Wharariki Beach

We finally made it to Wharariki ("faw-daw-dee-kee") Beach and set up tent in a secluded and well-kept holiday park by the entrance to the beach walk (20-30 minutes to get to beach – the only access).  So we hiked on a spectacular beach for Isaac’s birthday.  It was a jumbled mix of caves, tide pools, sand dunes, arches, sea lions, etc. and the most spectacular mix we’d seen to date.  Highlights included finding a sting ray in a rock pool, watching Noah’s addictive habit of pool jumping, watching Jonathan quickly exit a dark cave (sea lion growled angrily at him), and walking over sand dunes.   A-mazing!  And with the sun setting at our backs we hiked back along fields of grazing sheep.             



Hiking to the beach

That evening we quietly sang happy birthday to Isaac wearing hats outside our tent.  We ate little iced rolls, gave him a duckie scrubber I found at the supermarket, and we headed for the showers before settling down in our sleeping bags.  That night the full moon was so bright I thought someone was shining a spotlight in our tent at 3 am.  It was a little windy but oh so peaceful. 

In the morning we packed up and hiked up to a lighthouse to get a good view of Farewell Spit, the longest natural sandbar in the world (are you tired of superlatives by now?  NZ is full of them!).  It was absolutely beautiful from up there and on a clear day you can see Mt. Taranaki on the north island.  From up there we could see down the west coast, across the gold coast, and the Marlborough sounds off in the distance.  Remarkable.



At this lightouse lookout point you can see down the west coast, up across the water to the Marlborough Sounds, and over to Golden Bay.  Wow.