Tongapo¯rutu
World famous in New Zealand
Just an hour from the centre of New Plymouth is one of the country’s, possibly even the world’s, most rapidlyeroding pieces of coast.
The one guarantee when you visit is that it will be spectacular. What you see, though, is more of an unknown.
For a start, the Three Sisters, originally four, are now two: spiky islets standing free of the crumbling sandstone cliff. And the locally-famous Elephant Rock has lost its trunk to become an archway island: but it’s still striking and worth seeing.
The Tasman Sea is continuously busy, sculpting and shaping, and no-one can predict what will be next to emerge from the soft rock of these layered cliffs. There are caves, tunnels, single and double arches, sea stacks and, to the north of the river, Moeraki boulder-type spheres on the beach.
Again, these concretions are not a guaranteed sight: it depends on the whim of the sea whether they’ll be on show or hidden by the sand.
You should still be able to spot some in the cliffs, though, gradually emerging to tumble down to the beach.
Why go?
It’s fun to scramble over the slippery rocks and wade along the river to the isolated beach to see what you can find, and the views are always terrific.
The sand is glittering black, the cliffs are striped in cream, brown and orange, the sea is blue, the surf white – and, beyond it all, to the south looms the iconic shape of Mt Taranaki.
The art work is not all down to nature: in one cave there are Maori rock drawings, most of them the scratched shapes of feet.
Look hard and you might find some with six toes: Ngati Toa chief Te Rauparaha was said to have had six on one foot.
Insider tip
There is river wading involved to get to the beach, plus you don’t want to be trapped by the waves below a sheer, 30-metre cliff, so be sure to check the charts and go at low tide. Ideally, when the sea is calm.
On the way/nearby
Up the coast, don’t miss the view back towards the beach, at Mokau. The River Run Cafe does a good whitebait fritter if you’re there in season.
The Mokau Museum and Gallery is well worth the gold coin donation just to find out about the Rabbit Gate Light.
Or if you’re heading back to New Plymouth, you might like to check out Mike’s Brewery at Urenui.
How much?
It’s a beach. It’s free. Park your car near the row of baches, and wear shoes you don’t mind getting muddy.
Best time to go
It’s dramatic at any time of the day, in any weather – but for over-thetop scenic splendour, a fine evening and a good sunset would be hard to beat. See taranaki.info.