Port Tarakohe

 

We travelled to Pohara via a dump station and coffee in Collingwood. It was interesting reading about the town’s history. Its official name is still Gibbstown, after one of the first Pakeha settlers. Collingwood was the name given to a planned town further up the hill, but the gold rush was shorter than expected and the town was never built. The first 2 pubs burnt down, the first in 1904 and then in 1930. The 1904 fire took out most of the town. The women and children sheltered on board a ship anchored in the harbour while the sailors helped the men fight the fire. 

We stopped at Takaka to pick up supplies, and searched unsuccessfully up and down the main street for a place we could have a beer and a pie for lunch. Finally we went into the first place we had been to, the pub, and cheekily asked if they did pies. They said no, but we were welcome to buy one from the shop across the road and eat them outside the pub. Hooray! 

Just a few kms up the road is Pohara and Port Tarakohe.

The NZMCA park looks straight across the harbour to the moorings. The custodian, who is also the Commodore of the Pohara Boat Club, told us the club’s restaurant was open on Sundays, so we timed it well as the next day was Sunday. 

Our morning walk was through the rock and up to the Abel Tasman monument.

The afternoon was spent soaking up the sunshine on a stunning winter’s day. 15 degrees and full sunshine with no wind. Can’t complain! And the scallops for dinner were delicious.