Since moving to Wellington I have wanted to head to the East coast, in particular Cape Palliser which is the Southernmost tip of the North Island of New Zealand. With weather forecasts suggesting the East coast was going to benefit from the best of the weather, we made a quick decision to head for Cape Palliser.
Palliser Bay
After heading for the Wairarapa our first stop was Lake Ferry, where Lake Onoke meets the sea at Palliser Bay. The black sand and gravel beach was proving popular with fishermen and surfers were making the most of the surf. A huge stretch of rugged beach strewn with drift wood it made quite an impression.
After a picnic lunch we continued on our journey along the coast to Cape Palliser, the road offering great views over Palliser Bay as you head upwards over the hill. More black sandy beaches provided a stricking contrast against the blue of the sea and the sky. At points the road turns to gravel so our trusty steed gained a considerable coating of dust along the way.
A quaint red and white stripped Lighthouse 60m above the sea pin points that we are finally at Cape Palliser. A 250 step climb up to the Lighthouse provides a lovely viewpoint of the coastline.
Heading back we stopped at a rugged outcrop of rocks to find the Fur Seal Colony bustling with cute cubs which we watched at play for some time. We climbed up a little to get a good vantage point and fresh air so we didn’t have to deal with seal smell! They didn’t seem bothered by the people that watched them, but of course rule of seal is don’t get between them and the sea or their cub and you should be fine.
cute cub
We took a leisurely drive back, stopping for a refreshment (from the chilly bag in our boot) by a beach to enjoy the last of the sun before a weather front moved in to take the sun from us.
