Gillespies Beach, New Zealand

  I remember how excited I was when I found out there is a Tamarack beach in California, so when we stumbled across the fact that a Gillespies Beach existed here in New Zealand we immediately put it on the itinerary. What we didn't realize at the time is that it would prove to be an incredible stop with a not so bad drive to get there added in as a bonus.
Fields of sheep and Fox Glacier
We have been hanging out in Franz Joseph for a couple days waiting for a break in the weather in order to open up hikes on the glacier. But instead of sitting inside and watching movies we decided to explore the countryside and track down Gillespies Beach. On the way we past raging rivers, waterfalls falling right onto the road, sheep filled pastures, and we even got a good look at Fox Glacier when the clouds parted for just a few minutes.
Mutant shorebreak at Gillespies Beach
  The road out to Gillespies beach is unpaved and through dense wilderness. We came across a wild looking possum that looked like a mix between a huge rat and small bear. Sheep dotted the sides of the road on the last kilometer before the beach. They wanted no part in petting, no matter how hard we tried they always ran away. But once we emerged onto the beach itself we were shocked to see just how wild this coast is.
"You shall not pass!"
Captivated by the waves
  Oval shaped, flattened rocks covered the beach, and pounding shorebreak continuously slammed into the rocks near the water's edge. The waves were mutating into all kinds of beautiful forms, from perfect barrels to towering backwash. The three of us just stood and stared at the waves for a good half hour. Myles found an impromptu wizard's staff made out of driftwood and preceded to stand right at the water's edge yelling "You shall not pass!" as the water rushed up the rocks towards him. Somehow he stayed dry. Middle Earth is never too far away here in New Zealand.
Water in motion
Gillespies Beach








Comments

Post a Comment

Leaving a comment is a great way to provide feedback, ask further questions, and inspire more answers...so go for it.

Popular posts from this blog

Secret Maui Waterfall

Image
  No matter how quick a trip to Maui might be there will be hidden gems found and great times had. After a little snafu with my flight I made it standby to Maui, picked up my rental car, and rushed off to meet my friends on the road to Hana. We met at Frog Pond, one of our favorite swimming holes near the beginning of the road to Hana. After some rock hopping and cliff jumping here we decided to check out the hidden waterfalls at mile 11. I'm not sure what the name of these falls are but there are two of them, each with their own swimming holes. It is just off the highway but separated by lush jungle. A rope swing beckons the adventurous and rocks warmed by the sun give you more than enough reason to while away the afternoon.
Read more

Hidden Ulupalakua Lava Tube, Maui

Image
  High above the crowded beaches of South Maui lies a hidden secret adventure that only those in the know will ever experience. Hidden only a thousand yards or so off a well traveled road around 4,000ft in elevation sits a massive cave which angles slowly down the side of Haleakala volcano. The amazing formations inside and the cave itself were formed by lava, creating an underground tube to transport the lava farther down the slope of the volcano. The same thing can be seen actively happening on the Big Island currently. Luckily this lava tube is all dried up making it much safer to explore. However the loose rocks and obvious cave ins leave some cause for concern.   Part of this adventure is just finding the entrance. This included a dirt road, a jeep trail, jumping an old stone wall, then bushwhacking through dense brush for about tweny-five minutes before finding the lava tube entrance. It was surrounded by ferns, just like the famous Thurston Lava Tube in Volcanoes ...
Read more

Search for Chameleons, Maui

Image
  You never know what might be hiding in your backyard. Here on Maui there have always been tales of people finding Jackson's chameleons in their bushes. The trick is to travel a few thousand feet up Haleakala volcano to Makawao, Pukalani and Kula towns where the temperature is a little cooler and it is a bit wetter, perfect conditions for chameleons.   There are no native reptiles on Hawaii. These beautiful chameleons were released or escaped from the pet trade. Luckily they have not become invasive like many other introduced species, however they have increased in population and seem to be doing quite well in the higher elevation areas. Heidi and I went on a search the other day at our friend's house in Kula and were shocked to find a dozen different chameleons in her side yard hedge. They were mostly at eye level, and were curled up asleep for the night. We found them easily enough with flashlights since they seem to sleep near the outer edge of the hedge at night. ...
Read more