The Travelling Nutmeg: Castle Point Lighthouse

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I miss the ocean so much. I just didn't realise how much. But I apparently I miss it "take-my-loafers-off-pull-my-jeans-up-and-wade-in-ice-cold-shallow-waters" much. 

I discovered this on my recent trip to Castle Point, home to one of NZ's twenty-three lighthouses. We drove almost 3 hours, with a brief pit stop in Masterton, which allowed us to arrive as the sun chased the clouds behind the rocks. Since Daylight Savings was the next day, we cherished the sun with light treks through out Castle Beach.


This weather has been a stark difference to the high winds, thunder and lightning that we have been experiencing for the last couple days. It doesn't help that there is a snow storm in the making headed for the South Island that is messing with pressure system up North. All the more reason to make the most of this beachy weather.

I may have gotten a bit carried away with walking barefoot on the sand, which quickly began the hardest fossils I had even come across. But that is totally understandable given how stable this cove is.



I wish I had this guy's alternative but after seeing him drive up a track of the same width and almost tip over, I quickly changed my mind.

I found out later that he was running maintenance on the lighthouse which is has been automated since 1988, which meant there was no entering the house for us. Instead, we enjoyed as much as we could from different vantage points.




Another astounding fact about this Wellington cove is that one could spot seals, whales and dolphins if lucky. And it was my lucky day after all. If you look close enough, some of these rocks aren't giant boulders but beautiful seals and their pups.



I didn't see any whales but I did enjoy these real time waves. Due to an assortment of sunken rock formations, these waves created the most mesmerizing pattern of foam I had even seen.



I mean sure I have seen them in tourist commercials but those are colour-graded using computer programs. Our seas rarely look that rich and blue (spoiler alert). But this was the real deal.



It totally made sense that animals would congregate here to be massaged by the waves. But what you couldn't see or feel were the massive winds helping to make this possible. Nothing about a 50 foot drop into the rocks sounded attractive so it was just matter of find a sweet, hidden spot to take it all in.



Of course on the other side of the cover was Castle Point Rock whose summit could be reached in 40mins but time wasn't afforded to us.



We settled for Castle Point Beach, even if we had to share it with seagulls, motorbikes and and security chasing dog. Don't ask. Adventure finds me where I am. We were just grateful that we didn't walk with food because if you haven't seen those videos were people have their lovely fried fish snatched out of their fingers and into the air, at least now you have been warned.


I sort of envy the persons who get to experience this everyday. Sure it's quiet, there is like one supermarket which doubles as the café and restaurant. But  there is also a level of quirk and class which tells me that they are found a way to enjoy the salty breezes. 



I have twenty-two more light houses to go but I won't be surprised if I'm back here soon. See you on the next one.

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