7 Oct: Takaka and Farewell Spit

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We did two main things today: we drove from Nelson to Collingwood, crossing over a mountain pass, and we took a 6-hour guided tour of Farewell Spit, the 38-kilometer sand spit that reaches out from the top of the South Island like a Kiwi's beak. (Only, as the guide pointed out, at the low ebb of the 4-meter local tides, it's more like a pelican's beak.)

First up was a very scenic drive over Takaka hill ("talk-a-caw" they say). The first view is southward-facing.

It looks back toward Nelson Bay. We are looking down about 2000 feet. The colored areas are large apple orchards that are under netting.

The valley below over a nicely-placed tree is your usual New Zealand lush farming land.

Then we go on up and over Takaka hill (you can see it on the map, if you zoom in, as a giant double switchback) and get a view looking up the Takaka river valley toward the north.

In reviewing the pics at night we felt dissatisfied, feeling we didn't do either view justice. But we'll go out the same way, maybe we can get it better.

Close up, the Takaka valley is your usual freakin' gorgeous countryside.

At Collingwood, a local fisherman pointed out the Sleeping Woman. Can you see her? Head to the left, lips slightly parted?

OK, Tamalpais she ain't...

Farewell Spit

No vehicle traffic is allowed on Farewell Spit, except for two tour companies that are licensed by the Department of Conservation to run their big 4-wheel drive buses out, going at low tide and driving below the tide line, so the tracks are erased each day.

Our guide was John Stevens, who had been doing this run for 25+ years. He told lots of anecdotes in a twangy NZ accent.

First stop was Farewall Point, the northernmost tip of the South Island.

Named by Captain Cook, who did not mention the sea arch, so perhaps he was at the wrong angle to see it.

We headed out over the sands.

We saw several fur seals...

The keel of a wrecked ship embedded in the sand...

We climbed the frame of the lighthouse near the end of the spit...

We climbed a sand dune.

We got a glimpse of Farewell Point in the sunset.

Mo' Biggah Pics

Once again there are several nice pics not linked here but uploaded. Click here for a slide show.

Bonus panorama! If you click this link you get a humongous panorama of Anakiwa, a village on the Queen Charlotte Sound. Scroll from side to side.

Disconnect Alert

The next couple of nights we expect to be in DOC (dept. of conservation) campgrounds, like Forest Service campgrounds back home. So likely, no internet for a bit.