Summer

It's hard to believe that it's 2009 already! Happy New Year!

Those of you in the northern hemisphere are enduring winter now, but for us it's summer holiday here and we've been trying to get outdoors a bit! There have been lots of little trips and happenings over the past few months which I thought would be fun to share with you guys...

WAIRARAPA COAST

Last weekend, we did a day trip to the Wairarapa's eastern coastline. The trip was supposed to be an overnighter, but I forgot the tent so that was called off! Oh well. Truth be told, the campground was so incredibly crowded that I wasn't keen on it anyway. My goal with camping is to get away from people--not closer to them. But for most Kiwis, camping is a social thing involving large groups of family and friends all getting together for BBQ'ing en masse. The campground was covered in huge tents and RVs of every kind. So, it wasn't a huge disappointment to skip it.

Only 250 steps to go...

We didn't waste the trip, however, and did some sightseeing in the area. First we visited Cape Palliser where we climbed some 250 rickety steps to Cape Palliser Lighthouse. Built in 1897, the lighthouse originally ran on oil and required an attendant, until conversion to electricity and automation in 1987. It continues to provide guiding flashes of light every 20 seconds which can be seen up to 48 kilometres away.

Cape Palliser lighthouse

View from the lighthouse platform

S enjoying the view

There are great views of Palliser Bay and the coastline from the platform. This area is also the site of a permanent colony of New Zealand fur seals, which are easily seen (and smelled) from the shoreline.

Putangirua Pinnacles

We also took a walk to see the Putangirua Pinnacles located in Aorangi Forest Park. These strange rock formations are caused by water erosion, creating a 'badlands' appearance that looks like something out of the western United States. This area was one of the filming locations for the 'Paths of the Dead' sequence in Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. The eerie, other-worldly feeling that the pinnacles convey was a perfect fit for simulating a haunted passage under Tolkien's ficticious White Mountains.

Hot and sweaty, but we made it to the top

This place reminded me very much of Providence Canyon in Georgia, although the colouration wasn't nearly as striking. Even so, the pinnacles are quite impressive and certainly unexpected, revealing again how diverse New Zealand's landscapes can be.

It's well worth a visit if you are in the area, only taking about an hour to do walk to the pinnancles from the car park. Be warned that it's a fairly steep climb from the riverbed to the viewing platform, but it's a loop track so you have the option to go in the opposite direction for a more gradual climb. Also, Wellingtonians should take note that the wind they are so accustomed to and rely on for cooling does not exist in the Wairarapa interior. I never thought that I'd miss Wellington's wind, but it was definitely needed. There wasn't the slightest breeze!

BELMONT REGIONAL PARK

S at the entrance to Belmont Regional Park outside of Wellington

Puke Ariki Track Marker
(which looks identical to the regular track markers from a distance!)

We've done several minor excursions to Belmont Regional Park recently exploring the Puke Ariki/Haywards Korokoro Traverse. This is part of a conglomeration of different walking tracks in the area that can take you from Petone to Lower Hutt, or over the hills to Porirua. Belmont is the closest major park area to Wellington, and (in my opinion) features some of the nicest walks in the area. The landscape is interesting and includes both historic and natural features, and is easily accessible (even to those utilising public transportation).

Windy hills of Belmont Regional Park

I did the full 22 km Puke Ariki walk a few weekends ago with my friend James. It took us about 6.5 hours, though the information brochures state it takes 7-8. We started the trip at the Dry Creek ‘Haywards’ entrance where the track climbs quickly to Boulder Hill.

Boulder Hill

S and I had recently done the Boulder Hill track that led to this same point, an exposed area on the top of the hill where you can see the entire Wellington region. Just hang on to your hat - it's extremely windy up there! The terrain is mostly farmland for much of the track, climbing up and down exposed hills with names like Round Knob and Cannons Head. To break up the monotony, there are some old historic military buildings (ammunition storehouses), an airstrip, as well as the occasional herd of sheep / cows.

The ammunition buildings as seen from a distance.
For some reason, this reminds me of Hobbits.

Old plaque on one of the buildings.
Until we had seen this, we weren't really sure
what the buildings had been used for.

James completes an inspection of one of the buildings.
He found lots of very dead things in there.

The high point (literally) of the track is Belmont Trig, which is at about 457 metres. Again, there are some great views of the entire area. The track section then descends towards Petone, taking you through a dense area of native regenerating and original bush habitat. This is a really nice stretch. I made a mental note to return and do this walk with S (since I knew she would like it) which we did last week.

Korokoro stream near the Petone end of the track.

Crocosmia in bloom. Like so many of the most beautiful
flowers in New Zealand, this one is an invasive weed.

Korokoro dam had what is known as a “stepped”
spillway where the energy of the water is partially
dissipated by successive drops at the steps,
creating a waterfall effect

The landscape here is surprisingly dramatic, winding through narrow valleys that follow geologic fault lines. Birds and plant life are abundant, and there are some interesting historic features here as well. Korokoro Dam (built in 1902) is one such feature. Though no longer in use, many of the structures are still evident. In addition to the dam structures, old broken pipeline can be seen all along the way.