April 15, 2016
Our plan was to walk just a portion of the Jacob’s Bay track, taking the it to the Dillon Bell Point anchorage and back again. Unsure of the sturdiness of the little pier, we landed our dinghy on the stone beach then located the trail.
In many ways this hike was reminiscent of other shoreline trails we’ve taken in the sounds, with thick native bush, abundant tree ferns, stoney coves with blue-green water, and beautiful mountain views across peaceful sounds. But each walk has had something that makes it unique.
On this trail, it was a profusion of black beech trees. Coming across these trees on a previous walk, we thought there must have been a fire in the area because the trunks looked black and burned. We soon learned that’s how these trees are supposed to look, and it’s especially striking with their bright yellow-green leaves. Our other new discovery in the sounds has been a tree called the rata, with spiky red flower balls much like the pohutukawa. This wasn’t their blooming season, but some of them along this trail were blooming anyway, making little orange-red pops of color in the greenery.
In all the hike took about an hour and was well worth doing. Below, a gallery of photos from our Jacobs Bay Hike. (Click to enlarge/scroll.) –Cyndi
