Marfells Beach... The Little Camping Ground...

 Marfells Beach is at the end of the road and the road ends

at the end of the camp. So the parking area is a small

strip along the beach. Not many people when I was

there but I've been told since that it's full most weekends

with people with quad bikes who drive round the beach

at low tide and dive both sides of Mussel Point for

crayfish and paua.

 Waiting for the next influx of children...

 Amazing hills where  lime is quarried...

 Also sculpted by the wind.

 A quad track to the beach...

 It's still high tide. The tide has been in for most of

every day with the low tides not going out very far so
walking space was minimal...

 But on my wanderings I found some wild silverbeet that

I had been told was here...

 A thick patch of silverbeet and mint...

 Yum... It was lamb chops with fresh mint sauce and steamed

silverbeet for dinner. Surprisingly it was deliciously tender.

 The wind whipping the tops of the waves...

 And the tide coming up to my doorstep.

I found this poem on the wall of the ablutions block... It sums

up Marfells Beach... I will definitely be going back there.

Ode to Marfells Beach DoC Camp Ground by

summer 2014 co-hosts Angie & Brooke

Welcome... to locals and visitors alike,

arriving by motorhome, caravan or bike.

To Marfells, seaside camping at its best

walk, bike, fish, swim, or relax, have a rest.

Many fish to be caught out there in the kelp,

for expert advice, ask a local for help.

Take a walk through the camp, up the hill to the lime,

where Yealands trucks load to compost the vines.

Or walk ninety minutes, if you are so bold,

to Cape Campbell Lighthouse, a sight to behold.

At low tide, quad bikes go around Mussel Point,

for crayfish and paua, their plates to annoint.

And talking of food, there's wild silverbeet,

up the hills, along the beach... It's yummy to eat.

Just south of Seddon, the quake scarred the land,

"Sorry - Camp Closed" DoC's interim stand.

Slips cleared from the road, and cracks to mend,

The camp then re-opened for Labour Weekend.

No dogs, no fires and pay your camp fee,

for flush toilets, cold showers and time by the sea.

We've done our camp duties through sun, wind and rain,

cleaning toilets, collecting fees and the camp to maintain.

Thanks Pam and Tim, who came without fail,

to deliver  DoC stores, and deliver our mail.

And to Shona and Ivan, our co-hosts from Ward,

your awesome generosity, we wish to applaud.

We're now back to our travels, retirement is nigh,

time for farewells and a tearful good bye.

Six months at Marfells, has got under our skin,

whenever we're passing, we'll surely pop in.

Give way at the train track, check left and check right,

pass salt lakes, wandering stock and the camp is in sight.

 But it was time for me to leave.... The next place was waiting

to be explored. So as the poem says, it was past the salt lakes...

 Past the  very dry paddocks...

And the mountains of salt.. Some 60,000 to 70,000 tonnes of salt are 

harvested from Lake Grassmere each year.

Marfells Beach... The Tide Comes And Goes...

I love being at Marfells Beach. It doesn't appeal to everybody but I love the wildness and wilderness of it. I especially love the rough sea, the big rolling breakers and the tides that, of course, come in and out...

The tide's out...

Look a those cliffs in the distance and the stunning contrast of colours...

I found out today, that on the outgoing tide you can walk round to Mussel Point then round the next bay to Cape Campbell... Three hours return. I will have to come back to do that...

And the tide's in again... Almost to my doorstep...

Marfells Beach... Where I Am Today...

This is where I am today... Marfells Beach on the wild east coast of the South Island of New Zealand, looking out  to the vast Pacific Ocean.  It's part of Clifford Bay just south of the Lake Grassmere salt works.

It's a bit windy and wild, maybe the tail end of Cyclone Pam, but the wind is from the south, both whipping the foamy tops off the waves and also flattening the sea considerably.

I've been lots of places between Cable Bay and here but will update you on all that soon. I seem to  be constantly trying to catch up with myself.

I've driven up and down the east coat of the South Island all my life but I've never been here before, I had the impression it was a desolate place, but it's lovely. I think I have a real affinity with the wildness of parts of the east coast, I've been staying and camping at various places since I was ten! 

Looking out my door...

Mussel Point in the distance...

An abundance of seaweed and driftwood...

The hill and pine trees, a good source of fire wood,  behind me.

I'm parked in a small DoC Camp. I will go for a walk soon and take more photos...

A Steep Climb To Connect With The World...

Well... Cable Bay may have been the first telegraph link to the

rest of the world but it still doesn't have Vodafone internet reception.

"You'll get it up the hill" was the response from the camp owner...

"There's a short cut through the back of the camp"...

So off I went...

 I started off past the house and through the paddocks...

 And farm as directed...

 "Up to the water tanks and keep going"... Mmm

how far I wondered?

 It was a nice gradual walk...

 And there's my goal... The highest point...

 Looking back...

 Onward and upward...

 I'm getting higher now... 

 I reached my goal... The white marker on the top of the hill.

It was also a good try out for my new boots and new thick padded

socks. I can walk anywhere now!

I'm sitting resting here and communicating with the world

and in particular one of my daughters who is on holiday in

New Zealand from America and who I am meeting up with tomorrow.

 Now the decision, which way to go next. I could have gone back

 the way I had come but that seemed a bit unadventourous... So

I can go this way which would take me in a loop...

 

 Or this way which wold take me?  Well I don't know where.

 I decided on the loop and set off again.

 This is half way and looking out to Tasman Bay.

 I felt very high up, nobody else around but here's another 

white marker post.

 I continued upward...

 Some disinterested...

 And curious cows...

 And then the top, a gate and a hunt for the next marker...

Which was directly down the fence line in the middle of 

this photo. Mmm... I was glad of my boots and that I

 had taken my hiking stick. There was no distinct track

just faint sheep tracks and lots of dry slippery grass.

 But, I'd gone up so I had to go down!. Half way down, 

you can clearly see the boulder bank that connects the

 mainland with Pepin Island.

 And looking down on the camping ground... My bus in sight!

 Down the bottom this information shelter...

 And looking back to where I'd come from, it doesn't 

look so high now! I think it's Sentinel Hill?

 Two ships, 'Hibernia' and Edinburgh' laid the cable from Australia

to New Zealand in eleven days. An account of the cable landing at

Cable Bay was given by the 'Colonist' newspaper...

"In the inlet were the large ships, about a dozen small boats

and straight in front of the beach with the white waves

dashing upon it, and through them was seen the cable with

a swarm of human beings around it toiling to their utmost."

The cable came ashore and into a building of four thicknesses 

of timber. the cable passed onto a solid cedar topped cable and

then through a stone cemented passage and underground to

the cable house. 

The cable originally came ashore at Nelson because of

the pre-emminence of the South Island at the time.

The first overseas cable link was worked by a mirror galvanometer.

Words were indicated by flashes of light and to operators

were required, one to watch the flash, the other to take dictation.

This was later superceded by recorder equipment which

gave a permanent recording of the message.

Cable Bay had a population of about 30 people and the

station was a self contained village... Housing, operations

room, billiard rood, three stables and a small sawmill.

Boys from all over New Zealand joined the station as cadets

and received training as cable operators, some of whom were later

sent off to distant places in the Far East and Singapore.

There was great excitement as the colonists could now communicate

with friends and relatives in England by telegram which 

only took four days instead of by letter which took

up to six months..

My one night stop over here was too short so I' be going back sometime.

Perhaps I'll take the higher track... Or go fishing... Or walk

round Pepin Island... So many things to do!