Wairau Bar - Te Pokohiwi o Kupe

Love it good fishing and camping only has toilets though

Peaceful spot, no fish tho.

Fishy fishy in the Deep Blue Sea come and jump on my plate so we can have some tea

Historic landmark and so steeped in history. Watched the whitebaiters. Spotted a Royal Spoonbill feeding in the estuary which was a bonus!

Great spot to see the water and the birdlife after a turnoff from the main toad and driving along a gravel road but worth the look

This bar isn’t what I’m used to. Like I know we all like to get out whet but this bar will only get you wet. If you are looking for a beer, look elsewhere

A week or so before visiting Wairau bar I journeyed to the source at Island Saddle in Molesworth Station. So I can tick this place off my bucket list.

The Wairau bar is an important archaeological site in New Zealand with remains and artifacts dating from 1280 c.e. Which makes it one of the oldest if not the oldest site of human habitation in New Zealand. That the first settlers to arrive here came from the Pacific is evidenced by shells unique to the tropics found at the site and one set of remains that when analysed show mineral isotopes in the bones that suggest the person's diet was tropical.In April 2009, in an emotional ceremony at Wairau Bar, that woman's remains were reburied by Rangitāne ki Wairau elders. The remains were excavated in an archaeological dig around 1940 and had been held in the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch. The iwi had sought their return for many years.The site is pretty barren and doesn't show anything visible of real note but it is a significant pace in New Zealand's history.The Canterbury Museum in Christchurch has a collection of artifacts recovered from the site down in some of the photos below.

Not sure if it was my American thought process or what but we went driving around, back and forth looking for a freaking bar" lol well it isn't that kind of bar guys so don't go wanting to buy anything "on the rocks". Instead you'll get a spectacular landmark which was so nice to sit and chill at. Check it out. It makes you feel like you've gone far out of town even though it's local. Love it."