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Cape Foulwind
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Tauranga Bay«« (15 km): A
delightful dune-backed beach of considerable character is almost locked by a
low, craggy island, the home of a seal colony. In exceptional conditions in
low neap tides one may walk across to the island, but seals, particularly
young seals, may generally be seen on the northern tip of the beach.
The easiest way to see the seal colony is to
follow the Cape Foulwind Walkway to the top of the point. There are several
good vantage points, including one with an informative plaque on the seals
and the colony. The walkway itself (1 1/2 hrs) carries on to Cape Foulwind,
affording striking seascapes. |
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| Abel Tasman dropped anchor in Tauranga Bay, a
visit recalled by a memorial incorporating a replica of an astrolabe (an
early navigational instrument), a gift in 1982 from the Royal Netherlands
Navy. Visible are the remains of a railway, used to bring stone for the
Westport harbour works, which ran around the Cape and through a tunnel (now
collapsed) to Tauranga Bay. Swimmers should treat the beach with caution.
One may drive on south along the beach to cross the isthmus and reach Nine
Mile Beach for a dramatic view of the coast and ranges to the south. |
Cape Foulwind Lighthouse
| The Cape has witnessed only one recorded loss, when in 1825 the
Rifleman, en route from Hobart to Britain, went down. None survived; but
local tradition is that the cargo was plundered by Maori at Westport and the
survivors despatched in the traditional manner. A track leads down to a
cliff-backed sandy cove beneath the lighthouse, a favoured picnic and
swimming spot. Offshore lie The Steeples. Near the lighthouse a waterfall,
seen at its best after rain, plummets into the ocean. |
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