May 2012 (ROTM#41) West Ruggedy Beach, Stewart Island, New Zealand

Stewart Island is situated off the southern end of the South Island of New Zealand and is a hikers (trampers in Kiwi-speak) dream, particularly if you like lots of mud and nasty weather. It pokes into the roaring 40's so it's windy most of the time and the west coast is exposed to massive swell. West Ruggedy happens to be on the west coast and you can see it's a pretty dramatic beach.

You need a lot of wave energy and wind to create those big sand dunes blowing inland. Bigger waves also mean bigger rips and there's plenty of big rips on this beach! How many rip channels can you spot? It takes days to hike here and the waters a little cold, so it's not a dangerous beach because no-one really swims, but what an amazing setting. This picture comes from Dr Mike Hilton, a coastal geomorphologist at Otago University in Dunedin, NZ, but it was sent to me by via Dr Patrick Hesp, yet another coastal geomorphologist!

Extremely remote NZ. Don’t swim.