Image: DOC
Ship Creek Tauparikākā Walks
Ship Creek Tauparikākā walks

Located in Haast, Paringa and Moeraki rivers area and Ship Creek area in the West Coast region

This is a true wild South Westland experience for people of all ages and abilities. Enjoy magnificent photo opportunities of a dune lake and sweeping coastline and walk in ancient kahikatea swamp forest, all starting from the same point.

There are two walks at Ship Creek. You can complete one or both of them, starting at the same carpark.  

Kahikatea Swamp Forest Walk (at Ship Creek Tauparikākā)

Time: 20 min return
Distance: 800 m return
Access: Not suitable for wheelchairs 

This walk is suitable for wheelchairs. This is a gentle walk following the slow-flowing Ship Creek Tauparikākā. A creek-side viewpoint allows easy observation of the forest plants and wildlife. The track loops through an area of dense swamp forest where you can see stunning specimens of New Zealand’s tallest tree, the kahikatea (white pine). 

Dune Lake Walk (at Ship Creek Tauparikākā)

Time: 30 min loop
Distance: 1 km loop
Access: Suitable for wheelchairs 

The first part of this walk, along the sand dunes, is an easy access short walk that is suitable for wheelchairs. The track then becomes ‘short walk’ grade and winds through dense coastal forest stunted by wind. The walk opens out to provide magnificent photo opportunities from platforms that overlook the dune lake and the sweep of the coastline southwest to Jackson Head.

These walks are signposted off SH6 as you head north from Haast to Lake Paringa.

Ship Creek Tauparikākā is 20 km north of Haast.

There are toilets at car park, as well as picnic area and tables.

Carry a raincoat as South Westland weather is very changeable.

Insect repellent is recommended the ward off sandflies and mosquitoes.

This outstanding World Heritage Area showcases New Zealand’s unique lowland kahikatea swamp forest and wetlands. Only 2% of kahikatea forest remains with Ship Creek Tauparikākā being one of the best examples accessible to visitors that you will come across. This ancient swamp forest provides visitors a glimpse back in time and before human settlement.

Dune lake

Sitting between the swamp forest and the active foredunes is the dune lake. It was formed overtime as the coastline sediment accumulated between dune ridges. At the same time, the back dunes gradually have become clothed in forest vegetation. Ship Creek Tauparikākā provides a classic example of these natural processes.

The driftwood-strewn sandy beach and rocky outcrops continue to provide valuable resting and breeding habitat for coastal wildlife and habitat for rare coastal plants. Pīkao/pingao is the dominant native cover on the sand dunes at Ship Creek Tauperikaka, with the native sand daphne, coastal sedge and ice-plant common.

International shipwreck of mystery

Ship Creek takes its name from the wreck of the Schomberg, a clipper that ran ashore on an uncharted sand bank in Victoria, Australia in December 1855. No lives were lost, subsequent enquiries blamed Captain ‘Bully’ Forbes with passengers mentioning his tyranny and ‘neglect of duty ‘on the voyage.

Initially some mystery surrounded the wreck when it was noticed by James Hector a geologist and explorer and later director of the Colonial Museum (now Te Papa Tongarewa) during a visit in 1871. After some international back and forth and discussions with the ship builder in Aberdeen, Scotland it was confirmed as wreckage of the Schomberg that had drifted 2000 km across the Tasman sea from the initial wreck site.