Ocean Beach... A Cimb To The Ridge Line

There is a network of walkways and tracks on this tip of the
peninsular that is the north arm of Whangarei Heads.

I set off to the southern end of Ocean Beach with the
plan to climb over the bluff to the beach
on the other side.

The track up was quite steep... Looking back down...
I got to the top of this short track and decided
to keep going... Further up the hill.

It didn't take long to get a bit higher... Looking back to the
beach I had planned to walk along.

And out to sea... The South Pacific Ocean.

The track continued up... Quite an easy walk.
I met six young fellows with big packs on their
 backs running down the hill...
They had come from Peach Cove they told me...
Spent the night in a hut somewhere there.
It wasn't much further... They said...
Just up a bit further there is a picnic table...

So I kept climbing up... And further up...
I got high enough to see over the other side of
the hills to the inner harbour and probably
Marsden Point Oil Refinery in the distance.

The beach and rocks got further away and the view more
vast as I wended my way upwards.
I met another man on his way down... He had
started at the other end of the track, he told me...
He had been walking three hours...
And it wasn't much further up to a picnic table
on the ridge line  and the site of the old
World War II lookout... So I kept going...

This is where I was headed for...
My goal... I was so close I couldn't give up...
What was I... Warrior or wimp!

The last part of the track was quite steep...

Steps were cut in places... And

I made it... Round the next bend was the picnic table...
And an information board about past history.
It was hard to imagine this had been a radar station
and army and navy men lived up here.





 









But there down the other side was
the evidence... The old relic of the lookout of
Post No 7... Where watch was kept for
Japanese invasion.


Just crumbling rust in the bushes now...


It was a spectacular view and well worth the climb...



On my way down again... Looking to the small
Ocean Beach community of houses
and where my bus is parked



Down towards the rocks again...
It's going to rain... It's much quicker going down of course.


The sand-hills and pine tree forests...



And I'm nearly there as the sky darkens and the
first spots of rain begin to fall...


Down, down in double quick time...
I didn't take a picnic to eat at the top...
Neither had I taken a rain coat...


So it was a race across the beach before the
rain got serious


And looking back to where I had been.
It was a great climb, I felt very pleased with myself.

Another Day At Ocean Beach...

 Map of location of Ocean Beach...
Can you find it? At the right hand end of the
dotted red line...
This is one side of the Whangarei Heads.

 

Here I am... Parked up on the Ocean Beach bluff.
One other bus... Bigger than me!
And cars that came and went.

It was a magnificent view...
And beautiful beach...
I don't know why it took me so long to get there...
When I spend most of my time in Northland.

Internet reception was very spasmodic...
Like Swiss Cheese!

But other things to do...
The lovely beach to walk on...
And hills to climb.

Forestry made a wonderful backdrop
and protected the dunes.

I never get tired of the beach and all
it's variations.

I climbed up this sandhill...

The view back where I had come from...

And over the other side...
Looking into the sun

Down again... 

The rocks as the tide went out...

And the view from the hill at the south end of the beach.
I will definitely be going back for another visit.

Room With A View

I made it to Ocean Beach... My original destination.
What a place... Absolutely beautiful.


I parked up on the bluff... Freedom parking...
Room for 2-3 motor homes
plus a few cars where surfers park.

This is my 'Room With A View'

In all directions there was this wonderful beach

Don't you think this is a wonderful sitting room?

Out my door...

Then a beautiful sunset.

Next Stop... McGregors Beach...

 
This is a much better map to show you where I have been
over the last few days...

Pataua South then Taiharuru Peninsular...
The next harbour south.


Map in detail... McGregors Beach is in the
middle of Taiharuru Bay...
A delightful hidden away little beach.
Holiday houses there but all empty.


This is the sight that greeted my eyes... Beautiful.


I parked my bus, made coffee in the sun...
Then went walking... It's not a very long beach.

Stony and sandy... The tide was going out.

Fallen trees...

Slippery rocks...

It clouded over and rained...
The weather in Northland is like that in the
winter... Mild temperatures and lots of rain...
Then the sun comes out again.

Holiday houses... It's only about 30 minutes drive from
Whangarei. I think I would want to live there...
The fishing looks good!

The other end of the beach... I can't walk any further...
Without getting wet!

And looking back...
And walking back to my bus before it rains again.