Iconic Whale Bay is the setting for the Just series of novels for 9-12 year olds

The Tutukaka coast is the setting for all three books in the Just series and anyone who has visited experiences the pure wonder of this coastline.

Whale bay on the tutukaka coast WHERE BOOK CHARACTER JESSIE WAS THE FIRST TO FIND AN INTRIGUING OBSIDIAN COBBLE BELONGING TO HINE, A GIRL FROM THE MOA HUNTER DAYS

The rocky coves, the sandy bays, deep-reaching estuaries with golden sand bars and boats tugging on their moorings as the tide does its thing; the surf, the lullaby of the sea rocking you to sleep every night. There’s even a lighthouse. The coast is a total paradise for kids and there’s a vast array of sea birds, North Island brown kiwi, visits from kaka from the offshore islands, and the idyllic Poor Knights Marine Reserve renowned for its wealth of sea creatures. Orca and bottlenose dolphins are regular visitors, and dare I say it, imagination engaged, the mermaids. And did I mention that a bell sounds at Ngunguru School when dolphins are sighted in the estuary? So it made total sense, to me at least, that Just Keep Going would feature a dolphin. With more books in the series on the way, the Tutukaka coast provides an ongoing source of inspiration, and a splendid setting for all kinds of magic to happen.

There are currently three books in the series. They are stand alone titles and can be read in any order.

Visit Whale Bay where book characters come to life

Did you know that Whale Bay which features in all the books in the Just series is a real place? You can hike there from Matapouri, or park in the carpark at the top of the hill on Matapouri Road, about one kilometre past the Matapouri Store. From here the path meanders through shady stands of giant pūriri, before dropping down to the beach, where a thick tangle of pōhutukawa trees await, their octopus trunks splayed wide upon the sand. Beyond, lies the sparkling blue bay where book characters Jessie, Em and Becky, found the mystical obsidian stones bringing the magic of this special part of New Zealand alive.

Whale Bay is a place where new treasures can always be found. Many additions to my shell collection have been made here. To find the best, I follow the high tide mark, scanning for hidden treasures between swathes of seaweed, guarded by armies of bouncing sand hoppers.

But sometimes it’s worth following the waterline, keeping your eyes alert to the surging waves firing shiny shells and sea-smoothed pebbles onto the sand. This is how I stumbled upon the stone which inspired Just End It, it caught my eye, and when the wave peeled back, I scooped it up.

Treasure hunting aside, this is also a great beach to have a swim. It’s lovely and sandy as far out as you wish you go, and at each end of the bay there are rocky reefs, havens for marine life, so make sure you bring your mask and snorkel.

When you’re done, there’s plenty of shade for picnicking on soft sand beneath the old pōhutukawa trees, and there’s a DOC loo at one end of the beach should you need it.

So what are you waiting for? Come and take a look sometime, you may even find some treasure of your own.

Just End It - the stone is real

Not everyone knows this, but the obsidian stone in Just End It, that twelve-year-old Jessie finds at Whale Bay, is a real stone I found during the summer of 2016. I was walking along the waterline and suddenly there it was, sitting atop freshly washed sand.

In Just End It the stone is the device through which Jessie finds herself swept into the past, where she meets Hine, a moa hunter girl from long ago. While Jessie is dealing with an overwhelming amount of modern-day issues including cyberbullying (courtesy of her ex-bestie), the story of the stone unfolds.

I absolutely love this stone. It’s the perfect size to hold in my hand and the grooves cut into it make comfortable finger holds. It’s a solid and reassuring piece, glassy in places, rough and glittery in others as if it’s been tumbled in the ocean for a long time.

Whether or not it did actually belong to a Moa Hunter remains to be seen, but my imagination says it was so. I like to take the stone on school visits and talk about the power of using objects in your writing. The stories you write can come from everywhere. Even from special rocks you find on the beach.