Sunday 8th Nov
Today we are heading to The Grove. This is supposed to be like a mini-Jurassic Park. It is an easy path through large rock formations. Palms and different types of ferns are growing throughout. It subtly goes in an upward direction unlike most trails in NZ. Through a narrow crevice between the rocks you come out onto a viewing platform high in the hills. The limestone rock is riddled with wear marks. What a nice spot. This is one of those little gems!
Our next stop for the day is to go back up into the Abel Tasman park. We stop at the monument and find out that it was a Dutch Sea Captain named Abel Janszoon Tasman was the first person to discover NZ in 1642.
Heading for the Wainui Falls we are waylaid by a farmer sheering his sheep by the side of the road. Actually, this road was a small causeway. They were not sheering the entire sheep, rather just the bottom to prevent problems with blow flies. This was a bit of a messy experience.
Wainui Falls parking was about a ten minute walk away from the path. We walked along a farmer’s lane to get there. There were two fords with running water on the lane that we had to traverse. That was interesting. The path to the falls was quite easy as it lead up to a bridge. This was a one person suspension bridge. Now that was great! The best part of the entire hike. Glad we had this hike as the falls were lovely, but again, I was more interested in crossing the bridge.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Week 7 - 7th Nov
Saturday 7th November - Happy 24th Birthday Lisa!!
Went back to Rawhiki caves. I had dropped my sunglas
ses and we decided to go back in the morning to look for them. The hike was much easier in the morning. It was cooler. The cave was even more amazing as the morning sunlight was shining in the cave. This certainly is the place to visit. Even the bees were 
quiet. We found my glasses inside the cave.
Inside the caves the water has dripped down forming terraces of solidified rock.
To get to Tataranui we travel on a very windy, narrow
road with steep edges to the sea. Then with 10 kms to go, it turns to gravel! There are warnings posted that there are slips along the road … rock slides. Also, this even more narrow and has areas that are barely one lane wide. It was interesting.
We decided to take a 4km detour to see Awaroa Beach. It turns out to be more of a boat ramp and drop off for hikers than a spot to explore. We then head 8kms back to Tataranui beach.
At Tataranui beach the sand is golden orange. It is beautiful. The pictures don’t pick up the turquoise blue shades in the water.
Alan and I hike for half an hour up the Abel Tasman trail to Skinner Lookout. Here we can look back at Tataranui beach. The trail is quite easy to traverse unlike the cave trail.
Hiking a bit further along the trail to the next beach we have to cross two rather large washouts. That was scary as sand was running down one
of them. Of course, I had to return the same way. The coast line is breathtaking with stone outcrops into the sea and beautiful beaches with palm trees.
Went back to Rawhiki caves. I had dropped my sunglas
ses and we decided to go back in the morning to look for them. The hike was much easier in the morning. It was cooler. The cave was even more amazing as the morning sunlight was shining in the cave. This certainly is the place to visit. Even the bees were 
quiet. We found my glasses inside the cave.Inside the caves the water has dripped down forming terraces of solidified rock.
Onward to Tataranui. This is part of the national park the Abel Tasman. We began the drive from our cabin heading north past Pohara harbour.
There are signs to watch for the penguins. We haven’t seen any. I spoke to a local and apparently they nest on the other side of the road away from the bay and are often hit in the evening and early morning. The town has put up
penguin boxes down in the harbour to encourage nesting there.
penguin boxes down in the harbour to encourage nesting there. To get past the harbour you end up driving through a hole in the rock. It is quite pretty.
To get to Tataranui we travel on a very windy, narrow
road with steep edges to the sea. Then with 10 kms to go, it turns to gravel! There are warnings posted that there are slips along the road … rock slides. Also, this even more narrow and has areas that are barely one lane wide. It was interesting.
We decided to take a 4km detour to see Awaroa Beach. It turns out to be more of a boat ramp and drop off for hikers than a spot to explore. We then head 8kms back to Tataranui beach.
At Tataranui beach the sand is golden orange. It is beautiful. The pictures don’t pick up the turquoise blue shades in the water.
Alan and I hike for half an hour up the Abel Tasman trail to Skinner Lookout. Here we can look back at Tataranui beach. The trail is quite easy to traverse unlike the cave trail.Hiking a bit further along the trail to the next beach we have to cross two rather large washouts. That was scary as sand was running down one
of them. Of course, I had to return the same way. The coast line is breathtaking with stone outcrops into the sea and beautiful beaches with palm trees.Friday, November 6, 2009
Week 7 - 6th Nov
Takaka Museum, Rawhiti Cave, Wharariki Beach - again
Friday Nov 6th, 2009
Today we stopped into the Takaka Museum. Here we read about Takaka’s rural backcountry and waterfront history. While in the museum, Alan notices a picture of a beautiful cave. After quizzing the clerk, we find instructions on how to get to the Rawhiki cave. We are going to make this our afternoon challenge.
At the Rawhiti cave, we easily find the farm yard where the trek starts and park the car. The trek sign indicates that the cave is 2.2 km’s in and will take 60 minutes to climb, so off we go.
The first part traverses a dried up creek bed into a mountain valley, then we reach the end and the sign points up. Up we go, and go, and go. We stop numerous times as the trail is very steep and the afternoon is hot. It takes us
about 45 minutes to reach the summit of the trail and what we see is unbelievable.
There in the side of the hill is this cavernous opening like a great jaw waiting for food to enter. The opening is all covered in stalactites and they run down the opening as far as we can see inside. The bottom is very dark.
At the entrance of the cave there is a bee colony buzzing around, so we quickly skirt the trail and find another way inside. Alan and I climbed a little way down into the cave, but it was quite slippery 
as there is a constant drip of water from the stalactites. I stop and take pictures while Alan goes further down. He has to stop as it is getting too dark and much more slippery. While he had his flashlight with him, he felt proper gear was needed to go down further. We couldn’t see how deep it went. What an amazing cave. We were the only people there. We had our lunch at the opening before returning to the car. The return trip was much easier. At the bottom, I realized I had dropped my sunglasses…I decided it was not worth climbing all the way back for them…we went on.
To finish out the day, we race back up the coast (45 min drive) to Wharariki Beach to 
catch low tide. At Wharariki Beach we 
attempted our third visit. The first rained out, the second we had not kept the tide times in mind and now this one that gave 
us two hours before low tide. We hiked over the green sheep covered hills, through a kanuka forest and across the sand dunes to reach this 
magnificent beach.
We don’t want to leave, but the tide turns at 19:30 and it is nearly that now so we wander back up to the North beach entrance where we came in. Along the way we take pictures of the amazing blown sand art. Nature is so creative when left to fend on its own accord. We have had a beautiful day and what beautiful sights we have seen today!
Friday Nov 6th, 2009
Today we stopped into the Takaka Museum. Here we read about Takaka’s rural backcountry and waterfront history. While in the museum, Alan notices a picture of a beautiful cave. After quizzing the clerk, we find instructions on how to get to the Rawhiki cave. We are going to make this our afternoon challenge.
At the Rawhiti cave, we easily find the farm yard where the trek starts and park the car. The trek sign indicates that the cave is 2.2 km’s in and will take 60 minutes to climb, so off we go.
The first part traverses a dried up creek bed into a mountain valley, then we reach the end and the sign points up. Up we go, and go, and go. We stop numerous times as the trail is very steep and the afternoon is hot. It takes us
about 45 minutes to reach the summit of the trail and what we see is unbelievable.There in the side of the hill is this cavernous opening like a great jaw waiting for food to enter. The opening is all covered in stalactites and they run down the opening as far as we can see inside. The bottom is very dark.
At the entrance of the cave there is a bee colony buzzing around, so we quickly skirt the trail and find another way inside. Alan and I climbed a little way down into the cave, but it was quite slippery 
as there is a constant drip of water from the stalactites. I stop and take pictures while Alan goes further down. He has to stop as it is getting too dark and much more slippery. While he had his flashlight with him, he felt proper gear was needed to go down further. We couldn’t see how deep it went. What an amazing cave. We were the only people there. We had our lunch at the opening before returning to the car. The return trip was much easier. At the bottom, I realized I had dropped my sunglasses…I decided it was not worth climbing all the way back for them…we went on.
To finish out the day, we race back up the coast (45 min drive) to Wharariki Beach to 
catch low tide. At Wharariki Beach we 
attempted our third visit. The first rained out, the second we had not kept the tide times in mind and now this one that gave 
us two hours before low tide. We hiked over the green sheep covered hills, through a kanuka forest and across the sand dunes to reach this 
magnificent beach. 
We are successful and this time we take the beach trail to the beach. The 
trail starts the same, but quickly leaves the rolling hills and arrives at the north end of the beach. Our last trip we entered via the sound end. This end is composed of rolling white sand dunes and we walk for a long way through the dunes. 
Alan eats the last cookie from Yummie Pleasures in Newcastle. The cookie was still delicious even after all this time!
In front of us are huge rock pillars jutting out of the sea. We take numerous pictures and walk up the beach toward the south end seen yesterday. It is still a gale force wind and the sea is boiling but the scene is so unbelievable that we lap it up.
We wander the beach for two hours walking in and out of the caves created by the sea. The rock cliffs are made of conglomerate and look like someone poured concrete a thousand years ago and the sea has been washing over them ever since. The beach is flat like glass and every now and then you find these filled crystal clear pools reflecting the sun and sand movement around the rocks.
Finally, on the beach we find a seal sunning himself on a rock and since the tide is going out we see the mile of flat, very flat white sand.
trail starts the same, but quickly leaves the rolling hills and arrives at the north end of the beach. Our last trip we entered via the sound end. This end is composed of rolling white sand dunes and we walk for a long way through the dunes. 
Alan eats the last cookie from Yummie Pleasures in Newcastle. The cookie was still delicious even after all this time!
In front of us are huge rock pillars jutting out of the sea. We take numerous pictures and walk up the beach toward the south end seen yesterday. It is still a gale force wind and the sea is boiling but the scene is so unbelievable that we lap it up.
We wander the beach for two hours walking in and out of the caves created by the sea. The rock cliffs are made of conglomerate and look like someone poured concrete a thousand years ago and the sea has been washing over them ever since. The beach is flat like glass and every now and then you find these filled crystal clear pools reflecting the sun and sand movement around the rocks.
Finally, on the beach we find a seal sunning himself on a rock and since the tide is going out we see the mile of flat, very flat white sand.
We don’t want to leave, but the tide turns at 19:30 and it is nearly that now so we wander back up to the North beach entrance where we came in. Along the way we take pictures of the amazing blown sand art. Nature is so creative when left to fend on its own accord. We have had a beautiful day and what beautiful sights we have seen today!
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