Holiday adventures in Golden Bay.......
Last week my partner Karen and I went up to the top of the South Island and spent over a week exploring the area. We visited Picton, Nelson and Golden Bay and while there we went for a number of excellent short walks.
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| The shorefront at Picton in the Marlborough Sounds |
This was meant to be a camping holiday but unfortunately the weather was just atrocious with heavy rain for five of the seven days we were in the area. We had to rebook into campground cabins as there was just no way we could have spent that amount of time camping but it was an adventure in itself and the alternate accommodations were excellent.
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Picton...a Cook Strait ferry sets out for Wellington...
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Picton was our first port of call and we spent a day there taking in the sights of the gateway to the Marlborough Sounds, Queen Charlotte Track and South Island terminus of the Cook Strait ferry services. We had dinner at an excellent boutique hotel restaurant called Escape to Picton which had beautiful décor and fantastic food. It was French inspired cuisine..I had my favorite desert Tarte Tatin...yum!!!
From there we travelled to Nelson where we spent two days visiting the local attractions including the Japanese themed Miayzu Gardens, the Provincial Museum, Suter Gallery, Victoria Gardens and several cafes and restaurants in Nelson itself.
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The Miayzu Garden in Nelson....
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Over the next three days we drove over Takaka Hill to Golden Bay and based ourselves at the Pohara Campgrounds. There is a ton of good outdoor adventures to be had in Golden Bay including walking, tramping, kayaking, swimming, eco tours and cycling. We visited a number of tracks including Waikoropupu Springs Walkway, Wainui Falls Track and the Abel Tasman Memorial Walk all of which will feature here.
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A damp and dark Pohara Campground in the rain....
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Walking along the beach at Pohara in Golden Bay
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On Tarakohe Beach, Golden Bay
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Beautiful sunset over Golden Bay from Pohara Campgrounds
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We also drove out to Collingwood to visit the northern most town in the South Island and a place inhabited by Maori and Pakeha for over 600 years now. The weather was awful but we still managed to explore the town and had morning tea at a lovely cafe in the old Courthouse.
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| Collingwood...northern most town in Golden Bay |
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Inside the Courthouse Cafe, Collingwood
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The weather broke on the Friday and we had a gloriously sunny day exploring the area around Wainui Inlet which will feature in a subsequent post. The one day of fine weather shows just how good a visit to Golden Bay can be.....spectacular!!!
It was hot and muggy after all the rain!!!!
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At Wainui Beach with Abel Tasman NP in distance
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From Golden Bay we drove to Hanmer for the night stopping in at Lake Rotoroa in Nelson Lakes NP. This is the first time Karen has visited the lake and my first visit since 1990 when I was part of an Army exercise in the area. It hasn't changed at all...still under developed, quiet and sleepy just like it was back then.
The lake was flooded after all the heavy rain over the previous week and although we had planned to walk one of the short tracks it was just to wet to do so. I intend to return soon to give you a glimpse of what you can do from here...
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At a very flooded Lake Rotoroa, Nelson Lakes NP
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It was a good trip albeit a very wet one and the defeat of that cretin Donald Trump was the icing on the cake for me. I think most of us will have breathed a sigh of relief once Joe Biden was announced as the victor of the US Presidential Elections...it is not over yet but the day is close when we will never need to utter Donald Trumps name again.
Hallelujah!!!!!
Anyway...here is a post about our visit to Waikoropupu (Pupu) Springs near Takaka...
Visiting Waikoropupu Springs near Takaka:
Karen and I spent the morning in Collingwood which is the northern most town on the South Island and on the way back to Pohara we stopped off at Waikoropupu Springs. Pupu Springs is both the largest freshwater spring in New Zealand and also the Southern Hemisphere. The water for the springs is subterranean so there is a constant upward flow of water into a series of large pools.
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| At the information kiosk for Waikoropupu Spring Track |
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| Waikoropupu Spring Track: the carpark was nearly empty.... |
Pupu Springs lies just off SH 60 the Collingwood-Takaka Highway and about three kilometers north of Takaka. You follow Pupu Valley Road and Pupu Stream Road to a large carpark and information kiosk at the start of the track. The information kiosk has a wealth of information about the spring, the local Iwi, history of the area and some information about the customs associated with fresh water springs in Maori culture.
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Map: Te Waikoropupu Springs, Golden Bay
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| Greenstone boulder at the start of Waikoropupu Spring Track |
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| Closer view of the Waikoropupu Spring Track map |
Te Waikoropupu Springs Track starts right next to the kiosk...it is a well graded 20-40 minute circuit through lovely regenerating native bush, with several bridged river crossings and a series of viewing platforms at the Springs themselves.
Normally you walk clockwise around the track taking 30-40 minutes to complete the circuit. As it was raining we went counter clock wise in case we had to bail out...you can walk down to the Spring and return in less than 15 minutes.
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| Maori entrance posts at start of the Waikoropupu Spring Track |
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| Waikoropupu Spring Track takes 20-40 minutes to walk... |
The quality of the whole track is excelent...it is either nicely benched track with small gravel on the surface or boardwalk. There is a lot of boardwalk on this track...more to protect the flora than your shoes. It is easy walking with a slight incline at the beginning and end of the track.
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| Karen at the start of the Waikoropupu Spring Track |
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| Sub stream from the Waikoropupu Stream |
Waikoropupu Stream runs alongside the track for most of its length...as well as a number of smaller unnamed tributary creeks. You cross these on a number of bridges at the start, middle and end of the track. The streams were running high as it had been solidly raining for the previous three days so there was a lot of water to dispose of.
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| Waikoropupu Stream winds through regenerating bush... |
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| First footbridge on the Waikoropupu Spring Track |
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| Waikoropupu Stream was in flood... |
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A goodly amount of water was flowing along Waikoropupu Stream
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| Second footbridge along Waikoropupu Spring Track |
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| Another flooded section of Waikoropupu Stream |
You can see how much water was running in the stream in the following video.....
Past the bridge and it was back onto boardwalk as we made our way towards the Springs...
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| There is extensive boardwalk along the Waikoropupu Spring Track |
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| Karen was watching some Fantails cavort along the Waikoropupu Spring Track |
This whole area was once a gold field and there are a number of reminders of those times along the course of the track. There are several places where the track is in an old water race and there are distinctive piles of stones lining the edges of these areas.
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| Old goldmining tailings next to Waikoropupu Spring Track |
Water races were required for the hydraulic sluice jets used to move vast amounts of gold bearing gravels. The water would have come from the streams in the vicinity and possibly from the spring itself. Jets of water turned the gravel into a slurry which was then sifted over massive sieves. This removed most of the larger rocks and allowed the remaining gold bearing sand to be chemically treated to remove the gold.
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| Parts of the Waikoropupu Spring Track are old water races... |
Walking anti clockwise you will reach the Waikoropupu Springs after about 10 minutes. The spring is massive and easily covers a hectare or more of space with multiple fresh water springs adding water to the pool. The Spring is surrounded by beautiful regenerating bush and the scenic feeling was further enhanced by the drizzle and low cloud over the nearby hills.
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| First view of Waikoropupu Spring, Takaka |
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| Waking along the shore of Waikoropupu Spring |
There are several named springs here the two you can access are the Dancing Sands Spring and the main Pupu Spring. Dancing Sands spring is the smaller of the two but it is still filled with deep aquamarine colored water. It doesn't look very deep but the information at the kiosk said that this spring is 10 meters deep in places..the water is so clear it distorts your perception of depth.
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| Dancing Sands Spring at Waikoropupu Spring Scenic Reserve |
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Dancing Sands Spring, Waikoropupu Spring Scenic Reserve
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The main spring is another 50 meters down the track through a grove of regenerating native forest...
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| Lovely planting along the Waikoropupu Spring Track |
The local Maori tribe or Iwi consider the Waikoropupu Spring to be a Tapu or sacred place so your ability to directly access the water is strictly controlled. You are not allowed to touch the water or remove water from this site. This is a relatively new control as my older brother and several of his mates scuba dived in the Spring back in the late 1990's when it was still allowed.
He said the water was super clear but bloody cold...
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| Waikoropupu Spring, Waikoropupu Spring Scenic Reserve |
Pupu Spring is massive...the main spring is about 10 square meters and so much water wells up that there is a permanent bulge of water on the surface of the surrounding pool. I would love to know how much water emerges here over a year but it must be multiple millions of liters.
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| Waikoropupu Spring...largest fresh water spring in New Zealand |
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| The viewing platform at Waikoropupu Spring |
The water from the spring fills a large pool..it is almost a medium sized lake really with the second clearest water in New Zealand. The only place with clearer water is Blue Lake in Nelson Lakes NP which has an average of 89 meters of visibility under the surface. The water flows from here into Waikoropupu River and thence into the larger Takaka River.
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| Waikoropupu Spring is massive.... |
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| Water welling up at Waikoropupu Spring |
The local Iwi believe that the spring is the home of a Taniwha or sacred spirit in the form of a giant lizard who guards the spring from trespassers. That is why you are not allowed to remove water from here as it might anger the Taniwha and bring its wrath down on the local area.
Traditional Maori society had a strong view of conservation of resources as pre European New Zealand was a difficult place to live. There was plenty of sea mammals, seafood and birds for protein but the bush was very poor in carbohydrates. Iwi closely controlled how much was removed from their surroundings.
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| There is a constant flow of water at Waikoropupu Spring |
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| Waikoropupu Spring flows into the Waikoropupu Stream |
There is a Maori welcome next to the spring which reads...
Nau mai Haere Mai
Piki Mai Kake Mai
Nau Mai Ki Tenei Wa ahi Tapu
Te Puna Waiora O Te Waikoropupu
I cannot directly translate it but it is basically saying
“We welcome our visitors to the sacred
Waikoropüpü Springs, welcome to the
lands of the local iwi Ngäti Tama, Te
Ätiawa, Ngäti Rärua.”
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| Maori greeting at Waikoropupu Spring |
Past the Waikoropupu Spring you walk along a combination of track and board walk through some very lovely native forest. This area appears to have been less affected by the gold mining activities hereabouts as there are many large Podocarp trees scattered in the forest.
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On Waikoropupu Spring Track heading for the kiosk...
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| More boardwalk on the Waikoropupu Spring Track |
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| Waikoropupu Spring Track is easy to walk along |
There are a variety of Podocarps growing along the track including Hinau, Manuka, Kanuka, Rimu, Matai, Miro, Kahekatea and Totora Trees. There is a thick storied undergrowth featuring most of the ferns, vines, shrubs, grasses and mosses you find in any healthy forest.
I saw a number of Nikau Palms which are numerous in the Golden Bay-Nelson region they generate from waterborne kernels so only God knows how they got here. There are also a lot of Cabbage Trees around...they obviously like the climate at the top of the South Island.
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| Waikoropupu Spring Track: boardwalk through regenerating Beech forest |
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| Waikoropupu Spring Track: a variety of tree types... |
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Karen is photographing an old water race...
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You eventually pass back over one of the streams on a bridge higher up Waikoropupu Stream...the river was really pumping up here with big bow waves in the flow of the river. You wouldn't want to fall in as it was deep and swift and would most assuredly drown you in super quick time.
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| Main course of Waikoropupu Stream.... |
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| At the bridge over the main braid of Waikoropupu Stream |
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| Bridge crossing the upper section of Waikoropupu Stream |
Just past the bridge over the upper reach of Waikoropupu Stream is a stonking great Matai Tree...it is huge. Matai are not normally the largest trees in New Zealand forest canopy but this example is easily 20 meters tall and 2-3 meters around the base of the trunk. It will be at least 700-800 years old given its size...
Given the intense goldmining in the immediate area I am truly surprised it is still standing....timber was in short supply at goldfields and was needed for sluices, water races, support beams as well as timber for building houses and out buildings. Maybe it was too far away from the diggings to make recovery worthwhile...
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A massive Matai Tree beside the Waikoropupu Spring Track
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Looking up into the canopy of the Matai Tree
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The person gives scale to the size of this Matai Tree
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Past the Matai you walk over several smaller streams on a long gently arching boardwalk...it goes for 100 meters or so and is a nice touch. We could see some Eels and some small native fish in the stream so the water purity must be good as they only like clean water.
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Boardwalk crosses a section of Waikoropupu Stream
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The last section of the track is a gentle climb back up to the information kiosk at the start of the walk. It has Manuka and Kanuka trees on both sides which usually means the land was once farmed, mined or clear felled sometime in the past. They are relatively small so this area was probably clear land as little as 30-40 years ago...
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Waikoropupu Spring Track: climbing back to the information kiosk
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| Final section of the Waikoropupu Spring Track |
The carved gate posts at the start/end of the track are handsome...simple in design yet imbued with power. They are traditional designs representing the stylised likeness of people of importance to the local Iwi.
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| The Waikoropupu Spring Track information kiosk |
It is worth taking time to read the panels in the information kiosk before setting out on your walk as they explain the history of the area and the significance of the springs. The Springs are important for the local Iwi as they believe they are inhabited by a Taniwha (a type of mystical cross between a dragon and a giant lizard). They also see the water as the lifeblood of Papatuanuku or the Earth Mother and the tears of Ranginui the Sky Father forever separated.
This area was once the scene of intensive gold mining and it can still be seen in the remnants of old water races and diggings along the track. It was never a lucrative field like the nearby gold strike in the Aorere Valley but miners were working the area for several decades around the turn of the 19th Century.
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Information panel about goldmining near the Spring
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| Information panel about Waikoropupu Spring |
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| A map showing Waikoropupu Spring Track |
There is a nice picnic area at the start of the track with several picnic tables with views down to Waikoropupu Stream. There used to be a fresh water hand pump here but it has now been removed as there is a Tapu over using water from the Springs.
There is a fresh water tap at the toilet block in the Waikoropupu Spring carpark. Please take all rubbish with you as there are no bins provided and it would be culturally insensitive to leave trash behind.
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| Waikoropupu Spring: a picnic area at the start of the track |
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| The toilet block at Waikoropupu Spring Track |
Waikoropupu Springs Track is an excellent short walk and should be on your 'to do' list if visiting Golden Bay. It only requires less than a hour to complete and with the crystal clear water, streams and beautiful forest is a tranquil place to be. Come and have a look for yourself the next time you are in the area.
Access: Te Waikoropupu Springs Track is off SH 60 on the Collingwood-Takaka Highway. Turn off at Waikoropupu Valley Road at the bridge over the Takaka River. Follow the road to the turn off to Waikoropupu Stream Road, there is a large car park at the start of the track.
Track Times: Waikoropupu Spring Track is approximately 2 kms long and will take 25-45 minutes to complete.
Miscellaneous: There are toilets and water at the Waikoropupu Spring carpark. There is an covered information kiosk at the start of the track. It is Tapu (sacred, forbidden, prohibited) to touch or take water from natural springs in Maori culture so please do not try to make direct contact with the spring. Stay on the formed track.....
