Journey to Goat Shit Lake (aka Lake Kohangapiripiri)

 

Lake Kohangapiripiri

Oh this lake sounded wonderful on the official websites.  A lake just next to the sea with all kinds of birds breeding in in.  Birds that can not be found breeding in other parts of the Wellington region.    

The walk to the lake sounded pretty okay too, a walk along a dirt road that runs next to the sea.  The road is used by cars as well and it certainly is not a nature trail, but it is next to the sea. 

So I set out on about a ten mile round trip walk to the lake and back.  Our car was stolen this last week so I road the bus part way into town with Abra then we parted when she got off at the train station and I stayed on the bus until it got to my transfer point at Queensgate mall. 

 There were white pidgeons, aka doves at the bus stop. It was suggested that they were let loose for an event of some sort.

I got off my final bus at 8:45 and began my walk down the coast road.   The walk was pleasant and I made it to the turn off for the lakes nearly 5 miles before I saw anyone else.  This is not the walk you want for solitude, but it's not a zoo either.

I ended up wandering half way around the Lake Kohangapiripiri (No idea how to pronounce this) looking for a perfect lunch spot.  There was not a lot to sit on that was not covered in goat and perhaps also sheep poop.  The trail around the lake was lined with gorse.  Gorse is a horrible weedy plant that is very much like broom except for it has evil sharp thorns.  

The trail suddenly ended at a fence line due to a board walk being shut down.  I knew there was a closed boardwalk somewhere on the lake but was not sure if it would stop me from walking around the lake or not.  

Since I was on a dead in trail I had this area all to myself and the goat poop and the possum corpses.  Possums are being trapped and  here in a attempt to let the native bush grow back.  A few sections around the lake had been fenced off and replanted with native bush. 

I did not make to to the lake Kohangatera but I expect it would be in the same sad condition.  I hope that someday these lakes can be restored to their former glory. 

The only birds I saw on the lake were Australian swans with babies and some oyster catchers.  The baby swans (goslings?) were cute but far a way.  I had hoped to see more birds, maybe I was at the wrong time of day or year for that.  It is fall here.

After lunch I wandered down to the coast instead of going back up and down the hill to the lighthouse. By doing that I made a little loop around the lighthouse hill.   I did not go to the light house at all because it looked very hot and exposed and a cyclist headed up there the same time I did.  I was feeling anti-social and did not want to talk to anyone while taking in what would have been a very nice view.

The coast was quite nice in this section and I was very tired, so I took a few breaks just to stop and look at the waves.  I took a few pictures but I was a bit too tired for good photography. 

The walk back was pretty, lots more cyclists and several cars passed me.  This trail seems popular later in the day than in the morning.  I saw one other hiker who made it to the lakes. 

I took a different bus back, the same one that stranded me in Petone last time because I did not realize what bus I was on. The driver helped me figure out how to make the transfer to my second bus.  
The transfer skipped the mall but involved a 15 minute walk along a river front.  From there I crossed a very busy and fast road to get to my bus stop.

Pedestrians have a very low status on the roads in NZ and crossing the street is bit scary.  Pedestrians only have the right of way at the li cross walks  and anywhere else cars will happily nearly mow you down if you dare to try crossing the street and there are not very many crosswalks here. That coupled with the fact that I am not used to cars driving on the left and can not accurately predict where cars are coming from, makes crossing the street here very scary for me. 

12 miles with a whopping 150 feet elevation gain.

I'm going to start working to up my mileage and elevation gain.  I kinda slowed down over the past year or so.  Partly I slowed down due to wanting to stay near my dying husband and also to stay near my child once I became a single mother and then covid and population growth made the trails a crowded mess so that put me off most of my regular mountain hikes.   But I am not longer the only adult in the the house and I have a whole new area to explore.

Dove at bus stop

Start of walk

So many abalone shells here

Goats wreaking havoc on the landscape

Oyster catcher in the morning surf

Looks nice from this distance

Looks nice from this distance but is lined with gorse and poop 

One of two possums I saw in traps

My turn around point

Something on the beach at first I thought it was shipwreck but it had a concrete base

Something in the cliff

The ferry that goes between the North and South Island

I think this sheep was begging for my lunch

Goat chowing down on native plants

Gate to private property at the start of the hike
not sure if these are the folks who own all the goats and sheep

Reminds me of the old Oyster house on the Hood Canal
taken from a bus so there are window reflections