Makara Beach, 30 Oct 2010

from Brooklyn to Makara at the west coast by car: up the hill and back down again

arrived at Makara: Makara Beach to the left ...

... and to the right

steep uphill walk for the first part of the way to the World War II gun emplacements, then downhill to Opau Bay and same way back again

entrance to Makara Walkway

single rock sticking up

beautiful little flowers at the otherwise rocky beach

random chain on the way

The first wind turbine in sight.

making our way up to the gun emplacements

Sheep! We saw a lot on the way - and even more sheep poo!

Makara Wind Farm, i.e. Project West Wind by Meridian: 62 wind turbines; more info here: http://www.meridianenergy.co.nz/OurProjects/WestWind/default.htm

World War II gun emplacements

under one of these massive turbines

entering Opau Bay

Opau Bay

Opau Bay

little orange crab

World War II gun emplacements

Yes, we made it into the water!

Well, up to the knees at least.

Rather spontaneously, Brian and I decided to go to Makara Beach and do a bit of a walk there up to world War II gun emplacements and then down again to Opau Bay. So off we went and a few Wellington suburbs, a narrow and windy and in parts hilly kilometers later, we hit Makara Beach. Beautiful scenery, stunning views, nice sunshine! :)
Enjoying a nice coffee at Makara Café and back home - we thought.... but the road was closed for a motor race!! And there is no alternate route! That meant 2hrs unplanned 'hanging out' at Makara (the café there probably never made a better profit than today).

Karori Wildlife Sanctuary/Zealandia

a suspension bridge; slightly swinging but not too scary

heritage area near the entrance: an old valve tower

a pontoon on one of the lakes

One of two dams within the Karori Sanctuary on the Kaiwharawhara Stream for drinking water supply for Wellington; built 1906-08

lake behind the dam

dam and lake from above

Heute waren Brian und ich im Karori Wildlife Sanctuary (aka Zealandia). It was free entry this weekend which is why it was so crowded. The Sanctuary are 225ha of regenerating lowland forest and wetlands. It is located within the urban area of Wellington where they are trying to restore the pre-human environment of an untouched NZ. Rodents and other non-native mammals are being kept out by a 8.6km long fence and mice are the only rodents that manage to get through it. Non-native birds and the plant seeds that they bring with them can't be kept out but staff are doing their best to manage pests and weeds once introduced into the area.
We saw quite a few native birds and reptiles. Most of them in the live form and some of them on pictures and as exhibition pieces only. We didn't see a tuatara but the Wellington green gecko and birds such as saddleback, hihi, bellbird, whitehead, fantail and tui; no kiwis or kakas though.