Moeraki – More than Boulders

Moving towards Moeraki

It was only about an hours drive for us to get to Moeraki from our camping spot at Awamoko (read the previous blog here). 

We decide to take the coastal road as we’d never travelled this road before.  We’re so pleased we decided to take in the scenic route as it offered some fabulous views out to sea.  We had been pretty much landlocked for a couple of weeks during our previous explorations so it was so nice to be able to see the ocean and smell the salt air.

It only seemed right that this should be the perfect place to stop and boil the billy and take in an early lunch stop.

sometimes you just have to stop and smell the coffee

and why wouldn’t you with views like this?

There seem to be some areas along this stretch of coast where you are able to freedom camp.  Although we didn’t see any signs saying you couldn’t, there weren’t any signs to say you could…..if that makes sense?

Moeraki Village Holiday Park

We’ve both been to Moeraki before (many years ago) and like most travellers, we went to see the famous boulders.  We kind of figured that there was much more to this little settlement than these oddities of nature.

The NZMCA have a Campsaver Scheme where certain camping grounds around the country join and offer members a powered site for $20 per night during the winter months.  We love to support such a scheme and there happens to be a camping ground in Moeraki that is a Campsaver member.

we were quite impressed by the Moeraki Holiday Park and look forward to coming back for another visit

The Moeraki Village Holiday Park (NZMCA#8295) is right on the coast.  It has a couple of different tiers to its parking and because we are larger than the average rig, we were directed to park on the upper tier.  

We found ourselves a nice level spot and could still get glimpses of the water.

The amenities were spotless and the managers helpful and very friendly so we were quite happy to stay for a few nights.  We made the most of the fact that the Moeraki Tavern was a short stroll down the road.  There is also the Fishwife Takeaways (set up in a container) as well as Fleur’s Place close by but they were closed while we were there.

such a bonus with the Tavern within walking distance of the Holiday Park

Yup, safe to say that there was no cooking for me tonight – the blue cod was outstanding

The Millenium Track

Today Moeraki is a tranquil little fishing village but it wasn’t always this way.  It has quite the history as it was once used as a whaling station by early Europeans and Maori. 

The Millenium Track runs right along the coast with a hill climb at the end of the village.  This climb takes you to a great lookout and a monument commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the town.

European settlement began at Moeraki on Boxing Day in 1836 when a guy called John Hughes led a whaling party ashore to establish a station.  In fact, Moeraki has been described as the 2nd oldest continuously occupied settlement in NZ.

It’s an extra 1.7km walk along Koekohe Beach to the Moeraki Boulders if you are looking to extend your walk. Just make sure the tide is out so you have plenty of time to get there and back!

so much history in Moeraki, the historical steel wharf built in the 1870s

history boards helped us to learn the history of Moeraki

And then there are the Boulders

Of course, we had to revisit the boulders.  And yes, they are just the same as they were over 20 years ago when we last visited them.

This group of giant spherical boulders lying on Koekohe Beach is one of NZ’s most unique natural wonders.

They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes.  Some are in a perfect circle, others are split open, while others are in various states of ruin.  They look like giant bowling balls or dinosaur eggs.

the boulders look like dinosaur eggs

These boulders are concretions that have, over many years of coastal erosion, been exposed from the coastal cliffs. You’ll see that even today boulders are still being eroded from the mudstone cliffs and will eventually end up on the beach. The best time to visit is low tide.

we had the place to ourselves

Matakaea Recreation Reserve/Shag Point

Just a 17-minute drive (16km) from the Moeraki Holiday Park, you will find the Matakeaea Recreation Reserve or also known as Shag Point.

a short walk to stunning views and seals

This is an ideal spot for a bit of ‘seal spotting’ within just a short 5-minute walk from the carpark.

the stunning east coastline

Once you have finished with your ‘seal spotting’ you will look up and go ‘wow’ when your eyes meet the coastal ocean views that unfold before you.

What you might think is just another lookout with a few seals hanging out in the sun, this spot on the coastline holds some special features that you may not be aware of.

• it was an early Ngai Tahu settlement area (popular with early moa hunters, dating back to the 12th century)
• historic coal mining (whalers discovered the first coal in NZ here in the 1830s)
• diverse marine life (seals, penguins, dolphins and whales – if you’re lucky enough to spot them)
• unusual and rare flora (snow tussock, alpine daisy and lilies)
• fascinating geology (large round boulders can also be found here embedded in the soft sandstone)

Trotters Cave Track

For Kiwis Fly the Coop, a day of exploration would not be complete without some sort of walk or hike.  An 11-minute drive inland from Moeraki will have you travelling through the Trotters Gorge where the Trotters Gorge Scenic Reserve is located.

It takes a while for the sun to reach the gorge, so even though it was late morning when we arrived at the DoC Camping Ground/Carpark, there was quite a bit of ice artistry and a thick frost still on the ground.

it would be fair to say that it was a chilly start to the walk with some stunning ice puddle art

There are a variety of walks to choose from, but we opted for the 30 minute Cave walk.  I wasn’t too keen to go for the longer walks when I was having trouble feeling my toes!  We are always fascinated by caves so thought that this would be the best option.

the walk into the caves was better than the caves themselves

It is a well-formed track through the lovely native bush which follows a tributary of the Trotters Creek.  It would be fair to say that the walk was better than the caves themselves.  Maybe we have been spoilt with previous cave explorations around the world and in NZ.  The set of shallow caves has been sculpted from the soft sandstone cliffs by a faster-flowing river than it is today.

Kataki Point Lighthouse

If you continue your journey southwards from Moeraki, for approximately 5 km, and you will find the Katiki Point Lighthouse.

We always enjoy lighthouse visits as we explore NZ.  They are located in the most stunning locations along our coastline, often in rough and rugged terrain and conditions (for obvious reasons).

The Lighthouse

The lighthouse is located on Katiki Point which is the southern-most point of the Moeraki Peninsula.  The point has a long history of wrecks which met their fate on the dangerous reefs around the area.

The decision was made to build a lighthouse to make the area safer for ships that sailed past on their way to the busy Port Chalmers, Dunedin.  Its lights first shone in 1887.

The iconic designed wooden tower stands 8m high.  The light flashes on for 6 seconds and off for 6 seconds and can be seen 20km out to sea.  Although the lighthouse has been fully automated, the original lens can still be seen in the lantern room at the top of the tower.  The lighthouse keeper was withdrawn in 1975 and is operated by staff based in Wellington.

As we wandered towards the wild and rugged point, we paused to take in the commanding ocean and coastal views.

the lighthouse

Yellow-Eyed Penguins

This is the most significant breeding site for yellow-eyed penguins in North Otago, so it’s important to keep noise to a minimum.

Daytime isn’t the best time to spot the wee penguins.  We did see the many nesting spots along the track.  Although an evening visit may be more successful in spotting them as they come ashore, the reserve is closed off to the public at 5 pm because of the dangerous cliffs and steep drop-offs.

The lighthouse keeper’s house is used as a private rehabilitation centre for sick and injured penguins and other birds. The centre is run by Penguin Rescue NZ. The trust and its volunteers protect penguins from predators by trapping feral cats, ferrets and stoats.  

Fur Seals

Now it was way easier to spot these creatures than the penguins.  There were many family groups of seals as we wandered the 600m walkway towards the point.  This is the main breeding area in North Otago.

We had to make a few detours to give them their space.  Always make sure you keep a safe and respectful distance from them.  Especially mums with pups, and try to avoid coming between them and their escape route to the sea.

This is when a great zoom lens on the camera comes in handy (thanks Scotty).

They haul themselves out of the rolling ocean to rest on the rocky platforms, bathing in the sunlight.

who can’t resist watching these cute fur seals

always observe from a respectful distance

Summary

By all means, if time is your enemy, make sure you visit the iconic boulders at Moeraki.  However, if you are lucky like us and ‘rush it slowly’, make sure you allow yourselves the luxury of exploring and discovering the other side to Moeraki.  Soak up the history, geology, wildlife, fauna and flora.

more to Moeraki than the boulders – watching the sunset

Check out our video of some of our highlights of Moeraki.