Hurunui River

A few weeks ago, when we went to Waikari for church, we had a picnic lunch with a family we’ve grown to love, and then climbed a track to the top of the bluffs over the Hurunui River. The day was clear and beautiful, with the bluest sky you ever saw! The wind was blowing fiercely, but most of the time we were walking, the track was sheltered somewhat. The views were incredible all the way up, and especially at the top.

We started out by walking up the road a short ways, and then climbed over a stile beside the gate in the second picture. Then, the track went up, and up and up! For a long ways, a trickle of water ran through a rut at the side of the track. As we came to a place where the track leveled out and it looked like we were going downhill, I checked that trickle and, to my surprise, the water was still running the same direction! Apparently, the leveling out and downhill was an illusion.

Looking back toward the Hurunui River. The gap in the hills in the distance, if I understood right, is the Hurunui Gorge. If you’ve ever read the excellent book The Runaway Settlers, that is where they drove cattle through to sell them to gold miners on the West Coast.

Our goal was that hut at the top of the hill. It was a fire spotter’s hut at one time.

Mr. Sweetie

The very last day of my sister-in-law’s visit, we took her to the mouth of the Hurunui River. She had never seen a river mouth before. The Hurunui Mouth is a particularly beautiful spot. One thing that makes it interesting to go to repeatedly is seeing how the mouth moves. One time we were there it was way north of the end of the road; the next time, it was a kilometer south of that point! It was nearly at that spot this time.

Looking north from the end of the road. This is just a lagoon, but at times the river goes out to sea down at this end.

See where the river breaks through the bar to the sea?

Boys can’t be bothered to stand around enjoying the scenery. They took off running back up the road!

We soon followed, in the van but more leisurely, and went to the campground on the bank of the river, to look around. Gayle works with a man who knows about the Maori sites around here, and he told him about some rocks at that campground that we should look for. We soon found them, and discovered the groves that the Maori made as they sharpened their knives.

Mr. Diligence and Mr. Sweetie under the one rock.

We went around to Manuka Bay for a little while, then. We actually got a family picture! It was cold.