As this is a motel we have to fend for ourselves this morning. We had called in the shops in Takaka on the way up for the very purpose of sorting brekkie goodies out. We slept until 8 and then had a leisurely breakfast before checking on our Farewell Spit Ecotour booking that was to be later in the day. All good, so explore the town, or perhaps more accurately, the village.
Following signs that said 30 minutes to a Lookout and Historic Cemetery...
Eric thinks it'll be easy - not too long and route markers, although the word 'lookout' probably means there will be some climbing.
...made our way up a steep slope but we get lost after initially following some red-topped posts and then losing them. After wandering up another steep hill with a plethora of newish looking gates that had short drives but no houses (and lots of PRIVATE signs on them), we decided we were going the wrong way. Retrace our steps and find the missing red-topped posts, which takes us along a flat road, eventually finding another sign that says Lookout 10 minutes.
Stroll a little further and then come across yet another sign that points up a small pathway and yet again says Lookout 10 mins, but now the Historic Cemetery is 20 minutes walking (or three minutes if you have a car!).
What?!
Follow the narrow path into and through the bush, steadily climbing uphill in a zigzag fashion. Find the Lookout...
The information panel is...informative...if you could see the bits that were marked.
Finally stood on the bench to see over the vegetation.
To the left...
Follow the path further uphill as the sign now points to Historic Cemetery - it flattens out, coming within about 100yds across the bush of where we had been earlier when we went wrong! It dipped back down the hill emerging in...the cemetery, which was about 100yds further up the road from where we had entered the small path through the bush! Never mind, we needed the exercise.
There are some interesting interpretation panels in the cemetery. One shows the names and dates for all the historic graves, including those that are no longer visible (could do with finding some detail like this in the UK for the genealogical research).
Also one showing that Collingwood was named after Admiral Nelson's second in command and that there had been a whole 'Capital Town' planned for here, all laid out with street names chosen and everything. This was because the area was a booming gold town at the time, but this soon petered out, people left and the new Capital City of Collingwood was never built. (Are we collecting generals as we travel through NZ?)
Return to the village and check out the beach now that the tide is in. Enough sun for the moment, so eat our lunch back at the accommodation.
Quick tour of their tiny Museum filled with lots of bits and pieces related to the fortunes of the village through the times, since the 1800s, and another part related to earlier Maori settlement in the area and what they consider to be so special about Farewell Spit, or Onetahua to them (meaning heaped up sand). There was also an exhibition on those that served in the World War, both Maori and European Settlers.
Time to get on board the bus with all the other travellers, there will be 19 in total, but only 13 to start - we are picking the others up at the entrance to the spit, just past Puponga. The tour guide was called Paddy, but he was born and brought up in Collingwood. A droll commentary followed as we travelled the 24km to Cape Farewell for our first stop. This is the most northerly point on the South Island.
Out of the bus and climb the hill, some good photo ops both here and back at the bus.
There's a gaggle of rather jovial ladies on the bus who keep the driver amused with their comments on his commentary.
Out onto the bay side of the spit and exit the bus to wait for the remaining customers. Some views of Variable Oystercatcher and Eastern Bar-tailed Godwit. The guide later tells us that there are 15,000 to 20,000 of the latter on the spit, and also 25 to 30 thousand Knot (they were obviously hiding behind the godwits as they managed to keep out of our sight). Walking on this side of the spit is only allowed for the first 4km, and then you can cross to the other ocean side and come back. We were in the bus and were going to be allowed to travel the 30km along the ocean side of the spit to the lighthouse.
We drove a short way on the bay side before turning along a track to the other side. First we went to Fossil Point, in the opposite direction to the lighthouse. All clamber out of the bus to look at the 'conglomerate' and 'sandstone' layers. The former are 50 million years old.
Fossilised shells were visible in the mudstone. Some lovely rock shapes. Do have photos but having some technical problems with downloading from the camera, so can't bore you with those anyway.
The guide thought we might see seals here - we did but the three we saw were all dead pups.
Now travelling along the spit. There's a strong westerly breeze blowing and this was causing a bit of a sandstorm.
Past dunes, more Oystercatchers, Caspian Terns, and some New Zealand Fur Seals - first a very large seal fast asleep on the sand,
and then a smaller one - travelling across the beach much more quickly than you would think possible. (More missing pics!).
As we approached the lighthouse area we had to cross through the dunes and saw a Banded Dotterel. This time the band was so bright and obvious it made us doubt what we had seen earlier on the North Island (although that was a female) and even though that was what we were told it was. Picture to be added later.
The lighthouse was first built in wood during the 1840s, and replaced with a metal structure in the 1880s.
Aw - what do you mean they won't let me climb it. A missing step Eric - come back next year, they may have fixed it by then.
The tour guide kept up the commentary on all manner of related items, ecology, history and stories all the way along the beach. Time for a muffin and a cup of coffee (yes that's right - coffee!)
Tides too difficult for him to take us to view the Gannet colony other than through binoculars. It's the only sea level Gannet colony in the world apparently (as opposed to on cliffs).
Return along the beach to climb a very large sand dune and watch the sun setting.
The way back to the bus from the top of the dune was down the steep-sided front. One of us partly slid down on their backside and was depositing sand everywhere for a while afterwards.
Missing picture of high dune face - perhaps just as well as not very dignified.
Although the dune is about 10m high and obviously well above see level, it is strange to see areas at the top that are still very wet and the sand is not affected by the strong wind but just creates interesting patterns - here's an "artistic" shot of the patterns.
Dark when we arrive back in Collingwood, and even though we have been given a $10 dollars off per meal in the local tavern, we opt for packing and bed.