Introduction to today's journey
Today's journey starts at Brown Hut where I explore a couple of short tracks before leaving the Heaphy Track and heading north beside the range to Wharariki Bay, almost at the very top of the South Island. From there I head into Takaka.
Today's Journey
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Rain falls overnight, but clears enough for me to explore Brown River in the morning. |
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Exploring a small side track to where the Brown River flows into the Aorere. |
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I return to the hut before following the last three hundred metres of the Heaphy Track to the road. |
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Following the road out of the Heaphy Track towards the top of the South Island. |
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I follow the Aorere River downstream, running parallel to the Wakamarama Range, the South Island's northernmost mountain range. |
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Rounding the northern end of the range near Collingwood and passing between two large limestone Bluffs, I reach the track entrance to Wharariki Bay, led by Wharariki Stream. |
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Reaching Wharariki Beach, the South Island's northernmost beach. The spectacular Archway Islands sit out in the turbulent sea. These are the islands seen in a lot of the current Windows backgrounds. |
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I follow the beach to the east to the end of Archway Islands to the rocky headlands of Cape Farewell at the very top of the South Island. This is where the Wharariki Creek comes out meeting the turbulent ocean washing into the little estuary. |
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I follow the Wharariki Track back to the road and head across the rolling green hills of Golden Bay. |
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Eventually I reach Takaka, the largest town in Golden Bay where I stop for the night. |
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