Amberley Beach

I have fond memories of the Amberley Beach Camping Ground. It's the first beach we stayed at when we began living on the road in 2017. Wow - a lot has happened since then.
This time we pulled up in our Toyota Coaster. We stayed at the southern end of the camp as it's the area where dogs are allowed. It's a basic campsite run by the Hurunui Council, with clean facilities, a dump station, fresh water and plenty of room for larger vans. There weren't many other campers while we were there, which made finding a spot away on our own nice and easy.

We set off for a walk along the beach but didn't go for long as a cool wind whipped up. Amberley's shingle beach is a popular swimming spot for locals. The safest condition to swim is when the surf is under one metre - conditions can change rapidly and strong undertows and rips can occur. Fishermen also flock to the beach and each year a surfcasting competition, attracting hundreds of keen anglers, is held. 
Tuatara can be found on Amberley Beach, and paddle crabs are also known to populate the area. Surfers also enjoy this beach, saying it's punchy and fun.

Looking north

And south

Once the sun went down we decided to have an early night, no Netflix for a change! 

The next morning I climbed out of bed to watch the sunrise. My two furry friends wanted to join me, but Bernie wasn't as keen. So we left him snuggled up in bed and set off for the beach.

We wandered along the path through the pine trees that runs alongside the beach. The dogs were on high alert, hoping a rabbit would appear. Eventually, the path crossed over a road and led to a lagoon. A wooden walkway ran to the north of the lagoon, leading to another path through trees.

The sun was casting a golden glow through the tree trunks - it was shaping up to be a great day!

When the sun was up, I walked onto the beach and found a log to sit on. It gave the dogs some time to forage around and explore. And it gave me time to sit and appreciate the stillness, the peacefulness and that special feeling of watching a new day unfold.

Time was marching on and I didn't have my cellphone with me, so I couldn't text Bernie to let him know we were on our way back. We retraced our steps, stopping beside the lagoon to admire the reflections.

A brood of ducklings quietly paddled across the water, with their mother carefully escorting them from behind.

If you do decide to stay at Amberley Beach, put aside some time to walk through the trees. It's an easy path to follow and dogs are allowed. They (and you) will love it.

If you'd like to read about the first time we stayed here in 2017, click here on Amberley Beach, and it will link you to my other post.