Join us for a day trip this summer under the expert guidance of geologist, paleontologist and Emeritus Scientist Hamish Campbell. We will take a leisurely drive around the harbour, as Hamish explains the Wellington Harbour, Wellington Fault, Wairarapa Fault, and Crustal and Active processes. We will stop in Eastbourne, before heading into East Harbour Regional Park and stopping at Pencarrow Lighthouse, where we will hear about it’s history. Next, we’ll take a walk along the track around Lake Kohangapiripiri, and then find a nice place to stop and enjoy our lunch (you will need to bring a cut lunch). In the afternoon we will return to Eastbourne for afternoon tea and refreshments, before heading back to our drop off points.
Itinerary:
9:30 am Pick up from Te Papa
9:45 am Pick up anyone from Platform 9, Wellington Railway Station
10:45 am Eastbourne, comfort stop. Drive on into East Harbour Regional Park along Muritai Road, through locked gate to Pencarrow Head
11:30 am Visit Pencarrow Lighthouse
12:30 pm Walk along a track around Lake Kohangapiripiri, one of the Parangarahu (Fitzroy Bay) lakes.
2:00 pm Return to Eastbourne for afternoon tea/refreshments and comfort stop
4:45 pm Return to Platform 9
5:00 pm Return to Te Papa
What to bring:
- Cut lunch and water bottle
- Suitable outdoor clothing
- Walking shoes and/or boots
- Sticks
Hamish Campbell is a Wellington-based geologist, paleontologist and science communicator, and is an Emeritus Scientist with GNS Science. He was a geologist at Te Papa for 20 years (1998-2019) and will be known to many Friends of Te Papa for his role leading annual excursions to the Chatham Islands, and more recently Kaikoura, Golden Bay and New Caledonia. He is still actively involved in research and is especially interested in the origin of the older rocks of NZ.
Image credit: Upper Pencarrow Lighthouse; Kristina D.C. Hoeppner.