Fresh from our exploration of the eastern Marlborough Sounds, we couldn’t ignore the western side and decided this meant getting back onto the water. The mail boat could get where the van couldn’t, but there would be other places we could take the van—and still others that required a bipedal excursion. Speaking of walking, we’d really liked to have taken the Mount Stokes Track, but Kenepuru Road was closed to non-residents and the track itself was damaged by earlier adverse weather events.
Coordinates
Pelorus Sound
The mail boat run on Pelorus Sound/ Te Hoiere is the longest NZ Post mail boat run, traversing the largest of the Marlborough Sounds at 380km of shoreline. Many dwellings out here are holiday homes (first photo), but some—like the ship wrecker/ builder’s—are homesteads (second photo) or farms (third photo). Surveyed in 1838 by HMS Pelorus, the main channel runs for 55km south from the hazardous Cook Strait (final photo).
Around 80% of NZ’s marine farming takes place in the Sounds, including cultivation of green-lipped (Greenshell) mussels that grow on suspended ropes (first photo). During our route from bay-to-bay, the weekly mail/ supply drops were variously met by dogs, pigs (second photo) and stingrays—as well as isolated residents. Remote bays hinted at favourable summer living (final photo). The mail delivery is operated by Pelorus Mail Boat Ltd.
Our 150km/ 5h (shortened, due to a breakdown) “outer route” is shown below in orange; the blue track is the route of the Queen Charlotte mail boat run.
It was our first time marking Matariki/ Māori New Year, a public holiday in NZ only since 2022. This involved being together—adrift on Pelorus Sound, until the mail boat was towed into Havelock (first photo); sharing kai in form of green-lipped mussels (second photo); gratitude for the year that was, reflecting on our travels around NZ to date; and anticipating year to come, planning more CREW away missions in our vanship. By way of explanation, we were adrift due to an issue with one of the mail boat’s engines. Unfortunately, it was the primary one that controlled steering! A small craft towed us back into port. The skipper then discovered an engineer had turned off the fuel supply during a line-draining procedure that didn’t require doing so. A quick fix then, and although we lost 2h from our trip, nobody was hurt and the sun still shone!
What is Matariki?
Matariki is the Māori name for a single star, a cluster of nine stars (Pleiades), and—since 2022—the first NZ public holiday that recognises Te ao Māori (the Māori world/ culture). The name is a contraction of “Ngā Mata o te Ariki Tāwhirimātea”, meaning “The eyes of the god Tāwhirimātea.” Matariki (the star/ cluster) rises on the eastern horizon in mid-winter. Matariki (the holiday) is marked on a winter date that varies between May and July. The rising signals the Māori New Year for most iwi (tribes), although some iwi recognise Puanga (Rigel) instead. Matariki remembers those who died during the past year; encourages being being present with whanau (family) and friends—through gathering and sharing food; and looking to/ planning for the future. The holiday was introduced with bilingual legislation (English and Te reo Māori), which is an uncommon practice, despite Te reo being an official language.
🤔 Curiosity
Cullen Point and Pelorus Bridge
The short lookout walk at Cullen Point Scenic Reserve/ Mahaki Paoa offers land-based views down Pelorus Sound (first photo); down Kaituna River estuary and valley towards snow-capped peaks in direction of SH6 to Renwick (second photo); of Havelock township (third photo); and towards the Pelorus River estuary/ Kaikūmera Bay and SH6 in the Nelson direction (final photo). There’s also a 3.5km loop track around the point.
Pelorus Bridge Scenic Reserve offers native forest walks, river swimming and maybe (if you’re lucky and present at the right time) short-tailed bats/ pekapeka. Pelorus River is accessible from a path beside the bridge (first photo). The 1.2km Circle Loop Track is reached via a suspension bridge across the Rai River (second photo), which then merges into the Pelorus. On the 1.5km Elvy Waterfalls Track we spied yellow coral fungi (third photo) and the endemic flowering Libertia mooreae (final photo).
Daltons Track is part of Te Araroa Trail; it is 14km return from Pelorus Bridge and begins on the Circle Loop Track, where there are glimpses of the Pelorus River (first and second photos). It then crosses farmland to Daltons Bridge; there are more river views in open country (final photo), but the walk was unexciting, muddy and the cows intimidating—so we turned back 3km in!
French Pass
NZ roads can frustrate photographers when they lack safe stopping places and present walls of bush that afford no viewpoints—in some of the most dramatic countryside. Croisilles-French Pass Road from Ōkiwi to French Pass both frustrated and delivered! There were stunning views down into Savill Bay/ to Mt Shewell (first photo); Garne Bay and Tawhitinui Reach beyond (second photo); Okiri Bay to D’Urville Island (third photo); and into Hallam Cove (final photo).
The community of French Pass/ Anaru at Elmslie Bay can be seen from Collinet Point Lookout, just 300m up the road (first photo). A sculpture remembers Pelorus Jack (second photo), a pale Risso dolphin of repute in 1888–1912. A plaque here commemorates d’Urville’s 1827 rediscovery of French Pass (third photo), previously known to Māori as Te Aumiti. There are views of Rangitoto ki te Tonga/ D’Urville Island and into Cook Strait (final photo).
Te Aumiti/ French Pass Lookout Track is 1km back from the DOC camp at French Pass/ Anaru. The main channel lies between the lighthouse and the mid-pass beacon (first photo). The “swirling current” here gives the name Te Aumiti (second photo). It’s a hazardous passage due to strong tidal flows (third photo), water level variation, turbulence due to an uneven sea floor, tidal rips and back eddys (final photo) that make steering difficult.
The Lookout Track branches down to a beach in Man-o-War Bay/ Pāharakeke. Here we found kina/ sea urchin, 11-armed sea star/ Coscinasterias muricata and cushion star/ Patiriella regularis (first photo); green chiton/ Chiton glaucus—oystercatcher food (second photo); endemic NZ green-lipped mussel/ Perna canaliculus—one of the largest mussel species (third photo); and Actinia tenebrosa—an anemone with red tentacles (final photo) that resembled a blood clot!
There was larger wildlife to be seen in Elmslie Bay, too. As we pulled in, a dolphin pod danced their way out to sea (first photo). The obligatory paradise shelduck/ pūtangitangi pair patrolled in-shore (second photo). There was success during an early morning hunt for a fur seal, repeatedly thrashing what was probably an octopus to break it up—a known behaviour (third photo). Weka were endlessly entertaining (final photo).
We woke on the first morning here to a spectacular dawn:
Daytime views at at French Pass/ Anaru in Elmslie Bay were no less stunning:
The feeling you get re-discovering life in rock pools can wipe away decades of jaded adulthood. Mind niggles retreat; the explorer in you is fully present (if not, you’ll have wet feet!). Revisiting the beach in French Pass we found speckled anemone/ Oulactis muscosa (first photo); white-striped anemone/ Anthothoe albocincta (second photo); the kokoriki crab/ Petrolisthes elongatus (third photo); and kina/ Evechinus chloroticus (final photo).
To be fully appreciated, all good things must come to an end—and so it was farewell to Elmslie Bay. Bye to Ray, who patrols the shore (first photo). Bye to the clear waters and blue skies (second photo)—our departure day was grey and damp. Bye to the sea glass, cat’s eyes and other beach finds (third photo). Bye to the (now sodden) weka family (final photo); if you’ve ever watched Attenborough’s Prehistoric Planet and observed weka, you can’t unsee the dino in them!
Elaine Bay and Tennyson Inlet
Elaine Bay is 2km from the junction with Croisilles-French Pass Rd. It lies within the Tennyson Inlet and joins up to the main waterway of Pelorus Sound via Tawhitinui Reach. The bay had several mood swings during our visit. Strong southeast wind gusts rocked our van badly overnight. We bailed on a second night—and that was before hearing from a local that vans have been knocked over here!
Pīwakawaka Track is 2km/ 45min from Elaine Bay to Pīwakawaka Bay. The track was edged with the native lichen Stereocaulon ramulosum (first photo). Poisoned wilding pines are seen across the emerald waters of Pīwakawaka Bay (second photo); Californian pines grow fast here and displace native bush. The bay looks out on Tawhitinui Island (third photo), sitting at the entrance to Tennyson Inlet. The saline-filled “bubbles” of neptune’s necklace/ Hormosira banksii (final photo) are a favourite for NZ kids to pop and aim at each other!
Wilding pines
There’s a helpful DOC page on the problem of “managed forests” that aren’t being properly managed/ contained by the timber industry. It’s a particular problem in the Marlborough Sounds and shooting the unwanted trees from helicopters with herbicidal bullets isn’t cheap, sustainable or ideal.
🌲 Rewilding
Archer Track links Elaine Bay to Penzance Bay. From the former, a 5km walk from the DOC camp through mostly pine forest gets you to the halfway point at Deep Bay, where there is a DOC hut and toilet. As you round Red Point there are views of Tawhitinui Island and Mt Shewell (first photo); then comes Tarakaipā Island (second photo) and views to a headland across Tennyson Inlet that forms Matai/ Godsiff Bay (third photo), before arriving at Deep Bay (final photo).
A note on public toilets
NZ has public loos everywhere. Even if you’re self-contained, utilising them can extend your camper’s off-grid capacity (given cassettes quickly fill). They vary in design, from long-drops to art installations with voice instruction. They are generally clean and with paper (which may tear or sometimes dissolve where you don’t want it to). The Flush app can help you locate them.
Tips and tricks
Ōkiwi Bay
As you approach Ōkiwi Bay from the Rai Valley there are tantalising glimpses of Whangarae Bay (first photo). Ōkiwi Bay itself is barely visible (second photo), until you’re there (third photo). From the road beyond the bay are views of Croisilles Harbour, which Ōkiwi opens into (final photo). Croisilles is the name of d’Urville’s mother’s family; beyond this harbour is the V-shaped Tasman Bay—some 70km wide.
At the eastern end of Ōkiwi Bay township, cross a creek (first photo) to walk on a community-made “Treasures Pathway”, which features fairy houses, painted rocks, etc. and there are tuna/ eel in the creek (second photo). It’s a 5km walk from the Esplanade to a lookout atop Goat Hill (third photo). For a shorter walk, it’s just 800m from the trailhead at Wharf Road to a lookout/ bench-with-a-view over Ōkiwi Bay. We spied this split gill/ Schizophyllum commune on our return walk (final photo).
With a month or so of “winter” left, the adjacent Tasman District beckoned.
Join us on future away missions
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