Kawatea Walkway, Okains Bay

Time: 2 hours (includes a swim)
Distance: 5 km
Start: Stockyards, next to 1358 Okains Bay Road
Finish: Same place (it's there and back)
Date: Friday 28th Nov 2025

Summit Road, Bank Peninsular - the crater rim of an ancient volcano - and a trundly twisty-turny drive with fantastic views. At the Okains Bay turn-off, I lowered the gear for the steep descent. Beyond the bay below, there was a decent swell rolling across Te-Moana-Nui-a-Kiwa. We by-passed the Okains Bay Museum and the Okains Bay General Store, and parked at the stockyard - which is between the cute blue bach with the cave and a row of Phoenix palms. Here there is a gate and some track signage "Little Okains Bay".

The Kawatea Walkway is an old rocky farm track that runs from Okains Bay to Little Okains Bay (20 minutes or so) and beyond. As we set off, a nutty looking dude with bare feet was striding down the rocky track towards us. It looked like pure torture although he wasn't flinching. A hardened sole, I suppose. We greeted him, but I don't think he replied. As we rounded the headland at the top, Little Okains Bay came in to view. An idyllic vista - milky blue water with rocky stacks in the distance. Windy and hot. 

From the headland, the farm track quickly dropped down to Little Okains Bay beach where two paradise ducks honked as we approached.  Little Okains Bay (a.k.a Okeina or Kawatea), is a place of significance because it was once a Ngāi Tahu settlement and, subsequently, many taonga were found there and have ended up in the Okains Bay Museum.  In 1849, The Crown procured the bay by dubious means (essentially downright theft) as part of the Port Levy Deed.

Through the gate it was tempting to linger, but we were curious to check out the next bay.  On the topo map it doesn't have a name. We crossed the stream and climbed. The kanuka were in flower and the air smelt like honey. Actually we had our usual "Is it manuka?/Is it kanuka?" conundrum. Kanuka it was. They have smaller more whiskery flowers (I googled that when I got home). Once again, we rounded the headland with idyllic vistas down to the unnamed bay.

At some point it became obvious that we would have to leave the farm track, which was now heading away from the beach. A left turn at the brown stagnant creek saw us negotiating a (cattle?) track of sorts and heading in a fairly feasible direction towards the bay. Eventually the track petered out and the land fell away steeply. Below was the bay and a tiny bach. Oh so close. I reckon you can probably get down there (a couple of cows had managed to and were munching grass by the creek) - but it did look like private property. In the heat of the day, a democratic decision was made to head back to Little Okains for our swim. 

It was really sweltering by now and we hoofed it back to get in that water.  As we arrived at Little Okains Beach, the paradise ducks honked and two herons flew off. We clustered under the only shady tree and donned togs. The tide was out and the sand was oh sooo hot. But as we stepped into Te-Moana-Nui-a-Kiwi the water was oh sooo icey icey cold. It was a shock and we squawked like anything. The waves were rolling in and before long we were "swimming". 

The swim was all over in a couple of nanoseconds. But we were refreshed and energised. Caffeine was calling and we hoofed the 20 minutes walk back to the stockyards. Air conditioning on, we drove back to the Okains Bay General Store where there were a whole swag of over-excited pre-schoolers with two mums buying milkshakes and sweets. We got coffee and butter-chicken pies and icecreams. Also nuts and bananas. Outside at the picnic bench, we discussed the merits of sleep. The red telephone booth, now doubles as a handy bookswap.

 

With full bellies, a few books and caffeine addictions satisfied, it was time to check out the Okains Bay Museum which houses Murray Thacker's huge collection of Māori taonga and colonial artefacts. Exhibits include wonderful waka huia, kiwi korowai, plus a stuffed albino kiwi with an egg. 

In the days when it was still legal to do so, Thacker excavated a pa on Pa Island and found many taonga. He also bought at auction around the country and repatriated from overseas. His relationship with local iwi by all accounts was good, but it is still controversial to have taonga sitting in museums run by non-Māori: " The relationship between Māori and museums has always been fraught and the Okains bay Māori and Colonial Museum is no exception."  

These days the museum is a charity administered by a board that has representation from local iwi and the Thacker family, among others. The museum is a fascinating glimpse into Aotearoa's tumultous history and I couldn't resist buying a couple of "Dēface Dē Crown" pins. Then we got behind the slowest of cars and trundled back to Crikers.