Mimiwhangata Coastal Park - Peninsula Loop - February 25, 2009 - Member Trip Report
| Hike Name: | Mimiwhangata Coastal Park - Peninsula Loop |
|---|---|
| Country: | New Zealand |
| Region: | Northland |
| Trip Rating: |  |
| Trip Date: | February 25, 2009 |
| Duration: | 2 hours |
| Trail Conditions: | Good |
| Trail Traffic: | None |
| Trip Weather: | Partly Cloudy |
| Trip Winds: | Light |
| Trip Precipitation: | None |
| Trip Temperature: | High: 61-70, Low: 51-60 degrees Fahrenheit |
| Trip Report: | After breakfast at the Cottage this morning, Dan, Sean, Debbi, and I went for a hike around the peninsula. It was a fine late summer day, not hot, not even truly warm, although it ultimately warmed up enough for a swim in Mimiwhangata Bay. We walked down the driveway in front of the cottage and turned left up the old farm road toward the Lodge. None of the people staying at the Lodge were up and about, yet, so we walked by, figuring that we would run into them somewhere. The farm road runs parallel to Okupe Beach, but the beach itself is rarely visible from the road, although we can see the ocean and, of course the various islands offshore. Just after passing the Lodge, the road climbs a gentle slope, from which we could see the entire expanse of Okupe Beach. Near the top of the slope, after passing some very impressively large pohutukawa trees, the road curves to the left behind a shoulder of the ridge. At this point, while Okupe Beach is cut off from view, Mimiwhangata Bay to the south is visible, and the islands off the end of the peninsula, and farther to the north we could see the cove where Black Sand Beach is located. Pastoral is a good way to describe the scenery – not wild at all. We took a side trail to the right that dropped down and walked around the duck ponds, although the only birds we saw there were large, like herons or cranes. From the duck ponds, we climbed the hill to the north and found ourselves on the edge of a sheer cliff that went straight down to Black Sand Beach. The water in the cove glistened in the morning sun, and the beach appeared to be completely empty except for the oystercatcher birds. I could camp in a place like that contentedly for days. After descending the steep trail adjacent to Black Sand Beach, we climbed the ridge on the far side and turned south through the trees until it opened out onto Mimiwhangata Bay. The trail descended to the sandy beach and we walked its length – just the four of us, not another soul on the beach. At the south end of the beach, the trail became a series of steps climbing the steep slope, back through the trees. Near the top of the hill, it opens up again giving the hiker a broad view of both the large and beautiful Mimiwhangata Bay, but also the small and enchanting Waikahoa Bay. The trail descends the backside of the hill and joins a road that curves over the other ridge and comes down at the ranger’s house. From there we walked down the farm road and back to the Cottage. |
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