West Coast Marine and Coastal Localities:
a Detailed Description of 14 Segments
5.15 Hope
(Cascade Point – Awarua Point, 40 km)
5.14.1 Summary
The Hope segment comprises a mostly steep and forested coastline, backed
by hilly catchments in most places. One major river, the Cascade, and several
smaller rivers and streams enter the sea in this segment. The shoreline
is dominated by rocky reefs that also extend offshore and the few beaches
are mostly of coarse sand and fine gravel. The continental shelf lies wholly
within the territorial limits, with the steeper continental slope and several
canyons dropping off from depths of about 200 metres. The area supports
marine life that is important to the southern West Coast, representing a
transition between the northern parts of the West Coast and the outer Fiordland
coast. Coastal access to this area, for fishing and recreational activities,
is mostly by boat from Jackson Bay and Milford, or by a remote tramping
route along the coast linking Barn Bay and Big Bay. The landscape and habitats
in this segment are unmodified.
Notable features of the Hope segment are its remoteness, limited access
by land, unmodified catchments and coastline, natural coastal landscapes,
rocky reefs, and canyons. Fishing is the main commercial use of the coastal
marine area.
Existing protection includes: conservation lands that cover almost all of
the land in this segment, closed whitebaiting areas and several specified
areas under the Regional Coastal Plan.
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 Barn Islands Photos P. Ross Auckland University |
5.14.2 Natural Features
Coastal Land and Islands
The coast along the Hope segment is mostly a series of rocky headlands,
interspersed with boulder shores, beaches and embayments and backed by steep
hillslopes and catchments cloaked in indigenous forest. Enclosed coastal
lowlands and sand dunes occur at several places, the largest being at Cascade
Beach and Barn Bay
Coastal dunes at Cascade River mouth and Barn Bay are rated more highly
for their biological value than any other dune system in the West Coast,
and “are very important for their diversity of dune communities and
associated wetlands, in good condition”327.
The native dune plant pingao is abundant there, and marram grass and gorse
have been eradicated. The Spoon River beach vegetation is also rated highly
for its variety and good condition despite its limited extent.
There are four main groups of offshore rock stacks in this segment: Barn
Islands, Browne Island, The Steeples and Gorge Islands. Browne Island is
a low and barely vegetated rock formation that is often occupied by fur
seals. The others are more steep sided formations with a capping of coastal
scrub, but no particular species or habitats of note are known to occur
on them.
The Cascade River– Barn Bay coast, Gorge River to Longridge Point
coast, and Browne Island have been rated as habitats of high wildlife value328.
Nephrite and semi-nephrite (pounamu) sources include the Cascade, Hope,
Spoon and Gorge Rivers and the beach between Cascade River and Barn Bay329.
These rocks originate from the Red Mountain ultramafic formation located
east of the Alpine Fault between the Jackson and Pyke Rivers, and have been
redistributed by glacial action and rivers330.
Coastal Wetlands and Waterways
The Cascade River is the largest of the waterways in this segment, and the
Hermitage Swamp (1300 ha) in its lower reaches has been rated as a wetland
of national importance331. The lower reaches of
the Cascade River are tidal for up to 18 kilometres upstream, and the channel
meanders across a swampy floodplain in which over 60 km2 of the catchment
lies below 30 metres altitude332.
The Barn Bay dune swamp (140 ha) has been rated as a habitat of high wildlife
value333. The Hope River is a natural waterway
flowing seaward from here.
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Browne Island Photo: N. Shears Auckland University |
Gorge River boat landing Photo: D Neale, DOC |
Seashore and Marine Areas
Rocky coastline and reefs dominate the coastline in this segment, with the
substrates mainly bedrock and boulders.
The limited number of beaches consist of coarse sand and fine gravel. Except
at Cascade River beach and Barn Bay, the beaches are often interspersed
with rocky reefs.
A complex formation of submarine canyons extends to within about three kilometres
of the coastline in this segment. The detail of these formations is uncertain
as charts portray different topographies334. NZ
Oceanographic charts label the main ‘Cascade’ canyon in the
northern part of the segment, with the continental shelf extending between
six and 16 kilometres off the coast. The seabed reaches depths of about
800 to 1500 metres at the territorial limit, and the continental slope and
canyons are very steep-sided formations with slopes of up to about 25 degrees
in some places335. Sediments have not been documented
in published sources, but the continental shelf in this segment is reported
to comprise significant areas of gravel and foul ground.
Important anchorages for commercial fishing vessels are located near Crayfish
Rock, Gorge Islands and Barn Islands.
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| North of Gorge River, with The Steeples rock stacks,
and Cascade Point in the distance. Photo: D Neale, DOC. |
Seals on Browne Island Photo: P. Ross, Auckland University |
Coastal and Marine Wildlife
Iota Bluff to Cascade Bay, Browne Island, and Gorge River to Longridge Point
have been rated as habitats of high wildlife value336.
About 100 tawaki (Fiordland crested penguin) nests are dispersed from Cascade
River to Sandrock Bluff, with also a small number north of Gorge River.337
Browne Island is a small haulout site for NZ fur seals, with up to about
20 animals at any time338. Seals are also reported
to haul out on the Iota Bluff to Barn Bay coast339.
Sooty shearwaters have been reported to breed between Cascade River and
Barn Bay, with 69 occupied burrows reported in the 1970s; Barn Bay was reported
to support a dense colony of blue penguins at that time340.
Marine Fish and Other Species
The Hope coastal region, like the whole west coast of the South Island,
supports a rich diversity of fish and invertebrate species that are fished
both commercially and recreationally by a number of fishing methods including
trawl, longlining, trolling, potting and set netting.
Inshore trawl fisheries are multi-species and are primarily based on flatfish
(several species), red gurnard, red cod, giant stargazer, tarakihi and blue
warehou. Other species taken as bycatch include arrow squid, dark ghost
shark, ling, barracouta, jack mackerel, spiny dogfish, rig, school shark,
sea perch, rough skate and smooth skate341.
Commercial fishing using other methods such as longline, potting, set net,
and trolling for a number of species such as bluenose, ling, stargazer,
warehou, lemon sole, hapuka, school shark, tuna and crayfish (to mention
a few) is extensive.
There is no published information on the fish communities of the continental
shelf and canyons in this area because the NIWA West Coast trawl surveys
do not extend this far south.
Whitebait migrate up the rivers in this segment during the spring, and the
Cascade River is of particular importance for this species as a spawning
habitat, feeding area and migration route, being rated as the most important
whitebait river in New Zealand342.
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| One of the few dwellings on the isolated coast of the Hope segment, at Gorge River Photo: D Neale, DOC. |
The Gorge Islands from the Gorge River beach. Photo: D Neale, DOC. |
5.14.3 Historical and Archaeological Heritage
The archaeological values of this ancient nephrite collecting and working
area are of national significance343. Archaeological
sites are concentrated on flat areas at Cascade River mouth, Barn Bay and
Big Bay, with other sites recorded at most of the creek and river mouths.
Barn Bay is a traditional kai moana area.
5.14.4 Recreation and Tourism
Fishing is the main recreational use of the coastal marine area in this
segment, with vessels mostly travelling from Jackson Bay. The coastline
provides a route for remote experience tramping between Cascade River and
Big Bay344. Recreational deer hunters also access
this area.
5.14.5 Commercial Use
This area, like most of the inshore West Coast, is fished by commercial
fishers using a variety of methods including trawl, longline, set netting
and potting. Vessels in this area mostly operate out of Jackson Bay, but
also Milford, Greymouth, Westport and Nelson.
Abundance surveys have indicated that there are poor prospects for a paua
fishery in this area345 but there is still potential
for development of a fishery.
The Cascade River supports a major whitebait fishery from September to November,
and whitebaiting also occurs less intensively in other waterways.
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Seal on boulders, Awarua Point Photo: L.F.Molloy |
5.14.6 Other Public Uses and Facilities
A small cluster of buildings and an airstrip on the south bank of the Cascade
River mouth are used mostly during the whitebait season, and a previously
occupied homestead at Barn Bay is used occasionally by visitors. A small
house on the beach at Gorge River mouth is frequently occupied.
There are Resource Management Act coastal permits issued in this segment346
for whitebait stands on the Cascade River.
5.14.7 Existing Protection and Management Areas
All of the coastal land and most of the catchments in the Hope segment (except
for a portion of the Cascade River) are within conservation lands.
Several waterways in this segment are closed to whitebaiting347:
- The north bank of the Cascade River, between a point 20 m upstream from Old Man Creek and the sea;
- Old Man Creek;
- Barn Creek that enters the Cascade River, and any tributary stream of Barn Creek.
The area lies within Fisheries Statistical Area FSA 32, which is part of the Challenger Fishery Management Area (FMA 7). The adjoining land area is within the Westland District.
The operative West Coast Regional Coastal Plan recognises:
- Coastal Protection Area; CPA13 Cascade River mouth;
- Outstanding Natural Features and Landscapes; ONFL9 west Jackson Bay/Okahu to Awarua Point;
- Marine Mammal and Bird Sites; MMB29 Halfway Bluff, MMB30 Cascade Bay, MMB31 Browne Island, MMB32 north of Gorge River.
328 Coker & Imboden 1980
329 Beck 1984
330 Hooker 1986
331 Cromarty & Scott 1996
332 Orchard et al 1987
333 Coker & Imboden 1980
334 RNZN 1985, Carter 1981
335 Carter 1981
336 Coker & Imboden 1980
337 McLean et al 1997
338 Neale 2006e, Neale & Best 1999
339 Coker & Imboden 1980
340 Coker & Imboden 1980
341 Stevenson & Hanchet 2000
342 Hutching & Potton 1987
343 Hooker 1990
344 Gilbertson 1991
345 McShane et al 1993
346 www.wcrc.govt.nz “Maps on the Web”, June 2006
347 Whitebait Fishing (West Coast) Regulations 1994