New Zealand – Mokau North Island

There is nothing like a long weekend to get you all excited about going somewhere different, especially when the promise of a beautiful Indian Summer is in the forecast.  Rosie and the Operator took off a day early to beat all the holiday traffic and get an early start on a bit of rest and relaxation.

We were not heading too far away, only two and a half hours drive North to Mokau, the fishing mecca of Taranaki….even though it is technically just over the border in the Waikato region…it is an honoury Taranaki town full of Naki-ites enjoying the long black sand beach and chilled vibe.  We arrived at the Seaview Holiday Park, about two kms North of Mokau, mid afternoon and were ready to make the most of the beach and the glorious weather.

The camp itself is kind of stuck in the 70’s heyday of camping.  The office is part of the house just past the cute boxed cabins which are all painted a cheery shade of pastel.

Through a sliding window we checked in for a couple of nights.  Rosie tried to make friendly small talk with the prim custodian as she has found this useful in the past for getting a prime parking spot, Rosie even commented on how the view from her office window was the best in Taranaki….to which Miss Prim stared myopically out the window as if actually ‘seeing’ the view bought to her attention for the first time before closing the blind and saying it was too bright…..we didnt get a good site…they were fully booked.  Hhhmmmpppfff!  It was then like pulling teeth getting the rundown on the campsite….nothing was offered, no wee parking map with a circle to mark where your spot was or where the amenities are, no tourist brochures or even a jolly ‘enjoy your stay and have a nice holiday’….which is a shame because the site is so beautiful, I guess it speaks for itself.


The campground is wedged between the high tide mark and a bluff that has the State Highway passing by, seaview campsites are limited as windswept arthritic looking trees line the boundary to the sea and lean in and over the permanent campsites that line the edge of the sea.  We were still close enough to get a beautiful peek of the sea  and all you can hear is the freight train rhythmic boom of the sea through your windows, Highway, what Highway, you couldn’t see or hear it!  The camps grounds itself are very tidy, well manicured and sheltered, the grass is collected when mowed so you are not tramping it through your camper.

The long stretch of beach is easy accessible by ramps from different areas of the camp and, hey, why not bring along your quad bike for the weekend, they were everywhere.  The campsite is dog friendly and all the pooches, big and small, were on leads while they walked around the camp or hid behind make shift fences around their campsites which stopped them from roaming.  The amenities are abit rundown and have seen better days, Rosie was glad the ablutions were dimly lit…and got even dimmer when she took her glasses off to shower.  An amateur inscription in the  concrete foundation by the ladies loos kind of said it all….Karen 1978.  Dont forget your shower token .50cents for 5 mins of hot water.  All in all Rosie will be back again, the location is magic and the atmosphere of the sea, beach and vista overshadows the basic facilities.

Stepping down onto the beach and looking left then right you had the world to yourself.  The black expanse of shimmering sand and pounding waves has a restorative quality that just makes you feel uplifted and at peace.

 Rosie and the Operator wandered along the beach, it was a full moon and the tides had been enormous, drifts of beautiful shells had been washed ashore and beachcombing was the order of the day.  It was fun just wandering, feeling the sun on your back and sifting through the debris finding the perfect ocean crafted and sculptured shell to take home.  The Operator carried Rosies shopping bag full of flotsam….’what are you going to do with them?’ he asks…Rosie still doesnt really know…it has been suggested that shell mobiles are the answer and will make the perfect Christmas presents…Rosies family is cringing at the thought, and the idea has not totally been abandoned…

Rosie mucked around on the beach for awhile relishing the solitude while The Operator went for a jog along the sand to the Awakino river mouth to check out any potential fishing spots.  Locals had a few motorised ConTikis out in the choppy water with long lines attached but were not doing to well when retrieving…not alot of fish around today.

As the evening drew in the campsite took on a festive quality and alot of the campers that had permanent sites all gathered together for Happy Hour in their compulsory campground finery….everyone had to wear a hat and I must say the gentleman in his surf shorts, singlet and jandels looked very dapper in his black satin top hat drinking a stubbie.

The sun started sinking in the sky, highlighting the naked mountain, floating like a silhouetted guardian on the horizon.

Good Friday dawned bright and blue and we were meeting up with family and heading out with Mokau River Cruises on Dawn and Neil Colemans old historic 1913 Cream Boat the MV Cygnet.  http://www.mokaurivercruises.co.nz/

We had booked in advance for the three hour journey up the Mokau River, eight of us were going and that was enough to guarantee us exclusive use of the 22 person boat.   The photo to the left is the tiny Cygnet taken from the Mokau look out, turn to the right and you get the beautiful river running out to sea with Taranaki looming in the distance, total Taradise!  The Mokau is a tidal river and it was high tide and in its full glory, at low tide the mudflats reign supreme and is a totally different, if not naked and unimpressive stretch.  A slight breeze rippled the water, we boarded the boat and Neil piloted us out into the deep river channel.

The trip was relaxed, the scenery impressive and the stories of time gone by as narrated by Dawn and Neil inspiring and amazing.  Untouched native New Zealand bush surrounded us on all sides, the river was a muddy brown, and the Cygnet chugged along reliving its working life journey on a daily basis showing us tourists the trip it made up river where it delivered groceries and mail to the remote farm steadings and then collected the cream cans for processing on the return journey. This boat has seen so many sights and has so many stories to tell, it was the life line in the early days for the families that were eeking a living in this isolated spot.

The Mokau river is the second longest in the North Island and is legendary for the whitebait that runs between August and November, these tiny clear tadpole like fish are heading upriver to spawn and during the season the river comes alive with territorial whitebaiters that scoop the river with nets to catch the white gold.  Sprouting from the riverbank and I dare say alot look pretty derelict, are the evenly spaced stands of the whitebaiters.  The little stands jut out over the river, with some just being a plank to stand on to others with wee sheds with cooking stoves and sofas inside.  All was quiet and abandoned at this time of the year

It would be amazing to travel up the river and see all of the fisherman on their stands during the season, there would be a real buzz on the river alright, Rosie is already thinking of a return trip…..After an hour and a bit of sailing we pass a few homesteads and holiday homes on the rivers edge and pull into The Crean Boats exclusive picnic spot – Lewes Landing.

We have elected to have a picnic lunch supplied and Dawn even has a tablecloth for the bush table.  She unpacks the delicious lunch of bacon and egg pie, asparagus rolls, club sandwiches and fresh fruit cake, pours us a cuppa and we sit back and listen to the lap of the river and the song of the tuis.  Dawn has a few pets on hand and gives us a  surprise when she throws some bread

into the river.  Next minuet the surface is thrashing and up from the depths come eels and mullet.  They know there is a feed waiting to be had and are keen to battle for scraps with each other!

After a relaxing break and a trip to a lovely bush toilet we head for home down river the way we came.  There is a viewing seat on the top of the boat and this gives you a beautiful 180 degree view from on high.  The lower deck, under cover keeps you nice and close to the waters edge.

This trip has been in the planning for about three years, it is something on our doorstep that we always meant to do but never got around too…DO IT!  Rosie says it is one of the best tourist attractions in our region!  Neil and Dawn are the perfect sailors and hosts, you will have a ball as well as enjoy an area that is pretty unique and learn a few facts and enjoy the stories of days gone by.  The family had a great day and after a cup of tea at Rosie and The Operators camper the rest headed off home and Rosie and the Operator went for another wander up the beach.

Before we leave Mokau, what exactly is in Mokau for the visitor?  Mokau is the first toilet one encounters travelling from Urenui North over the winding and slow Mt Messenger, the true is in reverse from Piopio through the slow and winding Awakino Gorge….a popular stop it is, there at least a dozen cars parked outside the public conveniences and the overflow have a coffee and drink break at the two cafes which are there.

The Mokau butchery sells whitebait all year round for around $120 a kilo and there is a fantastic Museum specialising in local river, seafaring and bush history harking back to the time when this once isolated outpost was a thriving lumber and coal port for settlements along the river.  Dont forget to have your photo taken by the big red German sea mine that was found in the river after the war and is cemented in place on the main road….Rosie forgot…There is plenty to do, or not to do in Mokau  all based around the sea and river.  Bach’s are available for rent online and there is another campground on the hill behind the Whitebait Inn which serves as a cafe and general store.

Mokau is close to home for Rosie and The Operator and they will be back!