It was Easter Sunday, and I managed to convince my 2 colleagues Don and Darren to make a trip down to the Whitecliffs Walkway in Urenui, about 45 minutes drive from New Plymouth city centre.
I had picked Darren up after Sunday mass to have lunch at Don's place, and over the course of the meal, I managed to convince Marco and Sarah, 2 great people I've befriended in the month or so here, to join us on the trip to Whitecliffs.
Based on online resources, my impression of the walkway was a simple to long hike, which included walking along the beach when the tide was low. What I experienced was waaaaaay beyond my expectations.
The first half was straightforward as what I read online - a gentle upslope through privately owned farm estates. As expected, along the way were cows, sheep, cow dung, strong winds, possum traps, wild grasses and flowers, the raging Tasman Sea, periods of bright sunshine, and sudden downpours.
Don and Darren had returned back to the car before the halfway point, and it was just Sarah, Marco and myself to complete the loop. We were contemplating heading back the way we started, but were persuaded by a Kiwi family to continue onward with the path, onto the beach and take the flat and scenic route back to the car. After all, I was thinking that Don and Darren were already tired of waiting for us, and the quickest route would be the best option.
True enough, it took just 20 minutes to get down the hill to the beach. However, the tide had not receded according to schedule. The beach was not to be seen, as waves continued to crash against the sheer cliff walls.
Sarah and the Kiwi family thought we could avoid getting drenched if we ran ahead each time the waves receded. Marco agreed. I had no choice but to follow. I packed my muddy leather loafers into a plastic bag and placed them into my splash proof camera bag. This, on hindsight, would be my biggest boo boo in a long time.
Barefoot, with both my mobile phones and camera in a splash-proof bag, I followed my fellow hikers along the beach as fast as I could, which wasn't fast at all. I lost my footing several times under the slippery uneven surface.
I was in a horrible state. I was drenched and off balance. I feared for my possessions. My watch bracelet had unlatched itself on my left hand. In my right hand, my all-weather camera, and the waves were smothering my camera bag. I tried to stay close to the cliff thinking that the ground would be more firm, but the waist-high waves crashed against the wall and rebounded onto my face and further drenching my camera bag.
The terror lasted about 15 minutes. Thankfully the tide did recede, and the beach cleared up revealing a gorgeous stretch of glossy black sand. We hustled back to the start point (boat drop-off point), taking some pictures and picking souvenirs along the way.
Sarah told me later on she thought we'd be in the next day's papers for a drowned Singaporean at Whitecliffs walkway. I checked my belongings. Both my iPhone 5S and my HTC One mobile phones were drowned. My DSLR would not turn on. My zoom lens had water within the lenses. Hopefully 'll be able to claim insurance on the damaged items.
Age has caught up with me. In the past 5 years, I've put on weight, spent more energy on building a career, and I think more importantly, stopped pushing my body to its physical limits.
Time to get back in shape, and New Zealand has all the right elements to make that happen.
Lessons learnt:
The Tasman Sea is not as salty as Asian waters
Be prepared for all weather conditions
I had picked Darren up after Sunday mass to have lunch at Don's place, and over the course of the meal, I managed to convince Marco and Sarah, 2 great people I've befriended in the month or so here, to join us on the trip to Whitecliffs.
 |
| Marco, Sarah and myself. Note my inappropriate attire |
The first half was straightforward as what I read online - a gentle upslope through privately owned farm estates. As expected, along the way were cows, sheep, cow dung, strong winds, possum traps, wild grasses and flowers, the raging Tasman Sea, periods of bright sunshine, and sudden downpours.
Don and Darren had returned back to the car before the halfway point, and it was just Sarah, Marco and myself to complete the loop. We were contemplating heading back the way we started, but were persuaded by a Kiwi family to continue onward with the path, onto the beach and take the flat and scenic route back to the car. After all, I was thinking that Don and Darren were already tired of waiting for us, and the quickest route would be the best option.
True enough, it took just 20 minutes to get down the hill to the beach. However, the tide had not receded according to schedule. The beach was not to be seen, as waves continued to crash against the sheer cliff walls.
Sarah and the Kiwi family thought we could avoid getting drenched if we ran ahead each time the waves receded. Marco agreed. I had no choice but to follow. I packed my muddy leather loafers into a plastic bag and placed them into my splash proof camera bag. This, on hindsight, would be my biggest boo boo in a long time.
 |
| "We can make it if we just make a run when the waves recede!" |
I was in a horrible state. I was drenched and off balance. I feared for my possessions. My watch bracelet had unlatched itself on my left hand. In my right hand, my all-weather camera, and the waves were smothering my camera bag. I tried to stay close to the cliff thinking that the ground would be more firm, but the waist-high waves crashed against the wall and rebounded onto my face and further drenching my camera bag.
The terror lasted about 15 minutes. Thankfully the tide did recede, and the beach cleared up revealing a gorgeous stretch of glossy black sand. We hustled back to the start point (boat drop-off point), taking some pictures and picking souvenirs along the way.
 |
| No point crying over wet equipment... |
Age has caught up with me. In the past 5 years, I've put on weight, spent more energy on building a career, and I think more importantly, stopped pushing my body to its physical limits.
Time to get back in shape, and New Zealand has all the right elements to make that happen.
 |
| Whitecliffs Walkway |
The Tasman Sea is not as salty as Asian waters
Be prepared for all weather conditions
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be nice!