Walk 61, 1st April 2021
A pleasant walk, 20 minutes return, leads down a bush track to a lookout with beautiful views over the Tasman Sea. Looking to the north is Ngarunui Beach and Raglan Harbour, and to the south is Manu Bay with it’s famous surf break.
I’ve zoomed in on the surfers on Manu Bay. Raglan is famous for its surfing beaches.
The waves are great for surfers at Manu Bay, but they’re eroding the rocks with ancient petroglyphs which are further up the beach, unprotected. This photo is from the National Library of NZ : Rock with Maori markings, at Raglan, circa 1920.
Rocks could rock history, NZ Herald 2012.
Historical Rocks on the Raglan coastline. “These petroglyph inscribed rocks are gradually being destroyed seemingly with the tacit sanction of some Maoris, local government and authorities.” Why aren’t the authorities exercising Kaitiakitanga (protection, guardianship) over these historic rock carvings? It’s an archeological crime.
Walk: Waikato 20
Links
Further up the unpaved and winding road traveling south, is Te Toto Gorge. It’s the shortest walk with the longest coastal views and looking down you’ll see a fertile, sheltered amphitheatre with the remains of terraced gardens and karaka groves.
Bryant Memorial Reserve tracks
Raglan and the west coast : Harbour 50 km south of Port Waikato, 13 km long and 2–3 km wide, with two arms fed by the Waingaro and Waitetuna rivers. Whāingaroa means ‘the long pursuit’, referring to the Tainui waka’s search for its destination. From the late 1700s the Ngāti Māhanga tribe occupied surrounding land.
NZShortWalks 