The Waikari Maori rock art site is one of the South Island’s finest examples of ancient rock art on public land. The drawings here are on a 25m section of a limestone overhang, protected with typical NZ rock art fencing. The drawings were done with charcoal and red ochre. Anthropologists theorize that the Maoris used this overhang as a camp spot while hunting in the once-abundant forest that covered the area...possibly on a route between coast and mountains.
The first Pakeha (white man) scientific study of the rock art was commissioned in 1876 and found evidence of stone tools and campsite remains. Over the next 50 years scientists visited the site to copy the drawings until puzzlingly, in 1929, the Dominion Museum director had his investigators over-paint some of the drawings with black and red house paint to make them better visible. Incredible defacement in the name of science!
Thus, nowadays you’ll see a background of very faint charcoal drawings and an array of very distinct house paint mock-ups. The art is still very interesting, regardless of the over-paint. The dinosaur-eating-the-man is especially peculiar …wasn’t the Moa the biggest animal around back then? Curious too are the dated graffiti signatures from 100+ years back that occupy much of the space between drawings. Seems that W. Johnston may win the prize for the first to deface the site…but you decide.
WALK: Walk uphill on SH7 50m to find the signed track and route map (across from Weka Pass railway). The track follows the former railbed about 700m to a signed stile where you’ll turn left and begin ascending the hillside following the fenceline and marker poles. It’s a steep 1km climb, taking about 25 minutes up the hill, but at least you’ve got great Southern Alps views when you stop to catch your breath. Then comes a 10-minute 500m descent down the backside to the long limestone outcrop that awaits down and to the right. Overall this outing will probably take 1.5 to 2 hours.
Please note, as it crosses private farmland it is closed for farming activities August to October.
