This is the content we're here for

January 4th

Riverton to Colac Bay

Distance: 12km

Steps: 16,000 (again, using poles most of the day, so the wrist based step counter is probably way off).

We started today in much better spirits after a zero day in Riverton, and they were lifted further after the short road section became dense native forest with interesting birds. 

After 30 min the trail opened out into pasture and a stunning coastal vista. In front of us was a view of the Southern Ocean, uninterrupted except for a few islands dotting the horizon. This, as the title says, was the 'content' we'd been looking forward to. A timely reminder that ecstasy and struggle go hand in hand on the TA.

The beach section featured some fascinating geology. What looked to me like frozen basalt lava flows gave way to blue-grey marine sediment sandstone and steep pebbly beaches. Tall headlands had shags (cormorants) and gulls roosting on them, and sheep grazed nearly to the cliff edges.

The final few kilometers traversed another steep, pebbly beach which made progress slow. 

We stopped a couple of times to rest and repair our feet, and on one of these stops saw a pair of Hectors dolphins only metres from the beach edge! These are one of the smallest dolphins in the world, and classified as nationally vulnerable. 

Here's more about Hector's dolphins, and I've uploaded a short video where you can barely make out the rounded fin, here.

This unexpected encounter was more of that content we hoped for. It didn't end there, the dolphins were headed in the same direction as us and we had there company for a couple of kilometres, nearly to the end of our day's walk.

Other nature items of interest were washed up shark egg cases, colourful beach pebbles, drsgonflies, and multitudes of copper and blue butterflies.

And further evidence that NZ is a small country, I chatted with another TA walking couple earlier. They are also from New Plymouth, live around the corner from my parents, and his last name is Bennett which is Eliza's family name.

Dinner tonight is at the local tavern, and we've got it on good authority (a local) that the blue cod is the way to go. (It was)