TSS Waverly Lagoon Track

DISCOVER AN OLD SHIPWRECK

10 DECEMBER 2022

Inside the bow of the ship

Bit Of A Crap Start To Our Walk

Precariously perched on the Wairau Lagoon in Marlborough, New Zealand, is a big ol' lady with a lot of history. It's not often we get to explore ship wrecks in New Zealand, so when we found out there was one in Blenheim we were like HELLS YEAAAAH let's do this!

The 1 hour 15 min walk walk to the TSS Waverly shipwreck takes you through salt marshlands and riiiight at the beginning of the track, you get to walk by the sewerage treatment ponds - how lucky!! It's not as shitty as it sounds and it's still a really pretty walk across the boardwalk, but there are some questionably coloured puddles that you definitely don't want to be splashing in!

The day started off cooler which was perfect as there is no shade along the track

Is this poopey pond overflow?

There are definitely no hills to climb on this track!

Hmmm that water is a suspicious colour

The Life Of A Lady On The Water

The TSS Waverly was built in 1883 for the Patea Steam Shipping Company to primarily ship cargo but she also took passengers and livestock.
She didn't wreck where she lays today, she was decommissioned and towed from Wellington to the mouth of the Wairau River where she was going to be sunk into the river to form a breakwater. However, she was too defiant and before she could be sunk, she got swept up the channel during a flood and got stranded in the lagoon where she lays now for everyone to enjoy.

Aside from people exploring the ship, she is used for target practice by the New Zealand Army and there is one part of the ship where it looks like she has had an RPG or something rip into her.

There are lots of Queen Anne's lace growing in summer

View out to Wither Hills where we climbed Mt Vernon

The clouds in Blenheim are always impressive

Our little videographer

Thank god for Dad being able to carry the girls when their legs can't take them no further! Bella was super tired the day we went plus it got really hot on the way back!

Any Trolls Lurking Under The Bridge?

The walk to the shipwreck is pretty monotonous but also really beautiful. You're either gonna love it or hate it! Lath and I liked walking between the long grass and seeing the Wither Hills on one side and the Blue Mountains on the other but the girls found it pretty boring! We have learnt to go on as many diverse walks as we can as it keeps them more interested, but sometimes ya just gotta suck it up and get on with it.

When we were crossing one of the bridges, we could see duck footprints in the weeds in the river, which we thought was super cute!

It was a dry summer, so the lagoon level was really low

Definitely not a place I'd want to be swimming!

Cute little ducky feet prints!

Our camera backpack makes the perfect seat for Sienna

A Slow Part Of The Track

There wasn't much wildlife around us on the walk and we have noticed that there are a lot less birds than we are used to in the North Island, however we did come across a snail. Exciting, I know!! So, we made an umbrella for it with some Queen Anne's Lace as it was a very hot day and because, why not? Welllllll she didn't fancy the umbrella and carried on her merry way.

A fancy lady needs a fancy umbrella

She was not impressed with her umbrella!

We Can Seeeee It

We were glad when we made it to the shipwreck but the loudest was Bella who said FINALLY!! We put our bags down and set off to explore and one thing we hadn't even considered was the tide and whether we can explore it at high tide or not! Luckily it was low tide so I was able to hop inside and take a look around.

I was worried I'd sink in the mud in the few metres I had to cross to get into the shipwreck, as it looked like sinky mud (whatever that may look like) but aside from it being a bit squidgy it was fine. I wouldn't recommend wearing your best shoes here or anything white that you care about but apart from that, there's nothing a good hose down can't fix.

Bella and Lath decided to explore the outside of the ship as Bella was enjoying seeing all the crabs poking their heads out of the holes in the mud.

I went inside with Sienna and for some reason I just thought you'd be able to walk into the shipwreck... seriously, I did, but we had to squeeze through a rusty hole on the side of the boat. It wasn't too difficult, just had to make sure we didn't catch our clothes (or skin!) on anything sharp.

Is that a creature emerging from the lagoon?

She's best explored at low tide, as you can see

The lagoon was a very peaceful place and we were the only ones there

Our beautiful Bella

Ye Old Bones Of The Ship

The ship makes for some cool photography and if you're lucky enough to be there alone then you can explore it and take photos without some stranger being in it.

It was super slippery inside, so I just walked slowly and watched my footing as there were random bits of metal sticking up through the mud. I found a couple of grassy patches that were the best to stand on as it wasn't slippery and if I was near any metal I had to look around when I was squatting down, so I didn't bonk my head when I stood up!

It was cool to see the bones of the ship and to make out certain areas of what was where. It's a shame to see all the graffiti inside and outside the ship but it doesn't surprise me!

If you're there at high tide and can't go in, or don't feel like going in, it's still fascinating to look at from the outside

Watch your footing inside - it's slippery!

I was surprised to see a patch of long grass growing inside!

The ship is incredibly well built to have lasted this long!

This part of the ship isn't accessible. I took the photo through a gap

There's Beauty Everywhere

Rust had eaten away at the ship, which left different shaped 'windows' all over the side of the ship. I thought this was pretty cool as each one was a different pattern around the edge and gave a different outlook when you looked outside.

The vibrant green algae gave each outlook a nice touch as it would have been a bit dull to look out otherwise!

Every hole in the ship made a different shaped 'window'.

There was more beautiful algae on the other side of the ship

Do you think Waverly is happy where she is?

Mind the jagged edges

I'm really glad we made the trek out, even it was a bit monotonous!

Handprints and Happiness

Sienna stayed in for a little while until she slipped over in the mud and decided she wanted out! She got upset as she had mud all over her pants and she bumped her hip on the mud, so mama put her hand in the mud and showed her how muddy my hands were too and we made muddy handprints on one of the ship's barely standing walls and she was happy then went off crab hunting with Bella. Success!

Cutie patootie inside the shipwreck

Muddy hands are the best for making muddy handprints

Mummy & Sienna mud handprints

We had a lot of fun making mud prints inside the ship

Exploring

It was so quiet inside the ship and I couldn't hear anyone or anything outside, just the trickle of the lagoon as it flowed by.

I got the feeling I was being watched at one point and I looked up to see two finches watching me, straw in their beaks, clearly nesting somewhere in the ship. I came across their nest which was tucked way up high in a very dry corner of the ship - the perfect spot for them!

I really enjoyed exploring the shipwreck as I've never been inside one anymore. I'm sure she's full of a lot of history considering she's been around since 1883! It's a shame it is pretty much completely gutted as it would have been fun to go from room to room but I could still see a few of the old bones that she was made up of in different parts of the ship.

The walk back was hot as there is no shade cover at all and they were pretty tired so there was a lot of shoulder rides and PLEASE JUST WALK, YOU'RE FIIIIIINE. It was just one of those days!

Squelchy mud inside the ship

A finches nest

Some old post that was part of the ship

Rust, rust baby

Pretty sure the NZ Army blew through this!

The ship is on a huge lean

Do you feel like a pirate yet?

Know Before You Go

The walk is flat and easy but there isn't much to see on the way (apart from hills!)
The path can get muddy and boggy after rain
There is no shade along the walk at all
There is a picnic table beside the shipwreck
It's best to go at low tide if you're wanting to get inside the shipwreck and explore
You need to squeeze through a hole to get inside the shipwreck, or just put your head through and take some photos

Mappy McMap Face

Getting There

The track is only a 10-minute drive from Blenheim, through the beautiful countryside and vineyards.

There is plenty of parking at the end of Hardings Road where the track starts.

Conclusion

The walk through the marshlands is flat and easy. It can be a little boring for kids, so if they do get bored easily, you might need to think of a few fun games to play along the way! The shipwreck is really cool to explore with lots of little nooks and crannies, just remember to go at low tide so you can actually get in there.