Little River and Garden Mound - Rakiura National Park

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park
A moderately easy 4 to 5 hour return walk.
Map Data: Google, Digital Globe, Department of Conservation (DOC).

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Oban to Lee Bay, Rakiura National Park, New Zealand

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park
The walk to Little River and Garden Mound begins here - at the Department of Conservation's Rakiura National Park Visitor Centre in Oban.

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park
We head down to the Halfmoon Bay waterfront and turn left. Then we follow the road along past the wharf and up that small hill where the road turns to the left.

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park
Heading down the hill towards Bathing Beach.

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park
Bathing Beach.

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park
Kiwi birds are commonly seen in this area.

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park
Looking out over Butterfield Beach - with a totally cool Morris 1000 (or "Morrie Thou") in the foreground.

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park
We carry on up and over the hill.

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park
Public telephone.

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park
Coming down the hill into Horseshoe Bay.

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park
Horseshoe Bay.

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park
The Horseshoe Bay Road - Lee Bay Road intersection. We turn left here and head to the Lee Bay carpark.

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park
The start of Lee Bay Road.

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park
This is the end of the Garden Mound Track. It is easier to walk from Lee Bay carpark and along the coast to Little River and then up to Garden Mound from there. So, accordingly, we continue along the road to Lee Bay.

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park
Lee Bay carpark. This is the start of the Rakiura Track, which we follow as far as Little River.

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park
This display tells about local history, geology and telecommunications. Looking down the hole in the top of the display on the left, we can see a length of the Stewart Island / Rakiura telephone cable.

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park
The side track on the right leads down to Lee Bay beach.

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park
Lee Bay beach.

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park
A classic Stewart Island / Rakiura quote.

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park
This is the now-famous Chain link Sculpture which commemorates the forming of Rakiura National Park in 2002. It represents the chain which the mythical Maui used to fasten his anchor (Stewart Island / Rakiura) to his boat (NZ's South Island) when he caught his fish (the North Island). There is another similar sculpture - made of aluminium - in Bluff, at the bottom of the South Island.

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park
Lee Bay picnic area.

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park
A seat...

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park
...with a gorgeous view up the coast.

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park
This is the start of the track up to Garden Mound - but we'll go down and check out the beach at Little River first.

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park
It's a steep descent.

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park
Crossing the bridge over Little River.

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park
Little River. Beautiful...

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park
The climb begins.

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park
We're going to be climbing for quite a while. Better get used to it.

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park
Okay... We're back here again. Now we can really start climbing...

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park
This walk was very popular with early locals because it was one of the few bits of forest they hadn't destroyed. It is hard to fathom the lack of foresight of those responsible - but even today, so many people can still not quite understand that irreplaceable nature is worth far more than the wages of someone paid to destroy it.

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park
This is the summit.

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park
The view over Halfmoon Bay is more spectacular on a clear day, no doubt...

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park
On the way down (which is rather steep), we encounter real Rakiura mud - though not as much as we expected. Nothing a walk in wet grass won't clean off...

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park

LITTLE RIVER AND GARDEN MOUND - Rakiura National Park
More mud. Worse this time. Still, nothing that a walk in long wet grass and a bit of a scrape with a stick won't clean off...