Murray Neill: Golden Bay Xtracycle Tour 2009

Historic Hydro

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 07:19:21 GMT

The intake of an historic hydro-electricity generation system near Takaka. Some of the flow of this river is diverted off to the right of this picture to follow a race for several kilometers along the wall of the valley, before dropping several hundred meters into a small power station. The power station is the restored version of Takaka's original electricity supply.

Cape Farewell

Sun, 07 Jun 2009 22:13:03 GMT

7.43am

Sat, 30 May 2009 02:26:04 GMT

Xtracycle on the Pillar Point Skyline

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 08:53:15 GMT

Solitude

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 08:32:23 GMT

A walk on Wharariki Beach with my kite... my paradise.

The road to Wharariki

Sun, 19 Apr 2009 07:54:57 GMT

Life facing the Wharariki SW wind

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 09:55:20 GMT

Collingwood Township

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 10:18:40 GMT

Estuary to the west, ocean beach to the east, Collingwood is neatly packed onto a little point beside the estuary mouth in the middle of Golden Bay.

It's recent claim to fame is becoming the first town in New Zealand to ban plastic bags. www.stuff.co.nz/sunday-star-times/features/feature-archiv...

Totaranui Inlet

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 08:48:57 GMT

A small gap at the very end of the golden beach at Totaranui is only breached by the tide at its height to fill the inlet behind.

I've just spent 8 days touring around Golden Bay on by pushbike carrying my camping and kite aerial photography gear (4 kites and one SLR rig). I got several 'flights' during the tour. Totaranui in Abel Tasman National Park was the first.

It's easy to see how Golden Bay got it's name. The beaches throughout the area are comprised of this Golden Sand.Totaranui Campground (the area to the right of the road) was well worth the bike ride over the windy gravel road to get there. The only other way in is walking the coastal tracks from either end of Abel Tasman National Park.