GOLDEN HOURS
Peter Dragicevich bites off just as much as he can chew, with easy walking tracks at the top of the South
If you have big plans for getting active this summer/year/century, but the hiking boots are still gathering dust in the back of the wardrobe, all is not lost. Basking in long hours of summer sunshine (and perfectly timed for the borders reopening) is the hiker’s heaven that is Golden Bay. Crowning the South Island in spectacular style, the bay is set between two of the country’s best-known and most-loved Great Walks: the Heaphy Track and Abel Tasman.
These big guys both take about four days to complete and, if you’re anything like me, that’s a daunting prospect. It’s not so much the physical exertion that’s off-putting, it’s the organisational skills required: arranging trailhead transport, meal planning, agonising over how much wine to carry . . .
Fret not, fellow princesses and princelings, Golden Bay has an array of excellent short and medium-length walks to stretch your legs on — and plenty of places to end your day with a hot meal, a cold beer, a comfortable bed and a dunny devoid of blowflies.
If you want to ease into things, head to the Grove
Scenic Reserve near Clifton.
You’re unlikely to break a sweat but the circular track packs a lot into 10 minutes, including a gnarly rātā forest, crazy limestone formations and a lookout reached by way of a narrow chasm between sheer rock walls. It’s the perfect length for small kids, and it won’t take much to convince them they’re exploring an actual enchanted forest.
For a longer but equally child-friendly option, carry on to Pōhara and follow the coast to Wainui Bay, on the edge of Abel Tasman National Park. The Wainui Falls Track is a flat amble through bush following the boulder-filled Wainui River and across a couple of bouncy suspension bridges to a 20m waterfall crashing into an emerald-green pool. The route is only 3.4km return and you can do it in less than two hours, including time to ogle the falls. Another extremely easy option is the 45-minute loop through native forest to Te Waikoropupū Springs .An absolute must-see if you’re in the area, these beautiful springs are the largest in the Southern Hemisphere, releasing 14,000 litres of pure water per second. Carvings and information panels at the start of the track set out the story of the springs, which is a wāhi tapu (sacred place) associated with an itinerant taniwha.
While you’re here, tag on the Pupu Hydro Walkway, which starts a few kilometres further up the valley. Allow two hours for this more challenging walk, which heads past a recently revived 1920s powerhouse up to a lookout offering views over the eastern half of Golden Bay, and on to a set of gurgling cascades. It then follows a narrow water race which was originally built for gold mining but subsequently converted to electricity generation. After a narrow boardwalk clinging to a precipitous cliff, a rough section of track descends steeply into a lush patch of bush.
This part of the South Island has no shortage of glorious beaches but I’d argue that the most spectacular of them all is Wharariki, right at the island’s northernmost tip. It can be unpleasant when the westerly blows and it’s far too dangerous to swim at, but Wharariki has to rate as one of the most dramatically beautiful beaches in the entire country. Huge rock arches line the sand and you’ll often see seals lazing around and frolicking in the little pools around their bases. Quite frankly, it’s baffling that more Kiwis haven’t heard of it, but that hidden-gem aspect is part of its charm.
It’s easy enough to trace a short circuit through farmland and past a couple of dune lakes to the beach, returning along the sand at low tide. However, you can stretch your visit into a proper three-hour hike by combining it with the less-trodden Green Hills Track, which leads through a patch of coastal forest to the top of surf-pounded cliffs. The return leg back through the farm offers views stretching all the way to the bush-shrouded mountains of Kahurangi National Park.
On the way back to wherever it is that you’re bedding down for the night, drop into the legendary Mussel Inn, one of those classic, middle-of-nowhere Kiwi pubs that offers great craft beer, decent food and regular live music. Sit in the garden bar and be thankful you’re not having to boil a billy and pitch a tent.
For more things to see and do in the region, go to nelsontasman.nz