Katiki Beach
KATIKI BEACH, SOUTH ISLAND, NEW ZEALAND.
Katiki Beach is 10k South of Moeraki.
WRECKED CHINESE JUNKS.
A magnetic anomaly survey run along the beach located the outline of two Junks in the southern corner of the beach, adjacent to where the shore line commences to turn westwards to Shag Point.
The Junks appear to be of the 100m x 50m class.
The most southerly is broached to, the centre is (170d, 48`, 33E. 45d, 27`, 22S)
Both bow anchors are out.
The northerly Junk is stern on to the low sand hills, the centre is
(170d, 48`, 32E. 45d, 27`, 18S), unusually two stern anchors are out, this indicates that although the Junk had been driven ashore, it`s condition still merited being moored.
Both bow anchors are out.
This is the site from which a local inhabitant pre 1970, found a 200mm stone cannon ball.
This ball is now in my possession. There are some stone balls c450mm diameter concreted into the adjacent rocks, these appear to be homogeneous and shaped by man, not nature. (See photograph).
This corner of the beach is the only section not blocked by a low line of offshore rocks, which would rip any vessel to pieces if driven on to them.
There is evidence of a small fortified area within the adjacent car park, part of the car park has been made up with imported stone. Presumably the crews of two vessels of this size, which possibly had been driven onto the beach, but not onto cliffs, would have largely survived. Although the damage and the shear size of the Junks prevented their relaunch. Therefore in the area there must be a fortified site capable of accommodating c 2,000 men. One can but assume that the timber from the Junks was stripped out and reused for the dwellings.
The limited daylight in this winter period prevented the survey area being extended.
T.C.Bell July 2003.
