9 minute read
AN INSIGHT INTO THE INLAND
SHOUT OUT TO THE SPITS
Words: Cristina Barraclough.
We all know Nelson Tasman provides us with plenty of places for a beach fix, and that we each have our own personal favourite beach. But this is a brief ode to the spits - the beaches nearby that fill our lungs with ocean air and where we can feel the sea breeze upon our face. The spits are places that are a quick daily dose of nature, a brief break from a day around town or even a remote full-day adventure.
FAREWELL SPIT
Often windswept and sandswept, you can feel the exposure of being at the northern tip of the south island when you’re out on the Farewell Spit.
Just as you drive into the village of Marahau there is a carpark at the northern end of the Otuwhero Estuary.
The entirety of this 34km is an impressive stretch of spit and is one of the longest in the world. When looking at Farewell Spit on the map it looks remarkably akin to a kiwi beak.
Farewell Spit Eco Tours run fantastic daily guided trips along the spit if you are interested in learning about the critters that live on the spit as well as the human history of the place. The sandspit can change dramatically, even between tides, depending on the weather conditions. After a storm, particularly a strong easterly in combination with a king-tide, there will be massive piles of driftwood and even small rocks washed up on the beach. Until it was destroyed in a storm the Sandspit was also home to a fantastic creation by local artist Twig (aka Jamie Brown). Lots of people use the driftwood to make fantastic shelters; a perfect respite from the heat on a famously sunny
With its unique geological form Farewell Spit is also known for the whale strandings – such as the one in February this year. Thanks to the amazing work of the charity and members of the public many pilot whales have been relaunched safely back out to sea.
If you often find yourself wandering the beaches of New Zealand the charity Project Jonah is a fantastic organisation to get involved in.
MĀRAHAU SANDSPIT
Even at the peak of summer you can have the place to yourself if you wander for two minutes along the beach.
It is an easy place to take 5, stretch the legs and wander up and down the spit to soak in the unspoilt coastline of the Abel Tasman to the north. As you look out to sea you can admire the two islands
MOTUEKA SANDSPIT
The Motueka Sandspit is a little gem in the town of Motueka. You can walk along barefoot in the sand, search for shells and spot birds.
When you need to switch off and reconnect with nature this is a great local spot, and it is so close to town. Although you will find others along the spit, you will generally have the beach to yourself, especially as you head further south along towards the tip of the sandspit.
Motuareroiti and Motuareronui (more commonly known as Adele and Fisherman Islands) floating in the distance.
As the tide comes in you are left with a golden-sand island that you can swim out to and claim as your own mini tropical island or wait until low tide and walk along it and out to the water for a swim.
Nelson Tasman day. The horizon is dotted with these structures; a fun reminder of families and friends playing on the beach.
If wildlife spotting is your thing, then this is an ideal space for a walk. Spot the regulars such as oyster- catchers and herons to the more elusive spoonbills and godwits. Every year around the middle of September the first of the godwits arrive in Motueka after their epic, non-stop flight from Alaska.
OFF THE LEASH
Words and Photography: Brendan Alborn.
When I told my mate, who is a vet, I was about to get a Border Collie, he asked me if the dog came with a 3,000 acre sheep station. He went on to say that’s what I would need to provide her with enough exercise to keep her happy, healthy and sane.
Five years later and I have largely been able to provide my trusty sheepdog, Maggie with the hours of exercise she needs every day. We run together and I find myself walking her in all weather including some of the snottiest conditions I’ve ever braved.
The best thing about having a dog, aside from having somebody in my family who seems genuinely happy to see me if I’ve been away for more than 10 minutes, is that it obliterates any excuses I might have had not to exercise each day.
I love the outdoors, particularly our beaches and backcountry areas and exploring those areas seems to have extra purpose when I’m also exercising my dog. As a result, I have discovered a lot of places that I wouldn’t have otherwise. For me, the ideal location for these activities is somewhere where I can run for up to an hour, with Maggie off-leash and away from hazards like traffic and people with dog-phobias who panic when they see us coming their way. Anybody who knows anything about dogs will tell you how important off-leash exercise is for our K9s as opposed to controlled walks on the end of a leash.
KAITERITERI FOREST PARK
Although dogs are not permitted in the Kaiteriteri Mountain Bike Park or many other areas in Kaiteriteri, they are allowed along the ridge that runs from the Kaiteriteri - Sandy Bay Road up to the top of the Mārahau Hill and further to the south from there.
When running this trail I like to start at the lowest point, up the hill a bit from the Otuwhero Inlet, because I would rather run uphill for the first half of a run and then downhill to finish, rather than the other way around. That way you get the painful bit out of the way and can then loosen up with long downhill sections on the way back. At a bit over 300m in elevation, if you run the whole length of the +10km, it’s challenging but not like something you would do if you were on a special forces’ training mission. Living close-by, this was my go-to run during the first level 4 and level 3 lockdown in March 2020 and I felt incredibly fortunate to have this semi-remote trail close to my home.
The track has been graded within the last couple of years so is in good nick. There are some great views of Kaiteriteri as you gain elevation, but it’s a pine forest rather than a trail through pristine native bush.
ROUGH ISLAND
Rough Island is the smaller island that sits beside the larger and more well-known Rabbit Island situated between Richmond and Māpua.
There are trails around and across the island but I usually do a circuit of the island starting from the entrance at the southern end. This track has been improved and expanded over the past few years. Each time I discover the track has been upgraded it fills my heart with joy to the point that I wonder about contacting the people responsible and offering to give them a hug.
Rough Island is as flat as a flat thing and the trails are almost all in good shape. It is popular with local dog owners so you will encounter other dogs. It’s also home to an equestrian centre so there could well be horses on the trail. Having said that, there is plenty of space for everybody.
WAIWHERO
The Waiwhero is another forest area crisscrossed with single track and slip roads.
You can access the trails from Waiwhero Road on the Moutere side or via the Motueka Valley Highway just to the south of the Alexander Bluff Bridge. Along with the Codgers Trails in Nelson, this is also one of the best places to take your dog along on a mountain bike ride.
The Waiwhero isn’t officially a mountain bike park so doesn’t have the signage or fantastic infrastructure of places like Codgers. Navigation in the Waiwhero can therefore be difficult, and even finding your way back to your vehicle can be a challenge. Having said that, my navigation skills are dusty at best and abysmal at worst. It could just be because of these sub-optimal skills, but it took me many visits before I found the best trails and views. The Waiwhero has some wicked little downhill single-track sections and a great view looking out to Tasman Bay from what the locals call the Lookout.
THE MOTUEKA WATERFRONT
The waterfront area from Motueka’s Salt Water Baths to the Staple Street car park is exactly 4km so a nice 8km return loop by the time you get back to where you started.
The first section of the trail from the southern end runs behind Trewavas Street, an area that was gravelled and compacted in 2020. This was another event that saw me searching around quite keen to give whoever was responsible a hug.
After running for a bit over 1km there is a section which is on a path beside Motueka Quay and past the Janie Seddon Shipwreck, Motueka’s number one landmark. The trail then runs past the golf course and through what locals call the Kūmaras but what is officially the Raumanuka And Motueka Sandspit Scenic Reserve. This is another popular dog-exercise area, but also has a lot of protected birdlife so it is not the ideal place if your pooch hasn’t yet been taught not to mess with our avian friends.
BRIGHTWATER
A few years back my son had boxing training in Brightwater in the evenings. Not being at all familiar with that area I looked around for some trails to run while he was working on his left jab.
Eventually I found a wonderful trail starting under the bridge across the Wai-iti River on Waimea West Road. The track beside the Wai-iti goes through farmland on a grassy trail before cutting back to run along beside the Wairoa River on the Tasman Great Taste Trail and back to Bryant Road in the Brightwater ‘CBD’. I tend to do this trail in the summer as we can end the run with a swim at the wonderful little spot under the bridge at the Wai-iti end. It’s also another flat track for when I’m not feeling enthusiastic about running up hills.
The spots above are my personal favourites, and as I said, are suitable for mid-distance runs off the lease. There are a lot of other great trails and dog exercise areas around the Nelson - Tasman District.
‘And the Dog Came too’ is a brilliant website with dog
There are some splendid resources out there to show you where you and your pooch are welcome in the Nelson Tasman District.
friendly areas and walks listed for the entire country: andthedogcametoo.weebly.com. The Tasman District Council website has a good resource: tasman.
govt.nz/my-property/animal-control/dog-control/
exercising-your-dog as does the Nelson City Council site.
