Red Rocks and Seals on the Wellington South Coast

Red Rocks Coastal Walk on Wellington’s South Coast is a breathtaking stroll along a rugged path looking out on the Cook Strait. It’s popular with four-wheel drives, fisherman, mountain bikers and walkers. Yesterday we took Aunty Claire to visit the seals, which come ashore between May and October, and enjoy stunning vistas of the South Island and the seaward Kaikoura range dusted in snow.

It’s incredible to have this scenic spot almost on our doorstep. On every day, bar Sunday, four-wheel drives are permitted on this stretch of coastline and the girls were waving to each vehicle as it passed. The track to the seals climbs through a very narrow, rough piece of ground and it’s quite amusing to watch the vehicles try to master it. It was quite a mission to walk the two-hour return track with our young girls, but there wasn’t too much moaning! Charlotte enjoyed an extremely bumpy ride in the buggy, with the occasional complaint of her bum being a tad sore and Sophie rode on Daddy’s back. Having Aunty Claire to help master the occasional shallow ford of water helped too.

On the return leg we stopped periodically to look in the rock pools and beach-comb. Aunty Claire found a spot to take in the scenery and managed to squeeze her rump into the buggy!

Today, Aunty Claire encouraged me to go on a run, which I thoroughly enjoyed and am still on a high from, but couldn’t quite manage the marathon levels of my sister. I turned back towards home, after about 6 km’s and left her running… and running. She managed around 20 kilometres, running all the way to see the seals again. Sophie kept saying, ‘Mummy, back, Aunty Claire (with a questioning shrug) back?’, which she repeated every ten minutes or so till my sister finally returned to the house!