Orongorongo Track

Across Wellington Harbour and over a low range of hills lies the Rimutaka Forest Park. It is easily accessible from the city and boasts a range of walks of varying degrees of difficulty. Nico and I were the only takers of Sunday’s walk along the Orongorongo Track to the Orongorongo river. If you look at this map the track goes up the Catchpool Valley to Big Bend.

The track is very well maintained and quite easy.

All the stream beds are bridged – both big

and small.

I couldn’t resist taking a photo of Nico under a Nikau.

After the walk we drove down to the south coast and walked to the mouth of the river.
It is a wild and desolate place, facing due south with the next land being Antartica.

Looking west towards Baring Head with Wellington out of sight around the corner.

Lastly here is Jenny in the outfit she wore to the Trentham Races (the Mr. Jewell quoted is no relation).

Abel Tasman

Abel Tasman was the Dutch explorer regarded as being the first European to visit New Zealand (at least the first to visit and report back). In 1642 he anchored in a large bay at the north end of the South Island but did not name it. Over 120 years later, in 1769, James Cook surveyed the area during his first South Pacific voyage. He named the area Blind Bay. It was the French explorer d’Urville who split the bay into Golden Bay and Tasman Bay during his exploration in the 1820s. Separation Point marks the end of Golden Bay and the beginning of Tasman Bay.

So, what has this got to do with us? Well, every year for the past 4 or 5 we have organised an extended walk or other human powered journey with friends and relations.

This year we walked in the Abel Tasman National Park. The park occupies the land adjoining the west of Tasman and the south of Golden Bays. It is one of the most accessible of New Zealand’s national parks and very popular for tramping, kayaking, sailing and water sports.

We followed the Coastal Track. The bulk of us walked the whole route
(from the left – Elwin, Noreen, Dyk, Jenny, Alice, Nico, Sarah and Sam) while these four kayaked the first three days -

(Janie, Jane, Dave and Andy). We met up at the hut each evening and walked the last two days together. The walk (as its name suggests) follows the coastline from Marahau to Wainui Bay and we did it in five days. The scenery is amazing. Here are a few sample pictures but often the camera has not done justice to the green of the sea or deep blue of the sky.

We had an amazing time and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience (apart from the odd blister, sore knees, aching shoulders, spot of sunburn, snoring bedfellow, lack of beer, sandfly bites, heat rash and lack of showers). The sense of achievement at the end was overwhelming and it was really sad to say goodbye to everyone.

Further details of each day are posted separately. Some of the track descriptions come from the DoC website.

Monday January 14 Wellington to Marahau

Tuesday January 15 Marahau to The Anchorage

Wednesday January 16 The Anchorage to Bark Bay

Thursday January 17 Bark Bay to Awaroa

Friday January 18 Awaroa to Whariwharangi

Saturday January 19 Whariwharangi to Wellington

Nico has also posted about the trip – well worth a visit!

Monday

Wellington to Marahau
Day 1 of our Abel Tasman adventure. Monday January 14th.

We spent Sunday organising gear and supplies for the week. It’s amazing how much stuff we thought we needed (to be fair – we did eat most of the food except for half the Christmas cake). On Monday we left the house about 0800 and headed for the airport. There was a short delay due to an aircraft experiencing hydraulic failure while landing but once that plane was towed off the runway we made the short flight across Cook Strait on an Air New Zealand Bombardier Q300.It was a clear day and we got good views of the bottom of the North Island and top of the South. Here is a ferry approaching Tory Channel.

The flight went over Picton and the Marlborough Sounds (we used to part own a section on the isthmus in the bottom of the picture).

After arriving in Nelson we made the 1.5 hour journey by shuttle bus to Marahau. This is a small settlement clustered around the beach and serves as the main access point to the track. We stayed in a backpackers and spent the afternoon wandering around the beach and reserve. Here is a stilt on the sea margin.

Andy, Jenny and I exploring along the beach.

Link to next day

Tuesday

Marahau to The Anchorage
Day 2 of our Abel Tasman adventure. Tuesday January 15th.
This is a distance of 11.5 Km and was estimated to take 4 hours
The walking group posed for the obligatory photo.
(From the left - Dyk, Noreen, Elwin, Jenny, Sarah, Nico, Alice, Sam)
The track is very well maintained and signposted. Each section has an information board describing what is to come.A causeway crosses the estuary from the Information Kiosk. On the far side the track passes through open country to Tinline Bay.

The track rounds Guilbert Point (one of the French names left by d’Urville and his crew) to Apple Tree Bay then passes through beech forest with large kanuka trees.

After Yellow Point it turns inland, winding in and out of several little gullies

with views back along the coast

before emerging in open country overlooking Torrent Bay and the coast and islands to the north.

A steep descent leads to Anchorage Bay where we arrived about noon.

It's an ideal spot for swimming and fishing.

Later in the afternoon some of us made the side trip to crescent shaped Te Pukatea

and Pitt Head, an old pa site.

Link to next day

Wednesday

The Anchorage to Bark Bay
Day 3 of our Abel Tasman adventure. Wednesday January 16th.
A short day - 9.5 Km 3 hours.
Outside the hut at Anchorage Bay.From Anchorage Bay the track crosses a low ridge to Torrent Bay estuary. We crossed using the low tide route directly through the estuary.

There is quite a settlement at Torrent Bay (about 20 houses) which is only accessible from the sea. The track climbs through pine trees, sidles around two valleys and above a beautiful inlet to Falls River. This is crossed by a 47m suspension bridge.

After climbing to a ridge the track leads down to Bark Bay.

This has a wonderful lagoon which is filled with water at high tide but dry at the low. Water rushes in and out through a channel beside a sand bar. This was one of our favourite places on the walk and we spent a happy afternoon frolicking in the lagoon and sea.

Link to next day

Thursday

Bark Bay to Awaroa

Day 4 of our Abel Tasman adventure. Thursday January 17th.

This day seemed longer than the stated 11.5 Km and 4 hours.

The track climbs steeply from Bark Bay to a saddle. Here we are exhausted at the top.

Beyond this there are stands of manuka before the track drops down to the abandoned Tonga Quarry. Blocks of granite and a few building remnants are all that remain of the operation which existed for a few years at the beginning of the 20th century. Tonga Island is offshore at the centre of a marine reserve.

Following a quick up and over is the vast expanse of Onetahuti Bay with its golden beach. The track then climbs over Tonga Saddle and descends to the Awaroa Inlet.

Nico and I made the journey from Onetahuti twice – we went back to help the kayakers with our excess baggage that they had been carrying since Tuesday. On the second journey the tide had come in. Most of us had taken the high tide route but Sarah, Sam and Nico had to wade across one of the smaller estuaries.There were lots of sea birds all the way around the coast including many nesting oystercatchers. Several pairs had one or two chicks running around with them while others were still incubating eggs.
This is the hut at Awaroa

with Andy completing his daily essay in the visitors/intentions book.

Link to next day