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30 July 2017

Barnicoat Walk

On a sunny, winter's afternoon I took the dogs (plus Mum and Dad's dog, 'Bess') for a walk up Barnicoat Hill. The hill is named after an early Nelson surveyor, John Willis Barnicoat.

Barnicoat walkway is located at the end of Marsden Valley Road in Stoke. There's an area to park cars, which gets full quickly.



The walk starts off across a small footbridge and climbs up to join a 4WD road.




The track winds up the side of the hill through pine forest. It's steep in sections but the glimpses of stunning views over Monaco and Tasman Bay are a great distraction. And once at the top the views sweep over Tasman Bay and the Richmond ranges.






It's a busy walkway with mountain bikers, joggers and other walkers. Even the odd car drove past with paragliders strapped to their roofs. There's an area at the top where paragliders launch themselves off the side of the hill. It's popular with its great thermals and excellent flying conditions.



Launching area







A beginning paraglider took off as I was walking beneath him.I could hear someone talking to him via radio. After looking around, I saw the other speaker, he was standing on the side of the launching area giving advice.



The dogs had a rest in the long grass while I admired the view.



And then it was time to hit the track and walk back down the hill.



24 July 2017

A Little Bay With History

Cable Bay is a tranquil cove with a claim to fame. It was the exit point for a telegraph cable brought to shore from Australia. It was New Zealand's first modern international communication link, providing faster connection with the world than sea mail.



To get to Cable Bay, travel about 20 minutes north of Nelson. Just before Hira, turn left down Cable Bay Road (you'll see a little church on the corner). The road is reasonably narrow, with a creek flowing through farmland to your right. 

Before long the road turns windy and if you are travelling in a larger bus or towing a fifth wheel there may be bends where you'll need to use both sides of the road. Cattle trucks come through here, so although it's tight in areas, it can be done with caution.

Cable Bay's beach is mostly shingle with sections of sand. When I was there the golden sand had unusual markings that looked like artwork - like winter trees.



To the left of the bay is The Cable Bay walkway. This is reasonably steep and takes you through hilly farmland. The views are spectacular. It isn't a loop track so arrangements will need to be made to be picked up at the other end. Some walkers leave a car at both ends, one group begin at the Glen end, while the other starts at Cable Bay. When they meet halfway they swap car keys and meet again afterwards. As the track is over private farmland there's stock grazing. Therefore no dogs are allowed at any time. During lambing season it is closed to the public.
Start of the walk from Cable Bay end.
Looking over the bay towards Pepin Island
Although no camping is allowed on the beach front, there is a camping ground, 'Cable Bay Holiday Park,' a few hundred metres away. If you're taking a day trip you'll discover there are no rubbish bins, so rubbish has to be taken away with you. DOC however, has provided toilets at both ends of the shingle causeway and picnic tables.

If you're after a bite to eat, there's 'The Cable Bay Cafe' with a delicious menu and coffees. It's one of the oldest cafes in Nelson being built in the 1920s by the Wiffen family.

Apparently the bay is renowned for fishing. If you're a keen fisherman head north of the bay. To the south of the inlet is the Horoirangi Marine Reserve. This reserve begins at The Glen (Glenduan) and ends at Ataata Point, which is the southern headland of Cable Bay.




The beach is safe to swim, dive, paddle and is dog friendly.


Paddy
'Boo' - no matter where we take her she always ends up a mess!
Oakly
If you're interested in the history of Cable Bay, here's an article I wrote for The Nelson Mail.


A Little Bay - Famous In Its Day.

A mere 20 kilometres north of Nelson lies a little bay with an interesting past, Cable Bay, Rokokura.

This bay was first named ‘Schroders Mistake’ by European settlers in 1843. The title came about when a cutter (a single masted sailing vessel), owned by a Nelson merchant, Schroder, was taking a survey party to Marlborough and became stranded on a sand bar.

Several years later, in 1926, the bay became known as Cable Bay. The first international telegraph cable linking New Zealand with the worldwide telegraph network via Sydney came ashore in this sheltered inlet. The telegraph cable opened for business on the 21st February 1876 with 54 telegrams received and 93 sent.

Two ships (both steamers), the Hibernia and Edinburgh were used to lay the cable. The cable came ashore on the South Island because at the time business was notably greater than the North Island. When the South Island’s gold rush dwindled and Māori wars in the North Island ended, business in the South Island decreased. During this period, the North Island grew larger in economic importance.

In 1914, the company offices and sleeping lodgings located at Cable Bay, burnt down. The business remained operating until 1917, before shifting to Titahi Bay near Wellington.

Although Cable Bay no longer hosts a telegraph cable it’s a fabulous place to visit. One of the oldest cafes in the Nelson area, ‘The Cable Bay Café’ is located there. It was built in the 1920s by the Wiffin family and opened as tearooms.

The popular Cable Bay walk also starts from this bay. It’s a two to three hour walk across hilly, private farmland. The track ends at The Glen (Glenduan) and offers fantastic views.

Cable Bay with its shingle beach is a fabulous spot for swimming, diving and kayaking. If paddling, you can view sea caves, blowholes, bird colonies and perhaps the odd seal around Pepin Island.

Pepin Island lies at the end of the bay’s shingle causeway. It was named after an explorer, Jules d’Urville’s wife Adèle Pépin. In 1996 a German businesswoman Dr Viola von Hohenzollern bought Pepin Island. When purchased, it was overgrazed, rundown and had an abundance of wild goats.

A farm manager made improvements to the island using pest control, planting native trees, and fencing. In December 2012 von Hohenzollern passed away and her daughter, inherited Pepin Island.

Evidence suggests there was a pā on Pepin Island. It was positioned at the end of the causeway joining the island to the mainland. Māori used this bay for fishing and camping. The open sea, sheltered bay, tidal flats and streams provided bountiful supplies of fish. While the forest had a source of birds, fruits and berries.

The pā (and the bay) are now known as Rotokura. In August 2014 the name of the bay officially became Rotokura/Cable Bay succeeding the Treaty of Waitangi Settlement between The Crown and Ngāti Tama ki Te Tau Ihui.

This tranquil cove, with a unique slice of New Zealand history is the perfect place to visit for a peaceful experience. Although close to Nelson, it feels as though you’re miles away. There’s a camping ground a couple of hundred metres away from the beach if staying overnight appeals.

So why not jump in the car and take a trip? Visualise how it would have been when Māori stayed in the area. And imagine the period when the Cable Station existed.


Further Information
  • ·      Dogs are welcome at Cable Bay/ Rotokura beach.
  • ·      No dogs allowed on ‘The Cable Bay’ walkway.
  • ·      The ‘Cable Bay Café’ is closed over winter months.
  • ·      ‘The Cable Bay Holiday Park’ has powered and non-powered sites, plus       campground cabins available.
  • ·      No camping is allowed at Cable Bay/ Rotokura beach.
  • ·      Cable Bay has picnic seats at either end of the bay.
  • ·      DOC toilets are situated at each end of the shingle causeway.
  • ·      There are no rubbish bins. You’ll need to take any rubbish away with you.

12 July 2017

Winter Sunsets

While the rest of the country is battling snow storms and gale force winds, we've been enjoying spectacular sunsets and calm weather in Nelson.



9 July 2017

Wintry Westland

The alarm went off at 5am on Saturday morning. It was the first day of the school holidays. We dragged ourselves from our snuggly bed and got ready for a long drive to Hokitika. We had arranged with our neighbour, that she would look after the dogs while we were away. The dogs watched as we had breakfast and knew we were up to something. Being determined not to miss out, Boo jumped in the back of the truck as Bernie put our bags in. We couldn't do it. We didn't have the heart to leave them...not even for a day! I sent a text through to Sarah letting her know she was relieved of her dog-sitting duties, and we set off.
The sun didn't appear until 7:30ish, by then we were in Murchison. We stopped for a hot chocolate to take away.
Once on the West Coast it was obvious we were in for a bleak day.


The stretch of road past Ikamatua had low cloud at the base of the mountains.



After the small settlement of Ahaura we found an area for the dogs to have a break. We took them for a stroll along a bush track.




We arrived in Kumara at 10:30am to meet the owners of a bush block we were interested in.






The land ticked all the boxes however we're concerned with the amount of sun we'd get in winter. Relying on sunlight for power makes this an important factor to consider. While we can control the height of the trees on our property, we're worried about the height the neighbouring bush may potentially reach.

After lunch at a local cafe, we took a drive to the Kapitea Reserve, which is just out of the Kumara township. I was hoping there wouldn't be a breeze so I could get a few reflection photos. Unfortunately there was a gentle wind. However it was a great spot to get a breath of fresh air and let the dogs stretch their legs.




The Taramakau Bridge is a rail and car bridge that's currently used. As we crossed it we noticed a new bridge being constructed nearby. Perhaps this bridge will be a thing of the past very soon.


Although we wanted to check other areas out, we were dictated by time. We didn't intend staying the night as wanted to leave the Coast to head home before sun set.