A stroll along the beach… what could be safer?

Pourerere Beach – Mangakuri Beach, Wednesday 25 June 2025
Banner Photo: At Pourerere Beach

A zero temp start to the day as we headed south in David’s van with thick mist around, particularly in the Tuki Tuki Valley down Middle Road. The forecast was cloudy with little wind and we hoped the tides would be favourable. It took around 1.5 hours to Pourerere Beach, our start in the south. As we progressed, the temperature rose.

A map of our planned walk, heading north from Pourerere to Mangakuri Beach

All hopped across the creek onto the beach; the sand was broad and we were walking north into thin cloud and increasing sunhine. After a while, Ted turned back as he was to drive the van up to Mangakuri Beach and walk south, hopefully to meet us early afternoon. There was not another soul around.

After a while, interesting rocks began to appear. Huge half-buried balls and ovals in the sand, reminiscent of the famous Moeraki boulders. Shells and smaller rocks became ‘finds’ for those amongst us who can’t resist picking up such things. Very pleasant walking and, where there was smooth sand, we set a good pace.

Now and then there were sections of rocks, mostly rounded and easy enough to walk on, but also some sections of larger and more slippery rocks at headlands where the sand had all but disappeared.

A track led up to a rather flash-looking bach just before the lunch stop, sitting in splendid isolation – it was quite a sight. Then there was a ‘bark’ a couple or metres away on my left; it came from a young seal sitting alone while its parents hunted. Much later on, another group of four young seals was spotted on rocks and carefully avoided – they made for great photos.

Try pushing that boulder uphill

The group of five trampers became two ahead and three behind. More rugged rock sections were now the norm and they needed careful footing in slippery areas. By now, I sensed the sea seemed much closer.

It was in one such difficult outcrop that David had a nasty slip and fell, hitting his head on a rock and drawing much blood. Kate and I made him as comfortable as we could and tended to the injury, applying plasters, a head bandage and giving him a painkiller. Remarkably, he was not concussed. The damage was just above the left eye; yet David maintained a stoic sense of humour.

Dealing with this took a while but he was able to slowly walk on, everyone carefully negotiating the increasingly tricky rocks.

John and Selina

By now the sea was splashing us and we could not keep walking north. We were being forced to ascend the steep hillside. It was hard going, up an eroded hillside among fallen pines, but we eventually came to a skid track for pine plantings that we could follow upwards. A house ahead proved to be derelict so we had to keep walking.  I managed to get cell coverage and contacted Ted; he, Barbara and Selina were in the Mangakuri area, so were safe and had the van.

Unfortunately, our track proved much longer than my phone indicated and later I figured we were actually further south by a couple of kilometres.

Seal basking in the sunshine on the beach

Because David could walk and we were able to protect his injuries, I decided we did not need to set off the PLB but could continue to walk out and we would meet up with the others and the van. Cellphone calls back and forth weren’t helped by patchy coverage. I jogged ahead and found an inhabited house at the bottom of the track. The occupant was very helpful. We hopped in his ute and drove back up to collect David and Kate and then headed back towards Mangakuri, to meet up with Ted, Selina and Barbara.

By now it was around 4.30pm, so we made a speedy return to Napier, arriving around 6pm. David’s wife and daughter came to Park Island to take him for medical attention. We were all pretty relieved that things had worked out – but lessons had been learned.

David’s tumble (which could have happened to any of us) resulted in seven stitches and he had bruising and a black eye, but fortunately there was no other damage. Time for a well-earned rest, David!

Trampers: David Hills, Ted Angove, Selina Chilton, Barbara Edmead, Kate Fuller and reporter John Dobbs