Old Wharf

A quiet amble today Hubby and I walked the base circuit of Farewell Spit and spent some time exploring Fossil Point, named for the fossilised shells and worm casts which can be found in blocks of mudstone fallen from the cliffs. NZ Fur Seals can of often be seen playing in the water. Farewell Spit is a Nature Reserve looked after by the Conservation Department. Access is restricted and to see the 20m high sand dunes its best to take a supervised tour. Hubby and I will do this next time, when the gannets and other migratory birds have returned.

Heading back to our little cottage we stopped by the ruins of the old wharf at Puponga. In 1899 a coal mine opened with a railway linking the mine to Port Puponga. In the early 1900s the population of Puponga grew to several hundred, with two general stores, a billiard saloon, a bakehouse, two boarding houses, a dance hall, post office and a two teacher school. Coal mining continued until the early 1970s when the last mine closed. Today Puponga is a small settlement known for its amazing landforms.

When the tide is in the ruins of the old wharf are completely covered, I wonder how much longer they will last for.

Thank you for the lovely comments and so many hearts for yesterdays 'Tui in a Kowhai Tree', I'm thrilled with the image and glad you all enjoyed it. An early night for me, feeling quite wind blown and have a slightly hot red face, all that walking in the fresh sea air.

Fossils