Year's highest tide produces interesting results

February 20th, 2011
[by David Armstrong]

The saltwater swimming baths almost became an island as Motueka experienced its highest king tide in a year today around noon - a 4.6-metre tide that showed just how vulnerable some of our coastal walkways will be to rising sea levels.

Dozens of families took advantage of the high sea level in the inlet areas and another beautifully warm and sunny Sunday to jump, splash or wallow in the mild water in and around the baths, with the tide so high that the seaward wall was submerged by nearly half a metre. (See photos below.)

Within the inlet, the high water level brought tidal water beside the recreation reserve to within inches of spreading onto the sports fiends of Goodman Park. Along the quay, the walkway was sometimes at high water level, protected from the water by the mounds beside the water.

All along the quay, and particularly off the old wharf, people were holding fishing rods in the hope of an influx of fish, though there were no tales as yet of any big catches.

The godwits and their flying friends which occupy the sand spit were not having much fun of it, as several lower sections of the spit opposite the old wharf disappeared with waves rolling over, making standing real estate hard to come by for our feathered friends for a few hours.

Those people walking and cycling the path between the golf course and the Kumaras (Raumanuka Reserve) were surprised to see a lot of deep water on both sides of the track, in parts with the water edging onto the track. And cyclists had no shortcut available at the short boardwalk section as its surrounds were under water.

Those who may wonder how some of those large old trees and stumps became lodged on the Tasman Bay side of the beach could see that, yes, with such a high tide it would be quite easy for very large chunks of driftwood to get close to shore. From today, several other logs will adorn the shore perhaps until the next king tide.

Beth Bryant, leader of the group that is renewing and replanting the Raumanuka Reserve at the end of Staples Street, was down there checking on the levels of salt water inroads into planted areas, commenting that sadly some of the plants which were thought to be above high tide levels would, indeed, have to be relocated if they survived.

The saltwater batch, almost isolated

Swimming inside and outside the baths wall. The girls at the wall
are standing up, with the water at knee level

The water in the canal nearly spreading onto Goodman Park

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