Cathedral Cove
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Cathedral
Cove
   We parked Mabel way above the scenery, we needed to get beyond the second
headland, this meant a steep tramp downhill, meaning a steep uphill bimble on
the way back, oh well, must be done. The man hadn’t been here with his little
bucket of gravel or his pine fencing and staple gun, well at least the path is dry. The trees up on the
hill behind us defy gravity in their clinging to the sheer cliff. We
rounded the first bend and found ourselves on a flat, grassy bank, there we
found a map.
  Right then,
forty five minutes, from the P in
the middle, make that an hour to factor in picture taking......Tramp
begins..
   Down at the next level we took a five
minute detour to see the beach at Gemstone Bay. Bear took a breather to face the steps.
  I did like the shape of the rock’s natal cleft..... on the
cliff here. Up and over the next
bit.
  Our next
detour, along a pretty track was for Bear to see
the puriri trees - endemic
evergreens.
  The track took
us high up once again. Views across the
bay.
  Down some steep
steps, then some very steep steps to the beach, turn
left and there we were in the Cathedral
Cave.
Cathedral Cove is named after the cave, linking Mare's Leg Cove to Cathedral Cove. The cave used as a tunnel and the beach were both used by the Pevensie children as they first re-entered Narnia in the movie version of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.
We had to keep an eye on the rising tide from within the cathedral.
Both coves contain shapely natural rock stacks, Sphinx Rock in Mare's Leg Cove, and Te Hoho Rock in Cathedral Cove. Stingray Bay, and in particular Gemstone Bay, are popular snorkeling and diving areas, as marine life within the reserve boundaries is plentiful. In Gemstone Bay there is also a snorkel trail marked by the Department of Conservation. Both bays are also accessible by paths leading down from the main walking path to Cathedral Cove. The Māori name Te Whanganui-A-Hei (the Great Bay of Hei) refers to Hei, a tohunga from the Te Arawa waka. According to tradition, Hei chose the area around Mercury Bay as home for his tribe, proclaiming ownership by calling Motueka Island "Te Kuraetanga-o-taku-Ihu" (the outward curve of my nose.) It is said he made this claim near the site of the present-day of Hahei.
This is a popular spot for tourists, you can tell by our outfits, an American lady commented on how she “loved those pants.” Locals like to visit too and around 150,000 visitors come each year. Boat and kayaking tours come from Whitianga in the north and Hahei in the south to visit the area. We found a log to sit on, people and wave watching, perfect, then the tramp back to Mabel.
ALL IN ALL SUCH A GOOD TIME VERY PRETTY |
