December 15, 2013
There’s a popular hike you can take to the lighthouse on Kukutauwhao Island. As the crow flies it’s only about a mile, but as the human walks there are so many hills that it feels a lot longer. If you actually want to make the final arduous climb to the lighthouse, you need to make sure to go (and return) at low tide when there’s an isthmus that joins the island to the mainland.
The path starts behind the marina and goes up a hill through beautiful pine and fern forest. Once you reach the top, you walk along a road for 1/4 of a mile or so to a small parking area, and that’s where you find the official path to the lighthouse. As you walk along the grassy hilltop you can enjoy some terrific coastal views before reaching a long series of stairs that go down isthmus below. It’s a beautiful sight and I think reason enough to take walk!
This isthmus has rocky hills that become small islands at high tide, and on one side is a beautiful rocky crescent bay with clear green water. As you walk along the base of the isthmus’s hills, you can find your way to a hidden cove on the other side.
When you get to the far end of the isthmus you will find yourself at the base of Kukutauwhao Island and see the steep path leading to the lighthouse, perhaps along with the frequent sight of a couple arguing about whether or not to make the climb. Rich and I didn’t argue: neither one of us felt the need to put ourselves through that. It would be bad enough just getting back up those stairs we came down earlier!
If you have energy after climbing back up the 80 million stairs, there’s a small side path down to a pretty bay nestled in the rocky coastline. If you come to Tutukaka by boat and wish to anchor, there are two larger bays on the south side of the channel (one of which is for shallow-draft boats only). On the north side is this nice little spot where the boat in the picture is sitting pretty.
The gallery above shows our favorite pictures from the hike; so as always click any to enlarge and scroll. For Rich’s artistic representation if the stair climb, click here; then view the video portion of the post. –Cyndi
