Exploring The Top Of The South...

 This is a map of the whole of the Golden Bay area...

Clifton and Pohara at the bottom and Farewell sand spit
across the top...

 This one from Tarakohe and Pohara, where I am, to Takaka...

 From Takaka north to Collingwood...

 And from Collingwood to Puponga and Farewell Spit.

This map is the top of the West Coast... The Wanganui Inlet...
Generally referred to by the locals as Westhaven.
I was out and about for the day with two friends. Our destination was
 Anatori where the Anatori river mouth is. Apparently it's a great
white-baiting spot, there are a few old white-baiters huts... But it's not the season.
There are also two areas for freedom parking, with some people...
A tent and a motor home, enjoying the wilderness and solitude.
I'm told it's a place that floods easily when it rains so if you go
there keep that in mind.

 

We set off... Our first stop was the Farewell Spit cafe with

very nice coffee and a selection of delicious food.

The most spectacular was the view. It was a cloudy

day so we couldn't see the spit, and the tide was out.

There is a telescope but even with that it was too cloudy.

There is a walkway down to the sand and you can walk along the

inside of the spit to the pine trees in the distance. I want to go

back by myself and do that. There is also Farewell Spit tours

that go along the beach as far as the lighthouse.  

I did that years ago but would like to do the trip again. 

There is another walkway that goes

over farmland then over sandhills to Wharariki... A hard flat

west coast beach with rocks sculpted by the wind.

I kept a look out for parking for my bus when I go back there

and take my time to explore in more detail. Wharariki Beach

Motor Camp would be the place.

We went back to the Pakawau Inlet and turned west onto a gravel

road that went a long way. Along Pakawau Bush Road, turn into 

Dry Road and just keep going.

These photos are a few glimpses of the inlet as we drove along.

We passed places called Muddy Creek, White Pine Creek, Bone

Creek... All with narrow bridges and nowhere much on

the side of the road to stop.

The is the mouth of the Wanganui Inlet... Bar Point on the right

and Melbourne Point on the left.

We came to Mangarakau and found this old wharf...

Still in use. It's where the Crayfish boats load up their pots...

Which is what the two men on this boat were doing.

I love eating crayfish so I asked if they would take a passenger?

They were more than happy but weren't returning till Tuesday.

Three days in a little boat if the weather turned rough...

Much as I wanted to go I declined.

On the information board are graphic pictures and a warning

about the weather and the bar at the inlet entrance.

Mmm... It would have to be very calm for me to go.

We continued our journey...