Amberley Beach Reserve

Amberley is a town located in the Hurunui District, that I've often driven through. Perhaps I've stopped once or twice for fuel, but it's an area I've never spent longer than a couple of hours.
The other day, Bernie was chatting to the owner of the Hurunui Hotel and said we were heading south. The hotel's owner mentioned that 'Amberley Beach Reserve' was a good place to stay. It's dog friendly and suitable for larger campers. 
It was easy to find. Heading south, turn left off SH1 down Amberley Beach Road, then right into Grierson Ave - keep driving, until basically you get to the end of the road.
The Amberley Beach Reserve can be accessed from the left and the right side of the road. We went right as the southern side is the area for campers with dogs.

There were only a few other campers parked in the area, which was flat, hard and spacious enough to manoeuvre.

The Reserve also has fresh water, a dump station and a place for rubbish. All this for only $10/night for the two of us. And better still - the beach is a two minute walk away. You can hear the rumbling waves from inside the rig. 

Once set up, I took Oakly for a walk. Near the beach was a stand of pine trees, with a soft, carpet of pine-needles underneath.

The rain stopped long enough for a walk. I had the beach to myself - Maybe the cool breeze had kept others indoors?

Watching waves pounding onto shore and hearing thousands of stones rolling and rattling with the receding sea was captivating. No wonder we can hear the sea from inside the rig.

In another couple of weeks the shoreline will be blanketed in wild yellow tree lupins. Some had already begun to flower. It won't be long before a stretch of golden blooms will be bordering this coastline.

Clusters of thriving, mauve, seaside daisies (purple groundsel) were dotted about.

Every few hundred metres there are wooden benches - perfect for viewing the sea or possibly watching a sunrise.

Nestled amongst the pine trees was a dinky little caravan with a million dollar view.

Visiting during spring has meant I've been able to enjoy all this season's flowering plants. And despite growing in sandy soil, there were a variety of healthy plants flourishing.

On our walk back from the beach we came across a pet pig in someone's yard. I spoke to owner. Turns out he caught her as a piglet when pig hunting. She was small enough to be held in his hand. Now she's four months and is best mates with the dogs and loves going for walks along the beach.

Oakly loved her - I think he wants one as a pet. Although I don't know how Bernie would react if I came home with one.