Friday 05 January 2007 - McLean Falls to Tuatapere


Trip: McLean Falls - Niagara - Waikawa - Curio Bay - Haldane - Slope Point - Haldane - Otara - Fortrose - Bush Siding - Ashers - Kapuka - Mokotua - Waimatua - Invercargill - Wallacetown - Otaitai Bush - Riverton - Tihaka - Colac Bay - Round Hill - Orepuki - Te Waewae - Te Tua - Tuatapere

End Mileage: 184285

Start Mileage: 184043

Distance Travelled: 242

Up and away from camp site by 7:30am as we wanted to go to Cathedral Caves which is only accessible at low tide and then to the Petrified Forest which is best viewed at low tide. (First off though we drove to the McLean Falls car park, oh, look at that 3 km and only 10 minutes by car!)

Cathedral Caves



The beach:


The bush that the walk went through to get to/from the car park for the caves:


The walk itself.





Then off to Curio Bay and the Petrified Forest.



Kelp:


Pond life.


Waves breaking on the "forest".



Then off to Slope Point - the southern most part of the South Island, and the windiest!



Easy enough to tell the direction of the prevailing winds.



Waipapa Point - the lighthouse is where NZ's worst civilian shipwreck occured, on 29 April 1881, 131 out of 151 passengers and crew aboard the S.S. Taraua drowned. This lighthouse shone from 1 January 1884 and after the shipwreck in 1881 it was compulsory for the provision of life jackets for all passengers onboard and for regular lifeboat evacuation drills to be carried out.



On the coast road up to Tuatapere.



Made it to Tuatapere ex Forestry camp for the night.



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