Love Waikawa Beach

Many a kid has taken their bucket and spade to the beach and enthusiastically built a sand castle. The next day though usually ends in disappointment as the previous day’s efforts have been washed away by the tide. Sad, but a valuable life lesson perhaps.

When I was a kid I also read about the 3 little pigs: a big bad wolf blows down the first two pigs’ houses, made of straw and sticks respectively, but is unable to destroy the third pig’s house, made of bricks. Seems like maybe bricks are a pretty good building material.

Continuing the life lessons, at least one Bible verse (Matthew 7:24–27) found its way into my learning. The World English Bible puts it like this:

Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house on a rock. The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it didn’t fall, for it was founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of mine, and doesn’t do them will be like a foolish man, who built his house on the sand. The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.

Of course there’s a deeper meaning, but the message about the impermanence of sand in the face of flood and wind is highly relevant.

On 28 June 2018 the Council did a River Cut to divert our river more directly out to sea, rather than running beside the coast eroding properties and blocking vehicle access to the beach from Manga Pirau Street.

It took them all day and they created a good-looking straight channel and sand dam. Less than 10 days later and that sand dam has breached. The river’s busy carving sand off the edges of the channel. High tide is due and I suspect that before tomorrow dawns all the human endeavour will be reverted by the known forces of nature.

Next week the Council is scheduled to do a River Cut — cutting a channel to send the river more directly out to sea. I believe they also plan to restore the vehicle access to the beach.

It’s been around 4 months now since the river shifted and blocked vehicle access. Occasionally vehicles have made it onto the beach, but by and large we’ve had a wonderful, quiet and easy time.

It’s been bliss to walk the dogs without looking over my shoulder all the time. It’s been so relaxing and, well, beach-like.

It’s my impression that the birds are more settled, and more numerous.

It’s been so good to see the driftwood stay where the sea has left it, to watch the sand building up around it.

The shellfish beds have had a chance to remain uncompressed and undisturbed too.

I love the way the river has created a large loop, providing plenty of spots for gulls to hang out. The other day a flock of maybe 30 arrived with much commotion, swooping down to the river, presumably fishing. Then they landed and sat in the shallow water. A few didn’t have solid sand underfoot and would drift sideways downstream with the current until they reached the end of the group, when they would fly back to their starting point.

It’s been a delightful interlude.