Access

Ship Creek is well signposted 20 km north of Haast on SH6. There’s a large parking area with toilets.

Track

From the carpark a short section passes interpretation on the Marine Reserve and then forks to form the loop.

Entering the dune forest, the track passes a viewpoint over the raupo fringed lake.

There is a 3-way junction. All roads lead home. Another viewpoint commands a view straight down the beach and dune series.

Return to the carpark either via the beach or track.

Geology

The dune systems of Haast are among the finest in the world. In most places fancy coastal property has obliterated the dune profiles. The dune systems are like solidified waves and here they are preserved.

Pedologists have studied the soil profiles, from the newest dunes near the coast, to the oldest at the toes of the hills - a sequence of over 6,500 years. Each parallel ridge represents an ancient shoreline. As debris transported by the rivers is dumped at the coast, it is mechanically ground up by wave, water and wind. Persistent westerlies then blow the light sediment inland, where it collects in waves and is consolidated by vegetation. As the plant material dies and decays, it forms embryonic soils, which deepen in a positive feedback loop. Over time, the prodigious rainfall leaches nutrients out of the soil. The rainforest can live with it, but grasses for farming can’t. That’s part of the reason this forest is still intact.