Red Rocks/Pariwhero (Wellington) Ōwhiro Bay, North Island, New Zealand
By capperz on 01-Oct-22. Waypoint GCA0EEF

It's always an interesting place to visit. A great example of Wellington's wild south coast. I took some time over the answers which I have sent to the CO, hopefully I was on the right track. We managed to find some small red rocks for the photo. TFTC

Thanks!

Visited this area today. Being hampered by a knee injury had me worried how well I'd get around here, but I managed. Thanks for putting this earthcache out here! Answers sent for me and Siebharinn. Thanks!

I've never been out to this part of the coast before, what a great spot but if its always like that I don't think I'll bother bringing my kayak back, its a bit too knarly for me. A lot of debate went on between IsisNZ and I over the answers. Thanks for bringing us here, I think every earthcache I do adds just a bit more to my knowledge of how the environment has developed#17105

Paddle chick and I came out here to the coast primarily for the challenge caches this morning and in the process of finding the labs we arrived here. We both enjoy earthcaches so were keen to complete this special one. Initially we had different ideas for question one but came to consensus after a bit of a conflab. We were surprised at how many 4WDs and motorbikes braved the big puddle to drive further along the coast. Thoroughly enjoyed the visit thanks capperz - an obvious favourite. TFTEC # 22,513

Thanks for the earth cache here.I struggled a bit with answers for this one but have sent them through to CO.Was a fun drive along here, heres a photo of me at red rocks

Always a pleasure coming to this part of the south coast, will have to plan a mission to get some of the caches further along. Answers sent. Hopefully theyre ok. Thanks capperz

Despite the bright calm day, this was quite chilly as we were firmly in the shade by this time! As such I don't think I got the best view of the cliff face. Answers sent, TFTC.

Better weather today with some sun, greatStarted here down south with some beautiful sunrise and rocks, amazing.Thanks for the cache./herrFamaxe from Sweden

We stayed few days at Wellington before to take our ferry. We slept at the freecamp and walked to see the Red Rocks. We saw several furs. It was a nice spot.

Beautiful spot for walking and camping

Awesome place, lovely site to see and to wake up next to! Thanks for the cache!

Looks niceT4TC

I visited this site in the hope of grabbing this Earthcache for International Earthcache Day 2023.I had been out here just once before, in pitch darkness about 10 weeks ago. That was pretty daft, but today it was much easier to see what I was doing lol.A bit of confusion in order to be able to answer the first question (answers sent to the CO) but otherwise all good here. I had a good search for red rocks on the beach, always wanting to find some significantly red ones. I managed to gather a few small samples, which I arranged in a way about as artistically pleasing as I ever get Thank you for setting this one up.

We tried for this after my nearby event, but the darkness made it a tad difficult to answer Returned recently for daytime observations & photos. Thanks capperz, answers sent in.

Logging with permission.A second visit here in recent months, the first was at a nearby event but that was in the evening and while we made it to GZ, it was obvious that this was a daylight cache .I'm at a bit of a disadvantage as I'm red-green colourblind so had trouble with the first question, but with a bit of research I found some information that helped.Thanks for bringing me back here, and I did indeed learn some new information about the area. All good, and TFTEC

With international Earthcache Day a few weeks away I've tweaked Q2 after good feedback from a previous finder. It should result in a better experience and observations at the GZ.

#13,437. I have visited this coastline quite a few times over the years as the family enjoyed the walks to see the seals and explore the shoreline. I have been up and down the elevator a few times as well to do caches and so have seen the quarry rocks up close and personal. My latest trip was on a rather dull and grey winters day with just a hint of sunshine between the passing showers and bleak cold southerly air. The tasks at GZ seemed like they should be easy but in poor light it proved to be more challenging than I remember from past trips to this area where the reddish rocks are quite spectacular set amongst the dull greywacke of Wellington geology. I have posted the answers and got permission to log the cache. Thanks Capperz for setting this up. The best band of red rocks are out by the Devils Gate but that is quite a walk.

Parked outside the Te Kopahou Visitor Centre in Ōwhiro Bay, Wellington for a short walk along Great Harbour Way / Te Aranui o Pōneke. On the way to GZ, we went past a team of film makers surrounding a couple of actors sitting on the beach. Great scene. We were blown away with the views and experience. Answers sent to the cache owner via the Message Center. Appreciated the super quick response.

Thanks for the earthcache placement, and for bringing us to this site, and …

.T h a n k s. .f o r. .t h e. .c a c h e.
.M a u r u u r u. .k o e. .n u i. .a t u. .h o k i. .t e. .k e t e r o k i.

I had just attended a nearby event this evening, and foolishly thought I could attempt this cache by torchlight.
Not one of my better idea it has to be said, so I'll come back another time and have a proper go at it

Visiting from Colorado, USA. I love Earth caches. I had difficulty with the colors, being red/ green colorblind. Picture posted, email sent. Thank you for creating this cache and helping to keep our recreation going.

Dubiously logging this as I’m not sure my answers are correct! Fascinating stuff though! A beaut day for a hikoi

To night we stay at the freedom campsite close by. So I walked first to the info center and then to the red rocks. I found it difficult to find the answers. But loved the environment. Thanks for creating this cache and showing this place in more detail.

I was on a cruise around New Zealand on the Noordam with my sister, Piney Wood Walkers, my brother, Cloiud9Hikers and their spouses. While in port in Wellington we had a private driver take us around. I told him I was after geocaches so I was able to find a few while we were in the area. Greetings from Minnesota, USA.

We stopped at the Taputeranga Marine Reserve. I was able to get to GZ and see the information inside the shelter. Thanks for making me look closer.

Earthcaches as well as marine reserves are something I really do like, so of course while I was here I had to come and visit this one. Spent a while in the visitor center reading all the signs and listening to the sound recordings, then headed out to match what I had read to what I could see. This seems like the perfect place to put an Earthcache and I really enjoyed my visit!

Answers sent and approved by the CO. Thanks again for setting this one up! Always great to get an Earthcache on a day out

(#1833)

Came down Friday after work. Train and bus. It was t-shirt weather but the sun was behind cloud and so the light was a little dim. Hard to tell what the colours were. I remember the quarry here from when I was a kid, I always thought they were simply mining stone, not hunting for iron. So why wasn't the quarry further around? I would have thought that the pariwhero would have been a richer source of iron!

Found none of the pariwhero at GZ but did find some nicely baked rock that gave it a great red colour! (photo)

Great short and educational cache. Was worth a good look at the rocks. This is one of our favourite places to visit. TFTC

It was a grey windy day and quite tricky to note any significant differences but there were many tell tail red rocks around this is a very interesting place..rugged and exposed to the elementsI enjoyed learning about the area..thanks capperz appreciate your efforts in setting this cachephoto attached

This area is in another world. It's hard to believe NZs capital city is so close. The sea is rough and the wind cold. We arrived in Wellington in shorts and T-shirr but that didn't last long. We will park up here for the night unless the wind gets too bad. GZ wasn't the best example of the red rocks as we discovered on a brisk walk along the coast. Some beautiful examples to be seen and well worth the walk. A great place to visit. Thanks for setting up this Earth Cache capperz.

Great to explore the rocks. I was pleased to discover the information needed at the start of the walk! Thank you for making me stop and notice! TFTC!!

Whero is definitely red.

I think perhaps you have it wrong way round and are suggesting it should be red cliffs? (I couldn't find anything online that helps with pari but I did find that matapari is cliff face.)

I had a go but struggled to work out the correct colours, as I recall it I think they are more distinct further round near the other Earthcache but it didn't suit me to go that far so no so no souvenir for me. (I did find a nice red rock though.)

But an interesting visit nevertheless, someone (with companion) trying to access the area on an electric wheelchair -he somehow squeezed through at the barrier but couldn't get over the stream, I did warn them but they got stuck on the edge and had to be assisted by a group of guys to get moving again.

Not only that but a large Pacifica (maybe Samoan) choir being recorded on the beach - maybe for Praise Be or something?????

I made a typo in my note originally that said I didn't find that matapari meant cliff face - it does! Fixed.

Just made it! Were on site at about 7.15, about 20 minutes before sunset! It was a very timely earthcach, being published just before this Earthcache weekend. We stopped off while out on a driving lesson.

It was very interesting to hear the explanation for not just the red rocks but also the green rocks we see here. I have stumbled across red rocks in a number of places around Wellington, visible mainly in stream beds, including Otari, Gollans Stream on the other side of the harbour, and near Mt Kaukau.

I've attached the required photo for this cache, and another that shows a red rock in the Gollans Stream bed. TFTC.

I went out to Owhiro Bay today and enjoyed a stroll along the beach before doing this Earthcache. I can remember coming here back when the quarry was operating. It's much nicer now its been closed and the land is regenerating. The earth cache added to my knowledge of the area. Cheers and TFTC

time get a earth cache for International earth day quick trip out to GZ toda

one more error that Google maps got wrong
Pariwhero is cliff red not red rocks
Pari is cliff
red is Whero
toka is rock

therefore Red rocks is tokawhero not Pariwhero

TFTC capperz for placing this cache, number 11770 for me. Information has now been sent through to the CO so changing this log to a found one. I always enjoy coming out here, even when the wind is 'somewhat bracing' and the light was fading, which impacted my ability to see colours somewhat. Managed to get to the revised GZ without too much in the way of wet feet, and once my phone settled enough to confirm I was in the right location, I made my observations, and headed back to the car before hypothermia set in....

Many, many thanks for a new earthcache in the area, Wellington certainly has plenty of diverse geology to explore!

Seeing as how capperz has so obligingly published a new earthcache in time for International Earthcache Day, and seeing as how I happened to be at Red Rocks in the last 24 hours... I've posted my answers to the CO. Note that my photo was taken at Red Rocks rather than at GZ, but you have to pass GZ to get to Red Rocks (unless you are a mountain goat), so I will confirm that I visited GZ both on the way and returning. TFTC!

This is only the second time that Talla64 and I have been to this area; the first time was for RogerW1nz's AdLab. We really must come and do a bit more exploring - we have a plan! We'd printed out the questions for this earthcache so that we could write the answers next to them, so we might have looked as if we knew what we were doing as we took notes and pointed out features - so much so that we were approached by a muggle, quite intrigued, who asked us what we were doing. I think he was impressed as we spoke about the features. Some people are easily impressed. The answers have been sent off to the CO who has given approval. Thanks so much capperz for setting up this Earthcache in time for us to get this year's souvenir. Very interesting indeed.

What an interesting earth cache I had no idea that was the story behind the name. Judging by the stories and photos in the information centre there has been a lot of drama around this area
Flowerydaze has sent our joint submission to the CO. Thanks for publishing this earth cache capperz - most enjoyable on a cold windy but sunny day

Published

Have clarified the waypoint, it's now back from the cliff face to enable a better assessment of the questions. Apologies for the ambiguity, esp to you Roger, and happy (earth) caching to the watchers and future finders

Sadly I cannot claim a FTF (yet, anyway). I was only 2.5km from GZ when I was told about this cache, and after finishing shopping, headed for Owhiro Bay/Red Rocks car park.
Upon arriving, noticed 2 dog-walkers in the vicinity of GZ (132m distant) but it turned out they were not on any FTF mission! Made it to within 10m of GZ (which, amazingly is -spoiler alert - right where the final of my Tapu te Ranga bonus cache is).

Then the rain started. Blowing in horizontally from Cook Strait with a howling southerly behind it. Realised I had to climb up to the next level to get to actual GZ. Started to scramble up, slipped twice (despite being in my dedicated GC boots), and decided my life and limbs were more important than an FTF!

Abandoned the mission, and returned to the car, to live and cache another day!

Tftc anyway capperz. I will return - maybe sooner than later - who knows? In meantime the way is open for younger & fitter abominable snowmen! I will Watch for now Pic not quite at GZ!

Coordinates changed from:
S 41° 20.823 E 174° 44.900

Coordinates changed to:
S 41° 20.844 E 174° 44.921

Distance from original: 159.8 feet or 48.7 meters.

Moving back from the cliff face to clarify the viewpoint of the cliff

#2131. {FTF #27} See earlier Note. Returned at 6.29 pm in much better weather - no wind, no rain, and almost a little sun. No sign of any further intrepid cachers, not even abominable snowmen! Took photos of the cliff from GZ and one with me and a red rock. But having difficulty working out exactly what numbers are required.

Have sent answers to CO but not sure that I have covered all the bases. TftEC capperz.