to click on the photo to enlarge)...

From the lookout platform I can see across the river to one of the swingbridges on the Roberts Point Track (I've zoomed in here), and guess what? My 'kiwi spotting' group have just crossed it and are disappearing into the bush. You might be able to see the bridge in the photo, 4 above, down low, in the dark valley, just above the bottom step rail. They still have a long way to go. 

I return to the carpark and take a few more photos on the way back home, the Waiho River bailey bridge is always a good subject.

And just behind where I'm standing to take the bridge photo is another photogenic subject; the historic St James Anglican Church, tucked into rainforest and located on the banks of the river.

Opened in 1931, the church's altar window took in the panoramic view of the glacier- see bottom left photo (as a previous stamp collector this is another familiar sight for me, there's a 1946 postage stamp depicting the view). By 1954 the glacier had disappeared from the view.

I found the foundation stone very interesting- I wonder if anyone else has spotted the significance? (see below for an answer)

Divine intervention?  

Here's another sister church to Our Lady of the River at Jacobs River and Our Lady of the Snows at Fox Glacier, this is the third in the series- Our Lady of the Alps (one more to come).

And the significance of the foundation stone? The date the stone was laid; the 3rd of February, 1931. 

While the Governor General, Baron Bledisloe, was conducting formalities and laying the stone, my home city Napier, was being destroyed by a massive earthquake.