Halladale Point is where the Falls of Halladale became stuck on the reef at 3am, 14 November 1908. The crew disembarked and rowed to the nearby Bay of Islands, which took them three hours. No lives were lost and the barque provided a fantastic spectacle for sightseers. The captain was charged and found guilty of misconduct.
Today we can sit atop the cliff and enjoy the view before walking down to venture onto the point below.
Today this spot is favoured by experienced surfers, they surf the waves before they break onto the reefs, or crash into the cliff face. These surfers are brave people, to get out to where the waves form, they have to first get into the water, and that's not so easy.
In the decades previously, surfers would enter and exit via 'the Well', but over time, the relentless crashing sea causes the landscape to change and 'the well' is a bit more dangerous these days. No need to take unnecessary risks though. The waters can be entered via the point opposite and just to the right of the picture of the wreck of the Falls of Halladale.
Features
- Sit atop the cliffs and ponder the meaning of life.
- Climb down to the point and explore.
- Find The Well and imagine how the surfers got in and out. Note: do not venture into The Well, it is likely to collapse under your weight.
- If the sea is high and the waves are crashing, you can get close to the action with safety where the point is furthest out in the sea.
- On the western side of the point, facing the cliffs opposite, when the tide is really low, the anchor of the Falls of Halladale can still be seen just out of the water.
- Investigate the multitude of tiny shells to be found there. How did they all get there?
Note:
- The cliffs here can be undercut. You might think you are safe and on solid ground, but it might just be a ledge jutting out with nothing to support it underneath. Be careful and do not take unnecessary risks.