After a chilly Maunday Thursday with a decided threat of winter, Good Friday was a gem of a day. Clear skies, warm sunshine and silky breezes. And it is a proper Bank Holiday here with all but the corner shops closed.
By driving over the hills behind Wellington, through scrubby hills and paddocks, you arrive at the coast at Makara Beach. It is a relatively sheltered pebbly beach and has a small wetland and lagoon behind.
I chose to take the low road round the headland, a stony scramble between high tide and cliffs, rather than the cliff edge path.
As promised on the sign in the car park the pipits were also out and about. You can tell they are NZ natives as they are so fearless. And so were lots of (human) kiwis enjoying the shore and the sunshine. Lots of activities in evidence – kayaking, boating, rock fishing and paua (abalone) hunting.
In one area the sea had arranged smooth pebbles in a regular array like cobblestones. In another it had bulldozed up boulders and huge tree trunks maybe a two or three metres above the next highest pebble banked waterline – giving an idea of the raw power that the Tasman can muster when driven by a severe southerly gale.
It is on the cliffs here that Meridian are building a big wind farm (at last!) –and half a dozen of the turbines could be seen idling on the skyline.
Very busy in the bay by mid afternoon. I imagine the café probably ran out of hot cross buns and cake. And masses of sea anemones and other sea shore creatures visible at low tide. One little girl, peering from the rocks, very excited: “Holy Moly – it’s a real octopus!”. And I met a Brittany Spaniel (like a Welsh Springer with long legs) called Harry. Quite a charmer.
By driving over the hills behind Wellington, through scrubby hills and paddocks, you arrive at the coast at Makara Beach. It is a relatively sheltered pebbly beach and has a small wetland and lagoon behind.
I chose to take the low road round the headland, a stony scramble between high tide and cliffs, rather than the cliff edge path.
As promised on the sign in the car park the pipits were also out and about. You can tell they are NZ natives as they are so fearless. And so were lots of (human) kiwis enjoying the shore and the sunshine. Lots of activities in evidence – kayaking, boating, rock fishing and paua (abalone) hunting.
In one area the sea had arranged smooth pebbles in a regular array like cobblestones. In another it had bulldozed up boulders and huge tree trunks maybe a two or three metres above the next highest pebble banked waterline – giving an idea of the raw power that the Tasman can muster when driven by a severe southerly gale.
It is on the cliffs here that Meridian are building a big wind farm (at last!) –and half a dozen of the turbines could be seen idling on the skyline.
Very busy in the bay by mid afternoon. I imagine the café probably ran out of hot cross buns and cake. And masses of sea anemones and other sea shore creatures visible at low tide. One little girl, peering from the rocks, very excited: “Holy Moly – it’s a real octopus!”. And I met a Brittany Spaniel (like a Welsh Springer with long legs) called Harry. Quite a charmer.
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