2024 Whanganui Bay Season Ends
12/12/2024
The crags of Whanganui Bay are located on private land. Climbing first started there in the early 1970s. Today, access for climbers is managed via a ‘climbing season’, which is set by the Whanganui Bay Maori Reservation Trust (WBMRT) each year. Climbers wishing to climb in season must register and pay a registration fee under a system managed by Aotearoa Climbing Access Trust (ACAT).
The 2024 climbing season (the third season since climbing access recommenced) started on 1 June and ran to 8 December. To celebrate a successful season and to fundraise for the Whanganui Bay marae project, a closing weekend event was held in conjunction with WBMRT. Below are the reflections of one of the Bay regulars, Kali Marie, on the place and the event. By all accounts, the event was very successful and raised several thousand dollars for the marae project. That reflects, in a small way, the deep gratitude we climbers have towards WBMRT and the people of Whanganui Bay for the opportunity to experience climbing there. Ngā mihi nui.
Last Days of the Bay 2024
Nothing can quite describe the feeling you get that first morning you unzip your tent in Whanganui Bay and catch the hint of orange in the sky. Even if it’s icy cold or the local wildlife has woken you at 5am in celebration of the start of another beautiful day. It’s a special feeling unlike any I’ve had at other New Zealand crags. I always arrive with a sense of overwhelming joy just to be there and leave with a sense of melancholia, feeling like I’m leaving a piece of my soul on those cliffs.
Making coffee with the diamond view of Whekenui in the background and the slow rustling of other climbers waking…I know it means one of two things; Projecting at the Plateau or just chillin’ with some casual climbs and time well spent with some incredible people. However, this last weekend of the season was bittersweet as I was injured and unable to focus on much climbing. Instead I was able to enjoy the Bay through the experiences of other people at the crag.
It was wonderful to see the local kids out getting belayed up a specially bolted route on the Plateau by Jono. I belayed Eli on our mutual project and shared the joy of his send. I saw people having their first ever outdoor rock experience and witnessed how they lit up to be able to climb in such a spectacular setting. I was heartened by the generosity of the locals who didn’t just join up for a hangi Saturday night, but cooked it for us. They were curious and encouraging about the climbing they had seen.
When we climb it is never just about the rock; It’s about the place, the people, the time we put into the sport we love, and the way places like these keep calling us back.