A-Z of NZ Locations

A-Z of NZ Locations – Shakespeare Bay

Suzanne

A small bay a stone’s throw from Picton could be a million miles away if we considered their differences. Picton is a local hub for our journey down south, the first ferry stop. Shakespeare Bay is more tranquil.

Shakespeare Bay, and yes, the weather can be unpredictable. We didn’t mind when we got to view rainbows.

To be fair, we could take a wide stab in the dark and declare that now nothing happens in Shakespeare Bay on most days. What occurs is that visitors like us linger for a little longer and admire the scenery over a few days or longer, as the Marlborough region is just lovely and picturesque. If given the time to camp, use one of the bays as a base and explore the rest by car.

Unfortunately, the main road has been damaged due to major weather events. I’m not quite sure of the actual state of it now; no doubt the locals are still fighting the government for more infrastructure funding. Like numerous other communities, locals now need to rethink whether that area past Shakespeare Bay is still viable and livable. This is a hard question to answer for those who have lived there for most of their lives. We were fortunate to explore this area when weather bombs weren’t a regular “thing”.

Snippets of History

Marlborough Sounds

From various sources that I’ve read about this bay, Shakespeare was originally named Kaipupu by local Māori. Kaipupu means eating shellfish. Though no evidence suggests that Māori lived in the Bay, its name indicates that the area was important as a food gathering location, particularly for collecting mussels and pipi.

The English name Shakespeare Bay was given to the bay by the New Zealand Company in 1849 when surveying nearby Waitohi/Picton for purchase. Pākehā (non-Māori) settled in the bay relatively early. Edward and Mary Ann Clemens moved there in 1861 and raised a family of 14 children.

Shakespeare Bay is also interesting geologically. In 1864, officials from the Mines Department found evidence of an earthquake fault running along the bay’s shore, and coal was discovered in the 1870s. While several business ventures to mine the coal were started over the years, thankfully, none were particularly successful.

In 1900, the New Zealand Refrigerating Company selected a site at the neck of Kaipupu Point (the peninsula that divides Shakespeare Bay from Picton Harbour) for freezing works, and surrounding bush areas were cleared for sheep grazing. The freezing works discharged waste and by-products into the bay from 1900 until the early 1970s; due to that process, the water was regularly fouled and often coloured pink due to blood. Then, from 1972 onwards, a discharge pipe was constructed to take the waste further out into Picton Harbour, where it could be flushed away more easily. The freezing works closed in the early 1980s.

Kaipupu Wildlife Sanctuary

A tranquil moment – Marlborough Sounds

In 1973, part of Kaipupu Point was made into a scenic reserve, and eventually, the land management was given to the Department of Conservation. The point retains some remnants of the original forest, mostly a mix of beech and tawa. In 2005, the land was loaned to the community to create a wildlife sanctuary, and in 2008, a 600-metre-long predator-proof fence was built.

Predator-proof fence at Kaipupu Wildlife Sanctuary – image donated to the blog

A circular walking track was completed in February 2013, and Kaipupu Wildlife Sanctuary was officially opened to the public in March 2013. It’s a 1.6-mile loop trail and is generally considered an easy route. If walking isn’t your thing, visiting by vehicle or boat to enjoy the scenery won’t disappoint.

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Published by Suzanne

I'm a lover of creativity and movement, expressed through photography, words, travel and sports. . . . . . .

46 thoughts on “A-Z of NZ Locations – Shakespeare Bay”

  1. Beautiful photos Suzanne. Although it was, and probably still is, common practice in some places around the world it made me shiver to think about waste being dumped into the water, especially when you said the water sometimes turned pink.

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    1. Thanks Margaret it is a beautiful area. Luckily those in the know have learnt with research and knowledge to change bad environmental practices. Thank goodness we have the land mass to create sanctuaries.

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    1. Yes, it’s a long journey to visit NZ. I am sure you both would love it. Luckily for some of us, we can enjoy reading a personal insight into others’ backyards via books and blogs..

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    1. Isn’t it wonderful that Marlborough has that sanctuary to enjoy. They are very fortunate to have the land mass to do it without needing housing development in that area. Too remote for a starter and I hope NZ never gets that over populated.

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    1. Thanks Jo and I love a good storm preferably from the comfort of indoors. Having said that walking in the rain isn’t too bad if I’ve got the right gear on. No wind and sun made my 14km walk this morning too warm. No pleasing some people 😉

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  7. I reckon I could manage the 1.6 mile loop, and your photos are exquisite, especially the rainbow and the Marlborough Sounds. I would have loved to have done a road trip through NZ but it is probably too late now, so thank you for taking me to these wonderful places.

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    1. I must admit, travelling needs plenty of energy to make the most of places. I’m not sure how we did it fulltime for so many years. You have so many choices from your back door 🙂

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    1. Thanks, Eilene. I suppose back then it was a priority to create jobs and produce food with environmental care taking a back seat. Thankfully, society sometimes learns not all old ways were good.

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    1. The Marlborough Sounds are beautiful if a natural environment is what you are seeking. Sailing around there would be magical. Though there is a wind to watch out for, which is horrendous and the local Conservation officer nicknamed “the freight train”.

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  17. Thanks for the trip down memory lane. Even though I was a long-time resident of the Marlborough Sounds, I didn’t know much of that history.
    We gave up on fighting to get the road fixed and moved into Blenheim. I enjoyed that Kaipupu loop track though. Stunning photos.

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