W H A N G A N U I

You're at the end of the road in the first place
. The highway climbs laboriously over 
Takaka Hill, the Marble Mountain, 
and drops sharply into Golden Bay. 
This region with it's glorious beaches 
is sparsely enough populated anyway 
(although it boasts some good cafes),
but, as the road runs north-west and gets
 even narrower, it seems to run right out of people.
Shortly before Farewell Spit, at a place called Pakawau,
a road branches westwards; here, you can travel
from one coast to the other in a short time
as the South Island dwindles to a point.
The road meets Whanganui Inlet, 
a deep tidal harbour that is home to 
a few fishing boats based at a clutter of huts
around one of New Zealand's few remaining scows
 - now beached, much the worse for wear,
but still recognisable. 
The only name remaining one the map here is Mangarakau,
once a coalmining settlement but now almost invisible.
Walking tracks cross hills and skirt the inlet. 
It's a place of deep greens and mysterious stretches of water.
 Another branch of the road leads off to the Kaihoka Lakes, 
two small lakes surrounded by bush.
It's West Coast weather here,
wild and dramatic, and the ozone is 
tangible at Wharariki Beach a little further up
on the South Island's northernmost road. 
In fact, the road doesn't quite reach it; 
you leave your car and walk for 20 minutes 
and suddenly you're at an unspoilt golden beach 
with rocky arched islets between you
and the ships rounding the Spit.
Lonely. Lovely

( excerpt from 'Places of the heart',
 New Zealand Listener, Dec'97 )

These pictures have been taken
over Christmas/New Year 1997/98.




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