10-MINUTES TO TRANQUIL
08 JANUARY 2023
The small beach at the end of the Karaka Point Track
A Beautiful Walk With A Little Bit Of History
The Marlborough Sounds are one of our favourite places in the South Island and we knew from the moment we sailed through them on the Bluebridge Ferry from Wellington, that we would be spending lots of time here.
Summer has been incredibly hot which is a) awesome and b) sucky. Summer NEEDS to be hot! We need to be so hot that we have to cool off in the water and spend our days at the beach and forget about the cold winter that only allowed us to wear jeans and coats, BUT if it's too hot then it makes it hard to do anything between 8am and 6pm and in Marlborough, you're not exactly spoilt for choice for indoor activities - trust me, I scoured the internet!
So when we found out that the Karaka Point Track was only a 20-minute return track, we decided it would be a great walk to do on a hot day. A lot of the tracks in Marlborough are in the bush (like the Tirohanga Track in Picton which was mostly covered apart from the incredible summit), so we thought we'd just go for it and although there was no forest covering us, it wasn't as hot as we thought it would be.
The track is well maintained and the along the way there is even some historic ramparts and house pits (whare), which just look like your average pit but they are there because of a historical moment. Between 1827 and 30, the Ngāti Toa tribe at Karaka Point were like a pack of eagles perched on their fortified pā, keeping a watchful eye on potential invaders swooping down the Queen Charlotte Sound. Unfortunately, their lookout wasn't foolproof because Te Rauparaha and his men, armed with muskets, decided to attack the tribe at the Te Rea o Karaka pā. There are information boards by the house pits where you can scrub up a bit on some New Zealand history.
There is a bench seat that starts before the stairs which is the perfect spot to enjoy the view, but we decided to head down to the beach where there is more beautiful views!
Summer has been incredibly hot which is a) awesome and b) sucky. Summer NEEDS to be hot! We need to be so hot that we have to cool off in the water and spend our days at the beach and forget about the cold winter that only allowed us to wear jeans and coats, BUT if it's too hot then it makes it hard to do anything between 8am and 6pm and in Marlborough, you're not exactly spoilt for choice for indoor activities - trust me, I scoured the internet!
So when we found out that the Karaka Point Track was only a 20-minute return track, we decided it would be a great walk to do on a hot day. A lot of the tracks in Marlborough are in the bush (like the Tirohanga Track in Picton which was mostly covered apart from the incredible summit), so we thought we'd just go for it and although there was no forest covering us, it wasn't as hot as we thought it would be.
The track is well maintained and the along the way there is even some historic ramparts and house pits (whare), which just look like your average pit but they are there because of a historical moment. Between 1827 and 30, the Ngāti Toa tribe at Karaka Point were like a pack of eagles perched on their fortified pā, keeping a watchful eye on potential invaders swooping down the Queen Charlotte Sound. Unfortunately, their lookout wasn't foolproof because Te Rauparaha and his men, armed with muskets, decided to attack the tribe at the Te Rea o Karaka pā. There are information boards by the house pits where you can scrub up a bit on some New Zealand history.
There is a bench seat that starts before the stairs which is the perfect spot to enjoy the view, but we decided to head down to the beach where there is more beautiful views!
Where Did The Beach Go?
Less than a minute down the stairs is a small beach that we visited at high tide... this wasn't planned at all and there was barely any beach there at all, so going at low tide is the ideal time. The water is crystal clear blue and walking along the stairs looking down on the water is quite the treat!
We didn't hang around there too long and were a bit disappointed it wasn't an ideal beach to hang at for the day. We have come to expect this in Marlborough with 90% of the beaches not being suitable for swimming with kids (Whites Bay is awesome!) but most are pretty fun for exploring and finding cool gemstones and shells like Ward Beach and Mussel Point at Marfells Beach.
The views from the beach are just as spectacular as the bench seat on the track and if you manage to get there with some beach, then it's the perfect spot to chill out and enjoy the peace and quiet.
We didn't hang around there too long and were a bit disappointed it wasn't an ideal beach to hang at for the day. We have come to expect this in Marlborough with 90% of the beaches not being suitable for swimming with kids (Whites Bay is awesome!) but most are pretty fun for exploring and finding cool gemstones and shells like Ward Beach and Mussel Point at Marfells Beach.
The views from the beach are just as spectacular as the bench seat on the track and if you manage to get there with some beach, then it's the perfect spot to chill out and enjoy the peace and quiet.
Covered In Ice Cream From Head To Toe
Of course, no summer's day is complete without an ice cream to melt all over your hands, face and the car! So after we had lugged all of our beach gear back to the car, we stopped by Whatamango Bay, which was just around the corner from Karaka Point, to see if it would be a good beach to swim at as we reeeeeeally wanted to go for a swim but it wasn't ideal, so off to the ice cream shop we went!
The girls chose the cones with sprinkles (OF COURSE!) and were super happy (and quiet) on the way back to Blenheim and by the end of the trip, Sienna was covered from head to toe in chocolate ice cream.
The girls chose the cones with sprinkles (OF COURSE!) and were super happy (and quiet) on the way back to Blenheim and by the end of the trip, Sienna was covered from head to toe in chocolate ice cream.
Know Before You Go
- You can cool off at the beach at the end of the track, although it gets deep pretty quickly and the waves can get bigger when boats are passing by so it's not ideal for young kids
- The track takes 10 - 20 minutes return
- There are stairs to get down to the beach
- The track is a 15-minute drive from central Picton
- There is plenty of parking at the trail head
- The beach is rocky and shelly (no lush sand here, folks!)
- There are old Maori house pits along the track and some information boards to learn about them
Mappy McMap Face
Getting There
Karaka Point is 15-minutes from the Picton foreshore, in Waikawa, on Port Underwood Road.
There is plenty of parking at the trail head and the lower carpark is the closest to the track.
There is plenty of parking at the trail head and the lower carpark is the closest to the track.
Conclusion
Picton has some incredible views and if you're looking for a short walk with some amazing views, the Karaka Point Track is the one. There is a little bit of history to learn about along the way and the track is a short and easy walk with the family to see such an incredible view!
Gallery of Karaka Point Track
Check out the rest of the awesomeness that didn't make it to the main blog but deserves to be shown.
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