Abel Tasman Memorial Walk, Mahua/Golden Bay: 6 November 2020

 A short excursion to the Abel Tasman Monument...

 Karen and I stopped and walked up to have a look at the Abel Tasman Monument on a bluff overlooking Ligar Bay on the way back from visiting Wainui Inlet. The monument was built in 1942 to commemorate the tricentenary of the visit of Captain Abel Janzoon Tasman to Mohua/Golden Bay. 

DOC sign for the Abel Tasman Memorial, Golden Bay

Closer view of Abel Tasman Memorial Sign...

Abel Tasman was the first European explorer to visit New Zealand and he and his two ships spent several weeks mapping the coastline of both islands. He was very reluctant to come ashore after a violent interaction with Maori in this area and this contributed to his limited exploration of the new land he had discovered. 

Map: Pohara to Tata Beach, Golden Bay

The track starts at a carpark midway between Tarakohe Bay and Ligar Bay on Abel Tasman Drive...it is well signposted from both directions so is hard to miss. The walkway itself is a formed concrete pathway which would be suitable for just about anyone and it takes approximately 10 minutes to walk up to the monument. 

The surface of the concrete was extremely slick on the day we visited as it was wet and covered in slippery leaf litter. You need to take extreme caution when walking on it as we both slipped a couple of times though neither of us fell over. It is lined on both sides by bird filled native trees and they make this a shady and pleasant short walk. 

Start of the Abel Tasman Memorial Walkway

The Abel Tasman Memorial Walkway is lined with native trees

Karen on the sometimes slick Abel Tasman Memorial Walkway

The monument takes the form of a white marble column overlooking Ligar Bay where Abel Tasman's ships anchored overnight. Unfortunately there was an incident between one of Tasman's small boats and some local Maori canoes...four of Tasman's men were killed. Tasman weighed anchor and sailed off towards Queen Charlotte Sound. He later named this area Murderers Bay on the charts he was preparing of the coastline. 

The Abel Tasman Memorial column

Some funky steps up to the Abel Tasman Memorial

Tasman had the bad luck of encountering one of the more hostile Iwi in New Zealand. Had he landed elsewhere he might have received a better welcome...we could so easily have been a Dutch Colony.

There are several plaques at the Abel Tasman Memorial

Information panel on the Abel Tasman Memorial 

There is a large dedication panel in marble at the site of the Abel Tasman Monument the text on it reads...

Remember Abel Janszoon Tasman a Commander in the service of the Dutch East India Company who discovered New Zealand on 18th & 19th December 1642 & anchored in this bay. Remember also Frans Jacobszoon Visscher Pilot Major & the company of the ships Heemskerck and Zeehaen. Also Jan Tyssen of Oue-ven. Tobias Pietersz of Delft. Jan Isbrantsz & a sailor of name unknown killed by the natives of this country. 

Dedication panel to Abel Tasman, Abel Tasman Memorial 

There are a couple of information panels at the monument detailing the history of Tasman's visit to the area both from a European and Maori perspective. If you consider the Maori perspective it is not especially surprising that they were hostile to these strange looking pale skinned men who arrived out of the blue in massive ships with cloud like sails. I imagine it totally freaked them out....

DOC information at the Abel Tasman Memorial 

DOC information panel at the Abel Tasman Memorial

There are some great views from the platform around the monument...out to Ligar Bay, Tata Beach, the Tata Islands, Golden Bay and Farewell Spit in the distance. It is worth coming up to the Abel Tasman Monument just for the views alone. 

Ligar Bay (previously Murderers Bay) in Mohua/Golden Bay

Ligar Bay (previously Murderers Bay) in Mohua/Golden Bay

Abel Tasman Point and Tata Islands from Abel Tasman Memorial

A distant Farewell Spit from the Abel Tasman Memorial

Fine view of the whole Abel Tasman Memorial column

We headed back down the other leg of the loop walkway to get back to the carpark. It is of equal length to the track up to the monument but a little easier to walk on as it was on the sunnier northern side of the hill and therefore much drier. It drops you out on the road about 40 meters north of the carpark so you have to walk along Abel Tasman Drive to get back to your car. 

Watch for oncoming cars as the road is narrow...

Parapara Ridge from the Abel Tasman Memorial

The stairway to the Abel Tasman Memorial

Abel Tasman Memorial Walkway: heading back down to the carpark

Watch the leaf liter on the slippery track, Abel Tasman Memorial

The Silver Surfer at the Abel Tasman Memorial Walkway

On the way back to Pohara we stopped at the magnificent Tarakohe Archway on Abel Tasman Drive. The Archway is a natural portal in one of the limestone bluffs which was widened to allow the passage of vehicles to Wainui and the other bays bordering Abel Tasman National Park. 

Port Tarakohe, Golden Bay

It is right next to the turn off to Port Tarakohe and is big enough for articulated trucks to pass under it. There are some enormous slabs of rock outside the Archway portal obviously they were too big to easily move or break up so they just left them there. The layering of the rock means it would be relatively easy to peel off chunks of rock to enlarge the arch.  

The Tarakohe Archway, Tarakohe, Golden Bay

The Tarakohe Archway, Tarakohe, Golden Bay

Large rocks outside the Tarakohe Archway portal...

The limestone bluffs are spectacular in this area and they line the road from Pohara right around to Wainui Bay. They must have proven some challenge to early road builders as they basically back the shorefront living little space for roads or other infrastructure. 

A limestone Tor near the Tarakohe Archway

We stopped for lunch at the Mohua Eatery and Bar right across the road from the Pohara Campgrounds where we were staying. The food and ambience of the cafe were excellent...it is gastro pub style food. We had delicious beef burgers and a cider and watched different native birds flying around in the nearby forest. I can thoroughly recommend a visit....

Interior of Mohua Eatery and Bar at Pohara

Lovely Stained glass window Mohua Eatery and Bar

We went for a walk on Pohara Beach in the late afternoon as it was still lovely and sunny and we were spectators to yet another beautiful sunset over the mountains of the distant Kahurangi National Park. 

Mohua/Golden Bay from Pohara Beach

Another beautiful sunset at Pohara Beach

The Abel Tasman Memorial Walkway is not a long track but it is worth the visit for the outlook over Mahua/Golden Bay from the monument site. It remembers the historic first interaction between Europeans and Maori from the first voyage of discovery to New Zealand. Stop and have a look on the way back from Wainui Inlet or make a special trip out here if you are staying in Takaka or Pohara. 

Access: The Abel Tasman Monument is a short loop track in the Abel Tasman Memorial Reserve on Abel Tasman Drive between Port Tarakohe and Ligar Bay. Travel 1.5 kilometers east from Pohara just past the Tarakohe Archway. 
Track Times: Abel Tasman Memorial Walkway is 1 km or 20 minutes return
Miscellaneous: The walkway is formed concrete. It is suitable for most abilities but is steep and extremely slippery when wet. Take care when walking the track during and after rain. No toilets at this location