No exit before Tasmania

When the Europeans started exploring Aotearoa, they obviously had seen a lot in a short time. And they were running out of names of some grandeur.

So James Cook had a bad weather day, and we got Cape Foulwind in 1770. We can presume the weather on the westernmost point in South Island was challenging back in the days too. But the European man who saw this area first, the dutch captain Abel Tasman, called the cape Rocky Point in 1642. Not that exciting, really.

But Tasman won the more important namegiving. The nation we now call New Zealand in English, get its name from a small province under sea level in Europe. The Dutch province of Zeeland, litterary Sea Land, is not an obvious suitable namesake to a mountainous chain of islands with the second best fiord landscape in the world.

Exciting area, crickets

The old mining town of Westport is a useful base for exploring this area. Being of architectural interest itself, the sea, land and mountains nesrby carries views and sights worth a closer look. Like a fur seal colony, hiking tracks along the West coast, beaches, sea and wind!

And a very loud cricket concerts by sunset at the Cape Foulwind Lighthouse!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Foulwind

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How to get away from Cape Foulwind
With a name like Cape Foulwind, you may understand why you want to get away. And how far you must go.
Here the Europeans, the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman, anchored in Aotearoa (and later naming it New Zealand), for the first time in 1642. The weather was probably good, and he called the outcrop Cliff Rock.
Then the English Captain James Cook found this place in 1770 under probably worse conditions. He named it Cape Foulwind. Since the English won the competition of ruling Aotearoa, the name stuck.

Signs, and what to do
This signpost is close to the fur seal colony in Tauranga Bay, on a windy, salty and fresh spot to get a good outlook of the area. On this track going south from Cape Foulwind Lighthouse there are stiff cliffs down to pebble beaches and the Tasman Sea, and low rolling hills towards the mountains in east.
This area is a nice spot to stop, relax and enjoy the outlook and beach, especially if you are a surfer. Or hike along the trails and exhibit some coastal flora and fauna of the West Coast Region in South Island. And some fresh, varying weather conditions.
Included an old, secluded track-and-bowl-system near the lighthouse.
The seal colony is well protected, but easy observable from a safe distance from the walking track. The closest town is Westport, and they have all necessary amenities from lodging to food, drinks and hiking equipment.

https://westcoast.co.nz/visit/operators/cape-foulwind-walkway/

#2016CE #20mm #Aotearoa #AotearoaNewZealand #beach #bluesky #CapeFoulwind #D800 #green #Kiwi #kiwiexperience #newnewzealand #Nikkor #Nikon #NikonD800 #nz #westcoast #roadtrip #sea #SealColony #signpost #southisland #sun #tasman #tasmansea #TeWaipounamu #visitnewzealand #westport #cliff #countryside #dangerous #europeanfirst #heavyweather #Trekking #westport

At #CapeFoulwind we visited a #seal colony. #NewZealand #Neuseeland #Backpacking #Roadtrip