What's New - Gorgeous lagooning at Paramata Lodge
Yesterday morning quite early I took a kayak and paddled the Waikoriri Lagoon from Paramata Lodge to its mouth. It was one of those mornings when the giant kahikatea and rimu trees stood up proud in front of the layers of forested hills and in the distance the high peaks of Mt Cook and Tasman were a glorious sight.
I wanted to see what the mouth was doing and once again I found an explanation for the high water level and the dynamic nature of this coastal environment. Sometimes Granite Creek near the lodge is so high you need a boat to get across to the beach. At other times you can cross without getting your feet wet. We adapt to what nature brings!
Right now it’s a very pleasant 15 minutes paddle to the mouth, and there is no strong current to contend with on the way back. Along the western edge of the lagoon there is the sandy beach and on the eastern side it's bordered by native vegetation being good habit for tui, tom tits and rare fernbirds.
The most dynamic force that impacts on what the lagoon and creeks are doing is the sea, in spite of high rainfall. There is a long shore drift that flows north along this coast and it pushes all the river and creek mouths north, either cutting or building the dunes.
At present you can kayak to the mouth, up Waikoriri Creek or up Granite Creek. At the lagoon mouth I find a lovely pool this morning and it's floating in white foam and glacial sand washed in with the waves. I gaze at the surrounding peace and beauty, wondering how lucky I am to live and work here.
 
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