Dunedin's battle of dunes

ODT Sat, 1 May 2010 by

Dunedin's Ocean Beach Domain is the frontline in an ongoing battle between sea and land that has serious implications for the low-lying suburbs behind the dunes. The forces at work, not least the hand of man, have shaped a significantly modified environment.

Change has been brought about by the pressure for raw resources in a developing city, the introduction of marram grass and ultimately the need to tame the coast for the physical protection of the city.

There are lessons here for those who are prepared to look at the mistakes of the past, say Paul Pope, of the Dunedin Amenities Society, and the late John Perry.

• Kaituna
Ocean Beach is a highly modified environment. The normal activity and movement of sand has been altered in favour of a more stable landscape. The former back-dune areas have been extensively mined and become recreation areas.

The coastline still stretches from the St Clair cliffs in the west to Lawyers Head in the east, but the sand dunes have become much thinner and steeper.

In 1848 in the west around St Clair, the sand hills were much smaller and lower, and the mouth of a lagoon ran through these dunes. They accumulated and grew as you moved east towards Lawyers Head.

High ground was in the west at the St Clair hills and in the east at the beginning of Otago Peninsula and beyond them, Otago Harbour and its extended tidal areas.

Between these features was a low-lying wetland named Kaituna. It was covered with silver tussock, rushes and flax and was an area of traditional food-gathering for Maori who sought tuna (eel), pukeko and weka.

There is also evidence that the Kaituna area was once thick with trees, probably kahikatea. They lay buried under the surface of the wetland and were often dug up and used as firewood by early settlers.

A significant feature was a track along the landward edge of the sand hills, which provided easy access to Kaituna.

By 1876 the urban growth of Dunedin had pushed housing to the edge of the sand hills at Ocean Beach. Sand was being removed constantly by householders to raise the level of their sections. Occasional floods are reported in the 1870s, but mostly from the harbour, into South Dunedin.

On one occasion a Mrs Rae and her two daughters were rescued by a gasworks boat crew from Rankeilor St. Their dog was reportedly left behind.

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DCC Update: April 2010,

Update: April 2010

Data collection and information covering research into the different aspects of the Ocean Beach is continuing to come to hand, although completing some research is taking a little more time than the Council would ideally prefer. The Project Team's report to the Council on the best options for Ocean Beach can only follow the receipt of all relevant information, and that report will now almost certainly be in the second half of 2010.

On the beach itself, a combination of wind, rain, and very high tides have lowered sand levels significantly. As significant 'steps' have also formed in a number of areas, extreme care should be taken when accessing the beach at any time.

The Good Old Days of Antipodean Vehicles

Images swiped from the surfbooks.com e-newsletter, always a source of some fascinating stuff. The one with the spray and fantastic halter top wearer is a Holden, the other two Fords. I had the Ute version of the Falcon on bottom left, full on safety orange colour. My Mum hated it, told me it made me look like a hoon, but it was the first reliable car I'd owned and she was happy I was done with motorbikes and old Chevs. I loved it's outre-ness, girls were less impressed by it than I'd hoped (but the ones that were impressed were exciting) and I became everybody's friend when they needed to move. Still, I made some trips around the northern coast without worrying I'd never make it home and you could fit some boards, fishing gear and crude camping supplies in that thing with no worries. Sold it to a really cute blonde when I moved up here, and I'd take it back in an instant.

Stecyk and Lance Mountain

Personally I think Nike is pretty much the embodiment of corporate evil but they gave money to Lance Mountain and Craig Stecyk who made this so I'm helping disseminate it. I feel so unclean, which incidentally is how I feel after time at Salton Sea. It's good stuff though.

Thread Monthly #6

Point Conception Lighthouse by Patrick Trefz

A bit less than monthly, but that'll happen. After the last few weeks of work, missed surf opportunities and LA traffic looking at this photo feels real good. From Thread of course, signed copies available for $30. Trefz has a new film getting close to done which is good news.

Iceberg Point

There's not much beach along this spectacular stretch of rocky coast at the south end of Lopez Island, but there sure is a great view in pretty much every direction. The bluffs of Whidbey Island are seen in the east. Smith Island is southeast. Dungeness Spit and the Olympic Mountains are lost in clouds to the southwest. San Juan Island and Cattle Point are to the west, obscured by the haze of the late afternoon sun.

The metamorphic bedrock is littered with granitic boulders from Canada and furrowed with north-south grooves, both the legacy of glaciation a mere 16,000 years ago (give or take a few millenia). Sedums, lichens, and other small, but hardy, plants cling to irregularities in the rock surfaces.

Spencer Spit

This year, we wrapped up the beaches class with a trip down to Spencer Spit. We really didn't have enough time to do it justice, given the late hour and the logistics of folks having to catch ferries back to other islands, but still a worthwhile excursion. This place provides eroding bluffs, an elegant barrier beach, and a large salt marsh and lagoon -- all in a county better known for its rocky shorelines!

Spencer Spit reaches for rocky Frost Island, but doesn't quite get there (map view). I guess the tidal currents make it hard to close the gap. On the other hand, tombolos have formed in similar settings where the sediment must have eventually been too much for the currents to keep clear. Maybe it's just a matter of time. I suppose it's a function of the strength of the currents, the volume of sediment being delivered, and the bathymetry of the nearby area (which controls the "accommodation space" - the less space, the easier it is to fill it).

The last time I was here was shortly after the February, 2006, storm:
Spencer Spit, March 2006

Management of dunes to be decided

from the Otago Daily Times
By David Loughrey on Fri, 16 Apr 2010

The future management of Dunedin's "first line of defence" against the ocean, the city's coastal dune reserves, will soon be decided after hearings held this week.

The coastal dunes reserves management plan hearings attracted 52 submissions from groups including Save the Otago Peninsula and the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust. Ten people attended Wednesday's hearings to speak.

Under the Reserves Act 1977, local authorities are required to develop reserve management plans.

Dunedin City Council staff identified 10 coastal reserves, including at Brighton, Karitane, Long Beach, Ocean View, Waikouaiti and Warrington, to be included.

The idea was to protect and preserve the natural processes of the dunes, and manage natural, biodiversity, scenic and cultural values, while providing for recreation that did not damage those values.

Hearings committee chairwoman Cr Fliss Butcher said a major issue that emerged at the hearing was horses and dogs on Warrington beach.

There was "definitely" a problem with uncontrolled dogs, and their effect on nesting birds.

The issue of horses may be dealt with in a separate process, but the reserve was a recreational area, and horse-riding was a recreational activity.

Other issues included concerns about erosion, something the committee would bear in mind, Cr Butcher said.

She hoped community groups similar to the Tomahawk/Smaills Beachcare Trust could be set up to look after the reserves, with help from the council.

"It's really important," she said of the plan.

"These dunes are our first line of defence."

The committee would deliberate next week, and the plan would go before the community development committee, before being signed by the council.

- david.loughrey@odt.co.nz

Surf Haberdashery & A Reno Sandwich

New shirts all round- colours as seen although the silver we only have in XL. The new 'Galaxy' clour is an organic tee, the new Hydrodynamica Hiline shirt is by the multi talented Tyler Warren. $25 each, shipping included. email me here: info at foamandfunction.com.

A last loving look at the Sacred Craft- Wegener, Abellira, Kenvin. They look this good AND surf better than you too.

To stay and fight, or retreat

ODT By David Loughrey on Wed, 14 Apr 2010

Differing views have emerged on the possibility of saving low-lying areas in southern Dunedin from sea-level rise.

Consulting engineer Dave Tucker yesterday said engineering solutions were available to deal with the issue, while Sustainable Dunedin co-chairman Phillip Cole, also an engineer, said a retreat from the area was inevitable.

A report released on Monday identified South Dunedin, St Kilda and St Clair as "hot spots" vulnerable to what could be a 1.6m rise in sea levels by 2090.

The report on the effects of climate change in Dunedin was commissioned by the Dunedin City Council, written by University of Otago Emeritus Professor of Geography Blair Fitzharris and released on Monday.

It said the city would eventually have to protect, retreat or evacuate areas including South Dunedin, St Kilda and St Clair.

Other problem areas were the harbourside, the lower Taieri Plain, including the Dunedin airport, populated estuaries along the coast, and the ecosystems of upland conservation regions.

In his report, Prof Fitzharris said the city needed to focus on "adaptation" to deal with the problem, and that was not a one-off event but a process that involved awareness-raising, the development of knowledge and data, and risk assessment.

Some adaptation was occurring on a limited basis, he said.

"However, there remain significant challenges to achieving concrete actions that reduce risks."

Implementing measures such as planned retreat and dune management, building design, prohibition of new structures and siting requirements that accounted for sea-level rise was difficult.

Mr Tucker has previously told the council it needed to form long-term mitigation strategies to deal with the effects of climate change.

Yesterday, he said two areas of Dunedin were not protected by hills: the St Clair and St Kilda beaches area, and the lower harbour near Port Chalmers.

The areas of risk if the sea came through were not just South Dunedin, but all the reclaimed land in the city, including land up to the Dunedin railway station, and up to parts of the University of Otago.

He suggested a "barrage" across the harbour that would take advantage of a natural bottleneck between Port Chalmers and Portobello.

The barrage would link Goat and Quarantine Islands, trapping water in the upper harbour during high tide and releasing it at low tide. That would deal with sea-level rise at the harbour end of the city, and could include turbines to produce electricity.

The beach end of the city "could be saved in some engineering manner".

"You only need to go to Holland," he said, where technology had been developed to keep the North Sea out of the country.

"I'm quite sure if you got consultants from Holland they would come up with ideas to stop sea ingress."

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The Show (in brief)

Demo lineup

The Wegener Bluegill was the hit of the demo boards, seriously stoked a few unsuspecting surfers out

New Shirts, more of them soon.

Tomo started the weekend with 4 boards and a didgereedoo in his booth, and managed to upgrade to a car seat and another board before long. Doing it fully independent style.

There was new Yard Possum footage so good it could only be shown for the last few hours of the weekend.

I lagged on taking pictures because we were actually pretty full on busy. Thoroughly enjoyable show though, hung with lots of good people including assorted bloggers and internet friends which is always really fun- putting faces to the pixels as it were. Grand show too; Hess, Matt Moore, Stretch, Tomo, stunning Yater boards via Ancell, Stecyk and Ho putting in an appearance, Reno in full effect, everything from handplanes to logs and all the stuff I'm probably forgetting. Had a genuinely fine time.

Best In Show!

Bahne and Bahne Jnr. with the Ekstroms.

Well pleased- Carl Ekstrom was awarded the 'Best In Show' honor at the Ventura Sacred Craft. Pedigree beasts these asymettricals, no doubt about it. Brilliant show, lots of cool people but I'm thrashed and need sleep.

Sacred Craft, Ventura, Sat and Sun.

Correct, this picture has nothing to do with anything but that's because I hope to come back from Sacred Craft with such an array of surfboard related photo goodness that you'll be overwhelmed, like the kids who ate all the Easter goodies in one sitting. There will be the usual Wegener/Hydrodynamica combo booth, I'll be there repping a few Mackies, the Ekstroms should be there in person, both boards and designer, there's a stellar new shirt design from Tyler Warren to debut and hopefully some fun opportunites for surfboard fanciers will get of the ground over the next few weeks. Come on by and say hello, handle a few boards and enjoy the sheer extravagance of it all- I've heard there may even be some unannounced movie bonus on Saturday afternoon for those of you with an eye for kneeboarding and the like, so it's a definitely a something for everyone situation. You may even get to see Scott Bass himself.
OK, just one surfboard and one you'll not see in Ventura that's for sure- a Squire fish for the discerning English gent. Found this after the fish post and it's too damn pretty not to use.

Kook

No, not you, but this fine concept by Dan Crockett. It's genius, a surf newspaper with contributions from an impressive array of creative types, many of whom you'll know of, some who will be a pleasant discovery. It's printed beautifully on sustainable paper and is all round quite brilliant. Dan is going to cross the pond for a little surf holiday and he's bringing copies, so I'm providing an outlet for him. $5 per copy, add a dollar for post and it's yours. Just email info at foamandfunction.com. Hopefully some will find their way into interested surf shops too. Meanwhile, those of you in Socal should come on by the Sacred Craft show in Ventura this coming weekend. We'll be there with a slew of books, films, mini Sims, Ekstroms, a Mackie or two and of course the Jon Wegener wooden sliders. The show brings out such a good mix of exhibitors and their best work that there's always something for every surf perspective at these events, so it's a grand way to spend some weekend time, especially if you're in the market for a new craft.