Karamea

---

Karamea 8th - 11th April 2009

Karamea, the end of the road! This is as far up the west coast as you can drive. We drove up to Kohaihai which is where the Heaphy Track starts. The sea was really rough and we stood watching the waves crashing on the rocks as the tide came in. It was amazing. There was thick foam surging into the river estuary. We walked a small part of the Heaphy Track, just to the first shelter, and back again. About 16kms. The walk was stunning, following the coastline, and the weather was gorgeous.

We did want to do loads more at Karamea, but it was a bit of a battle really - we were reliably informed by the 'cheerful?' lady in the information centre that the lady who rents out bikes/kayaks etc had 'gone away til Monday'. We phoned a couple of places to try to get transport up to the Operara Basin (where another walk starts from) and seemed to get nowhere fast. We decided to drive ourselves up to the Operara Basin along what sounded like a dodgy unsealed road, but had to turn back as poor Erica just couldn't make it. So no walks there then! Some things aren't meant to be. A beer in the sunshine at the pub cheered us up!

---

Photos

Kohaihai
This is the DOC site at the start of the Heaphy Track

The sea
The tide was coming in and the sea was really rough after a storm the night before

Foam
The rough sea had churned all this foam up

Heaphy Track
A beautiful red stained river

The Heaphy Track
Scott's Beach

Me on the swingbridge
This was a really narrow one - only 1 person at a time allowed to cross

Rob on the Heaphy Track
Climbing over a rock fall