The 2022 TumbleStone Calendar features ten photos of beaches that I have visited recently in order to collect stones to tumble polish. With one exception, these are South Island beaches visited on the date that the photo was taken (photos of three stones I found on that beach on that day are also included for each month). For the months of June and December, I feature close-ups of stones from the previous five months. In this Post, I provide the specific locations for January to May of each beach and link to any previous Post about the day I visited there. Part Two deals with the months of July to November.
JANUARY, Kakanui, 19 February 2021 – The location of this beach is two kilometres north of Kakanui village, a few kilometres south of Oamaru in North Otago. The beach sweeps northwards from a small roadside car park near the intersection of Seadown Road and Thousand Acre Road. See here for the beach on Google Maps. The photo in the Calendar was taken looking south towards the southernmost start of the beach. For the Post about my visit to that beach on 19 February 2021, see Day Three of this Post.
FEBRUARY, Slope Point, 12 & 18 June 2021 – This is one of a small number of fossicking beaches just to the west of Slope Point in the Catlins, the southernmost point of the South Island. Access is across private land so permission should be sought. The sea is often rough and tides are strong. This particular beach is known to at least some locals as Bach Beach because of a solitary holiday home overlooking it. It has a high cliff to the north which often keeps the beach in shade. See here for the beach on Google Maps. Click these links for my 2021 visits to that beach on 12 June and on 18 June.
MARCH, Riverton, 2 March 2021 – The Back Beach at Riverton/Aparima, Southland, is located along the last stretch of the Rocks Highway. It lies directly across Foveaux Strait from Rakiura/Stewart Island, so the tides are strong and swimming is not recommended. The photo in the Calendar is taken in a small bay at the western end of the Back Beach, right in front of the turning area at the end of the Rocks Highway, and looking towards the Howell Point Lookout. The three stones for March were collected just on the other side of the Lookout, on what I call the Beach Past the Back Beach. See here for the area on Google Maps. For the Post about my fossicking visit there on 2 March 2021, see Day 14 in this Post.
APRIL, Gemstone Beach, 18 & 19 September 2021 – This beach is located about one kilometre west of Orepuki in Southland which is about 20 minutes drive from Riverton/Aparima. Gemstone Beach lies on the coast of Te Waewae Bay, towards its eastern end, and large banks of stones run from there northwestwards for a number of kilometres. The photo in the Calendar is of the beach immediately in front of the carpark (on Mullans Road West), looking southeast, and includes a few fossickers – this is the direction towards Monkey Island and this part of the beach usually has very few stones. See here for the beach on Google Maps. I did not Post about my visits to Gemstone Beach in September 2021. However, a good idea of the beach and the area northwestwards is provided in this 2019 Post.
MAY, Ward Beach, 12 March 2021 – Ward Beach, Marlborough, is about six kilometres off the main road east from the small village of Ward in the Flaxbourne District, 82 kilometres north of Kaikoura and 45 kilometres south of Blenheim. The Flaxbourne River reaches the coast at Ward Beach, which is set among spectacular scenery – high hills with steep slopes and a coastline with interesting rock formations. The Ward Beach boulders (concretions) are not far from the car park (maybe 10 minutes’ walk north). The beach was uplifted by the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake, unveiling the boulders. The best part of the beach for stones is immediately in front of the car park, though it can be steep as it gets closer to the water and the incoming waves can be dangerous. The photo in the Calendar of the beach is looking north towards the carpark from near the Flaxbourne River mouth. The rocks in the foreground are visible only at low tide. See here for the beach on Google Maps. Regarding my visit to that beach on 12 March 2021, see Day 24 in this Post.
Continued in Part Two.
Really looking forward to receiving my calendar!