Southland treasure

CALM BUT MOODY: Jacob's River estuary.

Relevant offers

Along with New Zealand's best surf beaches, Riverton has other special qualities, not forgetting a chance to enjoy fish and chips by the sea, writes Press photographer CARYS MONTEATH.

If long beaches, beautiful scenery and good food sound like your style of holiday, then Riverton should be top of the list for this summer. It is on the picturesque Southern Scenic Route and is known locally as the Riviera of the South.

Originally named Jacob's River, Riverton was Southland's first European settlement. The town, founded by Captain John Howell as a whaling station about 1837, is built along the Pourakino and Aparima rivers and Jacob's River estuary.

A haven for artisans and surfers, Riverton boasts numerous well- known surf beaches, bush walks and cafes.

There is something about the smell of greasy fish and chips, the salt air and the sound of gulls that brings back the memories of childhood holidays - and Riverton is no exception.

I start my Riverton experience on a sunny spring day with lunch from the fish-and-chip shop, which I eat in traditional Kiwi fashion down on the beach with the seagulls circling for scraps.

It's nice to have the place almost to myself as I drive down the main street to the estuary and around to The Rocks. There is a good swell coming in off the point and a couple of keen surfers and a jet ski playing in the waves. Riverton and the surrounding coast is a Mecca for surfers, with some of New Zealand's best surf beaches.

If Riverton is the jewel in Southland's crown, then Te Hikoi is the jewel in Riverton's. Opened in 2007 after extensive local fundraising, Te Hikoi museum features stunning exhibits on the rich cultural and historical aspects of the surrounding area.

Friendly museum staff usher me into a beautifully crafted wooden sailing-ship theatre where a short film reconstructing the early European history of Riverton is played.

Nothing in this museum has been overlooked, with wonderful attention to detail. Museum manager Carole Power insists on guiding me on my coastal sojourn, which proves invaluable. Carole has lived in Southland all her life and her enthusiasm for the place is infectious.

I take the short drive further along the coast to Colac Bay, Cosy Nook and Gemstone Beach. Colac Bay is a renowned surfing beach and popular with summer tourists, while Cosy Nook has a quaint seaside village feel with a couple of fishing cribs nestled on the shore. Gemstone Beach has a wilder feel, with clay cliffs coming down to meet pounding surf. The constant changing tides and offshore currents bring interesting stones down from the rivers and deposit them on the aptly named Gemstone Beach.
Carole is an avid stone collector and spends hours combing the beach for rare finds.

I try my eye at it as we wander the shore and find a couple of pretty stones but, sadly, no gems.
Fishing and farming are the prime sources of income in Riverton, so it goes without saying that fresh seafood is on the top of my list for dinner, and the Beach House Cafe does not disappoint. Situated across the road from the beach at Taramea Bay, the cafe offers great views out across the bay.

I consume the best seafood chowder I've ever eaten, made even better by a nice New Zealand wine from their extensive wine list.
Back at my beachfront B&B, I fall asleep listening to the gentle lap of the waves.

- © Fairfax NZ News