“Maori folklore tells two stories relating to the color of these rocks. In one, Kupe – the famous Polynesian explorer – was gathering Paua ( large edible sea snails ) here when one clamped his hand. He bled and stained the rocks red.
In the other story, the red is the blood of Kupe’s daughters. Fearing for their father’s safety on a long voyage, they gashed themselves in grief over his absence.” – newzealand.com
The Red Rocks Reserve is a coastal walkway located at Owhiro Bay, Wellington NZ. It generally takes about two hours ( return ) to do the walk. About 30-40 minutes going to where the red rocks are and then another 30 minutes to continue on a bit further to Sinclair Head to get a glimpse of the New Zealand fur seal colony. Then an hours walk to go all the way back to where you started. Although I think the time it takes to do the walk will really be different for everyone. Some may do it faster than others… it really depends on how physically fit you are and what pace you are aiming at.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
RUGGED TERRAIN — You’ll be walking on sand and stones. Make sure to wear appropriate footwear like sneakers ( or rubber shoes ). Wear comfortable clothing as well.
BEAUTIFUL VIEWS — You could easily get pre-occupied with just doing the walk and finishing it. When it gets a bit tiring, take a breather, look around and appreciate what’s around you.
MILD TO STRONG WINDS (It IS Wellington after all) — A windproof hoodie with good insulation is a good accessory to have as it can get really windy and cold in the late afternoon (especially if you’re doing the walk in winter). When we did our walk, the wind was strong enough to actually blast some of the sand and pebbles on the side of our faces!
GOOD EXERCISE — Red Rocks is considered as an easy walk… still, that’s about two hours of proper walking… that’s good exercise if you ask me. You could always jog or run as well if that’s more suited to your activity level. Within the area is also where the Taputeranga Marine Reserve is located where you can go snorkelling or diving. See here for more information http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/conservation/marine-and-coastal/marine-protected-areas/taputeranga-marine-reserve-brochure.pdf.
THE SEALS — Generally the seals are just lying and resting on top of the rocks and are harmless. Be cautious in approaching them though and don’t get TOO close. I got one of the seals all flustered and roaring at me when I got too close for comfort. That was quite a scare.
HOW TO GET HERE:
Drive: It’s about 25 minutes drive from the city center down to Owhiro Bay.
Bus: “You can catch bus number 1 to Island Bay and get off at the last stop and walk around the coast via the Bach Cafe and Owhiro Bay Parade. This adds a 2 kilometre walk before the start of the walkway. The are buses to Happy Valley, number 4, during the week which take you closer, as does the Southern Shopper bus (number 29) which takes an awkward route from the Hospital, through Newtown, Berhampore, Kingston, Brooklyn and Happy Valley to end at Island Bay shops.” – newzealand.com
Source: I got some of the information found here at http://www.newzealand.com/int/feature/red-rocks-reserve/
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Wandering Dayreamer 