South Coast Walk

THIS JUST SEALED THE DEAL

20 AUGUST 2022

One of the few fur seals we saw on our walk

WE WERE IN FOR A TREAT

This has to be one of the most breathtaking walks we've done in Wellington so far. When you arrive, just before you start the walk, you'll pull up to Te Kopahou Visitor Centre which has some great information about the area, so be sure to stop in there before you head out. To your left is a really cool freedom camping spot with a beautiful view and if you're lucky enough and you have a clear day you can see the South Island!

What we encountered was such a beautiful piece of coastline. We had seen photos before we decided to do it, but the photos didn't do it any justice (as with most places). This track is an 8.9km track return out to Devil's Gate and back. We were a bit nervous about such a big distance for Bella and Sienna and we weren't to sure what kind of terrain to expect. It turned out it was a HUGE walk for the girls. Getting out there was no problem at all. Coming back, well, that was interesting.

Bella seeing if she can spot any seals in the water

The beginning of the walk

In winter, there are hundreds of New Zealand fur seals that hang out along the coast

Looking up towards one of the many beautiful cliffs that greets you along the way

MOUTAIN CLIFFS TO YOUR RIGHT AND OCEAN VIEWS TO YOUR LEFT!

You really are in for a treat - there are beautiful cliffs to the right of the walk and a stunning ocean view to the left. You get the best of both worlds if you decide to do this track and hopefully you'll be able to see the South Island if it's clear enough. It was cloudy when we went so we didn't get to see it but we will be back again one day soon to see if we can spot it.

At one point during the walk the rock formations looked like something right out of Scotland. Its so incredible to see the many different formations along the way. Exploring rocks is something we always do on our adventures because you never know what you'll find on, in or around them!

As we were strolling along we came across so many beautiful paua shells (abalone to y'all across the other side of the world) that were in perfect condition. The girls were fascinated by them and really enjoyed collecting them because of their beautiful colour. Sometimes it was hard to get near them though because there were swarms of tiny flies on the piles of seaweed and if you went near them they literally clung to you and you were their home for 5 or 10 minutes! Even running wouldn't shake them off!

Long walks can be quite monotonous for kids, so having these beauties along the way made it that much more enjoyable for the girls and kept them entertained.

A nice place to sit and enjoy the view

Looking back towards the start of the walk

Beautiful rock formations

ENJOYING THE JOURNEY AND NOT JUST THE DESTINATION

Over the years of hiking, walking and going on epic adventures, we've come to value the journey just as much as reaching the destination. Some of the most interesting views, animals, landscapes, insects, creatures, rock formations and weird/wonderful things have been found a long the way to the final destination.

Make sure to factor in extra time in your walks to stop and enjoy it! We remember when we first started doing walks and hikes, we were purely fixed on getting to the top, or getting around the track and back again. When we climbed Mount Manaia in Northland, we made sure to stop along the way to take in everything around us - not only because there were 1000 stairs OMG but there were so many gems to find along the way. It is amazing how much you miss when you are in this mindset and we realised that it was a lot easier letting the kids explore along the way, to keep them entertained and help them enjoy it more.

So as we moved along the South Coast Track, we took the time to stop with the girls so they could get their feet into the pebbles, explore the seaweed and all the other amazing things there are to see along the way including the famous red rocks.

Piles seaweed washed up on shore

Sienna loving playing in the stones

Heading up to the devil's gate

THE FURTHER YOU GO, THE MORE BEAUTIFUL IT GETS

Just imagine a walk that the further you go, the more beautiful it gets. As we walked further along the track, we reached a beautiful spot that looked like tonnes and tonnes of mini stonehenges - it was so pretty to look at.

The coastline is abundant in giant seaweed – seriously, it’s HUGE! Like 2-4 metres huge. We were used to seeing 30cm pieces wash up on Auckland beaches, so to see these rolling along in the waves was pretty awesome! The track is littered with pebbles and seaweed which was actually pretty cool. It kept the girls quite entertained along the way as well as the shifting of terrain.

A fur seal taking a nap

Crazy cool rock formations

WHAT'S THAT SMELL?

What comes to mind when we say "you can smell it before you see it"? Is it nappies? Overflowing septic tank? NOPE... seals!

We could actually smell them before we saw them and it was diiiiisgusting. As we were approaching Red Rocks, the smell grew stronger and stronger. Had someone left a dead fish in the sun somewhere? Were Lath's socks wet again and smelly? Had Sienna let loose on one of her stinky farts? (Although we admit, it wasn't as smelly as the fur seals at Ohau Point just north of Kaikoura in the South Island!! Oh my days, that was BAD!)

Nooooo. Lying there at almost 6 feet in length and weighing in at what looked like 300 lbs, were 5 very cute and cuddly (but stinky) seals! It was at that point the kids just lost it - they couldn't believe they were seeing seals! We knew that the time of year we were there that it was a pretty slim chance of seeing any so it was an epic surprise. With WOW's all around, we had to draw in closer to get photos and to see these beauties. We love finding seals at the beach as we never got them on Auckland beaches so it's pretty special when we do see them! We were lucky enough to see some seal pups at Maunganui Bluff in Northland.

WARNING... don't get too close, they have massive teeth and can get a little grumpy if you encroach in their space. We had been warned to stay at least 20m away and thankfully we had our long lens with us to capture some awesome shots without having to be near them. A few of the fur seals just lazed around on rocks and the others went into the sea. They weren't too phased by us which was great.

We did find a dead seal which was pretty interesting to look at as it's not something you see every day!

A super cute fur seal which looks just like a puppy curled up!

Streeeeeeeeeeeeeetch!

A pile of seaweed looks like the best place to rest your head at the beach

TWO TIRED KIDS AND ONLY HALF WAY

You know that amazing feeling when you finally reach your destination? The views are stunning, the smell of the fresh ocean breeze, a nice little spot to sit to eat your snacks and the satisfaction of being there. You cross through Devil's Gate and you just feel like you've hit the jackpot...Then there's that feeling when you know you have nearly 4.5km to hike back, the kids feet are sore and all you are hearing is "Muuuum, Daaaad... I'm tired, I can't do this, why did we even come here!" Well for us, that's exactly what is was like.

We couldn't be more proud of our two little ones for making it this far but the thought of having to hike back 4.5km just to reach the car and knowing the kids were just completely tired was daunting to say the least. There are no buses or ubers out that way so we had no choice but to walk back slowly and keep it as entertaining as we could for the kids.

Shortly after we started making our way back we saw someone in a car heading towards us. BINGO! So we flagged him down and he was kind enough to give us a ride back which we were SUPER thankful for! Not only did we get the views on the way back but our feet were resting and the kids were as happy as bees with a tum full of honey. When we got back, we tipped the young guy for his help and he went on his merry way.

The view of the start of the walk

The red rocks (pariwhero in Te Reo Maori)

The red colour from the rocks is caused by iron deposits within the rocks. They were formed over 200 million years ago!

A cute little coffee cart at the carpark

GOOD COFFEE & A WEE BIT OF INFO

We made our way over to that amazing little coffee caravan and ordered coffee and enjoyed it at the table next to the caravan. Our coffee came with marshmallows so the deal is, if Mummy and Daddy get a coffee then the kids get the marshmallows. So standard issue " Can we have the marshmallows on top of the lid please!?"

If you're interested in reading about the fur seals and the area (and going for a wee), the Te Kopahou Visitors Centre is right by the carpark.

Ruins near the visitors centre

Inside the visitors centre

Know Before You Go

Take a hat, sunblock and sunglasses if you're heading out during summer (and even take a jacket because we were there in summer and it was FREEZING! Welcome to Welly) or wrap up warm and be prepared if you are heading out during winter as the whole track is uncovered
If you have 4 x 4 and you are planning to drive out, the road is open Monday - Saturday only
Sundays are the best day for walks - No 4x4's around so it tends to be a lot quieter
Pack food and water! We didn't expect to see a coffee cart when we went but we are not sure how often it is there, so take enough to eat and drink
Stay at least 20m away from the seals. They can feel threatened if you get too close (and they have big teeth!) and just want to be left alone
Dogs are welcome but must be on a lead at all times
It is a long walk. If you have kids, just make sure they are prepared for it
You can expect a mix of loose metal, sand, rock and pebbles along your way so make sure to bring really good and sturdy footwear
Allow 3 hours if you're doing it with kiddies
There are toilets at the carpark

Mappy McMap Face

Getting There

It takes about 20 minutes to get there from Wellington CBD. Click here for the Google maps link to Te Kopahou Visitors Centre ( start of the track )

Conclusion

A very special place indeed for individuals, couples, families, you name it, to get to see the beautiful coast line in Wellington and hopefully see some seals. Even just walking around the first corner is enough to see the beautiful coastline, without having to walk far.