Park Island and Ahuriri Estuary
Park Island and Ahuriri Estuary
8 April
A small group met up at the car park at Park Island and set off along the pathway towards the steps leading to the new Park Island cemetery and the limestone paths winding around this knoll. We had good views over the sports fields and the suburb of Tamatea. Across the grass, past the archery targets to the old Park Island and followed a path which led us through the old cemetery and my maternal grandparents graves.
We paused for a moment to look out over the Ahuriri Estuary and views out to Whirinaki Mill and the outline of Mahia Peninsula in the distance, before dropping down to join the circular track and stopping to see the group of 23 small eels which, feeling the vibrations from people walking, came to the surface to be fed- alas I had not brought the ground up cat biscuits for them. We then turned left, crossed the Expressway and onto the shared pathway alongside the Ahururi estuary.
Many birds were seen, namely black swans, mallard and paradise ducks, kingfishers, swallows, shags and as we came to the bird hide, there was a large group of spoonbills (I counted 30). We stopped for morning tea and photographs, then ambled along to the road, where a decision had to be made as to where we would go for lunch, Westshore cafe or Mitre 10 cafe. Mitre 10 cafe won and we walked on the green belt, crossed over Prebensen Drive, Expressway, along to Mitre 10.
It was a full cafe, but we managed to get a big table outside amongst the plants. After lunch we walked back via Prebensen Drive and then the pathway by Salt Water Creek before crossing the sports grounds to our vehicles, arriving just as a shower began. A good morning’s ramble in good company. Party: Glenda H, Peter Mc, Anne D, Christine L, Steve B, Selina C, Colin J, Susan L
Trelinnoe Park
6 May
It was almost a full van load that Steve drove up the Taupo Road to the Old Coach Road (just short of Te Pohue) and along this road for 5 km to Trelinnoe Park. We had last visited the park in October 2024 and were keen to see it in it’s Autumn glory. Michael, one of the owners, met us at the closed cafe and offered his services as a guide for an hour or so.
There was certainly a lot of Autumn colour to be seen. Michael took us past the tennis court and Copper Beech oval, along the East walk and the Long Vista. There he left us, viewing the dreaded pine trees that have been planted since he purchased the property and probably the reason that his property is up for sale again. After a morning tea break in one of the sunny clearings we checked out the eastern edge of the property. This took us along to the Labyrinth (the vegetation forming the maze was somewhat shorter than Selina was expecting) which some proceeded to navigate.
We then headed off in a wavy westward direction, finding the formal Boardwalk steps and its 4 stone companions (which are nearly as tall as Lou) and then had lunch in another sunny clearing. After lunch we made our way to the western side, past the “Moa” House and on to the Kauri grove and the Standing Stones. After a group photo it was back into the van and off to the Esk Hills.
This time at the Esk Hills tracks we walked the Kotare track which is the most northern of the tracks in these hills and gives views up SH5. The revegetation in this area is not as advanced as the tracks we had previously walked on there but it was still an interesting 1 hour walk and nicely filled up the rest of our afternoon’s excursion.
Party: Glenda H, Christine L, Stephen B, Susan L, Anne D, Peter Mc, Selina C, Christine B, Janice L, Judith R and Lou C.
Middle Stream
20 May
Seven of us set out from Pukahu on a very foggy morning in 2 cars. With a few bright spots of sunshine trying to peep through the gloom we were hoping that the fog would soon dissipate. But it wasn’t until we got onto the western side of Wakarara Rd that it quickly disappeared and became a beautiful, calm, and sunny Autumn day.
As we approached the Sunrise Track carpark, we saw a collection of utes and a helicopter on a hill. Zooming in on a camera it showed that they were DoC vehicles. While we walked along to the Waipawa River and then climbed steadily up the side of the hill on the edge of the bush next to the fence line and further along the track, the helicopter made many trips towards Sunrise Hut and perhaps elsewhere, with several of them carrying loads.
The track is quite overgrown in places with young Red Beech trees and Kanuka. On our way to our morning tea stop at the top of the hill, we passed 2 discarded jackets hanging on trees. Here we waited for Susan and Glenda to catch us up. When Glenda caught up with us, she said Susan was feeling unwell and they would slowly backtrack and return via the Swamp Track to the vehicles while we continued to Middle Stream.
After setting off again we soon met the owners of the jackets, 2 young trappers from Mauri Oho, and later 2 more of their group. The track continues on dropping down to cross a tributary of Middle Stream, then on towards a swampy area. It had been several years since I had last been here, and with the lack of visible track markers I went further across the swamp than necessary trying to find the track and became stuck in the swamp. After several minutes I managed to extricate my feet, luckily with boots attached! Backtracking we eventually found the track closer to the beginning of the swamp. The last downhill took us to our lunch stop on a sunny clearing above Middle Stream.
After lunch we went to have a look at the stream but didn’t venture down the steep zigzag track to the river. We returned via the same track with wonderful views of the Wakarara Ranges, until we met the track leading to the Swamp Track and headed there as most of the group hadn’t been there before. This is a beautiful track with predominantly Miro and Rimu, and an understory of Crown Ferns. We checked out Triplex Hut, which is having some modifications done. The deck has been incorporated into the main room, with the bunk rooms now accessible from there. A new full-length deck has been constructed with the clear lite roofing waiting to be installed. We arrived back to the cars with Glenda and Susan awaiting our arrival.
Party: Glenda H, Susan L, Christine B, Janice L, Judith R, Nikol S and Christine L
Tutira Walkway
3 June
Our first Wednesday walk in June was to the Tutira Regional Park. We initially started up the Kaitaratahi track just south of the camp ground, hoping to make it up to Peras Track. Part way up blackberry blocked our way and only Peter B fought his way through it and carried on upwards.
The rest of us returned to the campground and started up the Table Mountain track that leaves from the Regional Council campground. We stopped at the shelter to take in the views and then carried on up towards the summit. Lunch was had on the tops, some at the high point and others further down where the track first meet the ridge line.
For the return four headed south along the tops on Peras track to descend down to Lake Waikpopiro while 3 retraced their steps back to the van where we found Peter. We drove the van to Waikorpiro Lake and walked up the Peras track to meet the others coming down.
Party: Christine L, Susan L, Unathi Q, Christine B, Peter Mc, Steve B, Peter B and Glenda H
Puketitiri Reserves
17 June
We spent this day checking out the 3 reserves in the Puketitiri area. These are all quite small reserves but are quite different to each other.
Our first stop was the William Hartree Reserve. Years ago Napier Forest and Bird looked after this reserve thinking that they owned it. It eventually was realized that it was in fact a DOC reserve and it is now managed by DOC leaving the F&Bs to concentrate on Little Bush. The lodge looks in good condition and maybe we can use it as a venue sometime in the future. There was a heap of red supplejack berries, both in the trees and on the ground amongst the Kereru droppings (they had obviously feasted well on them). The track takes you to the top of the reserve where is is a great view of the surrounding country side.
An 11 km drive further along the Puketitiri Road got us to Balls Clearing and lunch. They are in the process of putting a deer fence around this reserve and the big difference to us was that all the exotic trees that surrounded the park has been felled to make way for the fence. After lunch we enjoyed the hour or so loop walk through to the clearing and back out to the carpark. It was relatively windy and it was quite mesmerising watching the tops of giant trees swing back and forth.
The last reserve of the day was the Little Bush Reserve which is 5 Km up Little Bush Road and about a 20 minute drive from Balls Clearing. This is a small 12 ha reserve with a a loop track through the bush which takes in a mix of native trees including kahikatea, matai, rimu. A couple of these giants have unfortunately succumbed to the weather and the track had to skirt around them.
Party: Nikol S, Susan L, Christine B, Selina C, Christine L, Glenda H, Steve B, Karene F, Judith R, Peter B, and Unathi Q.
The Comet – Pulling pine trees with HB Wilding Forest trust.
1 July
We decided to swap our usual Wednesday walk to help HB Wilding Pine Control Trust remove pine trees from the Comet area. We left Pukahu around 7.30 in the van and joined the convoy to Comet Road at Omahu just after 8 and arrived near the old Comet Hut site a bit after 9. Here we had a briefing and then set out to destroy pine trees. It was a brilliantly fine day and there were great views of the Tongariro mountains.
By lunch time, which was had beside the road, almost 1800 trees had been removed. After lunch all the organisers left us (they were showing some big wig from Wellington around) and there was just us and a car load of Napier tramping club people left. We worked further along the road for an hour or so finding very few pine trees to remove, like less than 10. At around 2.30 we hopped back into the van and headed for home.
Party: Steve B, Susan L, Glenda H, Christine L, Janice L, Colin J, Anne D, Selina C and Peter Mc
Taradale Hills
15 July
Eleven of us set from Otatara Pa around 9:30am up the 4WD track to the fortified lookout with views over lots of Hawkes Bay. Continuing further up the track to catch a fresh breeze and views looking westwards, passing the storage pits, and heading down to Churchill Drive, and eventually meeting the beginning of Maggie’s Way, which took us to Dolbel Reserve.
After morning tea at a large picnic table, we began the gradual climb up Dolbel and past children having fun sliding down the grassy hillside on pieces of cardboard. Into the planted native trees and climbing up higher and out in the open. At the top we entered a more mature native planting, winding our way down and through the Kauri Grove past several dying Rimu.
Once out into the open again it was onto Dolbel St and following Maggie’s Way along Puketapu Rd, then beside a flood inundation area behind houses and Taradale Cemetery. Along the way locals had out bags of citrus for us to help ourselves to, as well as there was fruit from an orange tree. We followed the stream behind the houses and through a gully, eventually reaching the first of two ponds. It was a little too damp there for lunch, so we continued a short distance to a bench and a sunny grassy area. By then the temperature was rising, and some of us were beginning to regret our choice of clothing for the day. Napier later reached 20°C, making it a very warm day for the middle of July.
Continuing along Maggie’s Way, we passed the second pond before beginning the climb up about 160 steps to Tironui Drive. We then passed a property filled with old and interesting items, including pieces of machinery, fishing gear, and a Tuk Tuk. At the base of Sugarloaf, the fitter and faster members of the group took the steeper route to the trig, while the rest followed the gentler zigzag track around the hill. Despite some haze, we could still see northern Hawke’s Bay and the Mahia Peninsula.
After a short rest it was down a steep path, and through Helliwell Reserve coming out near Church Road Winery, along several streets back to Puketapu Rd and heading back to Dolbel Reserve. We stopped for afternoon tea at our morning tea stop. Ann D then lead us along an alternative route to the zigzags to Churchill Drive. A bit further up to the beginning of the steep climb up Otatara Pa, past the gardens and down a narrow track, across a boggy patch and back to the carpark. In all we walked 14 kms up hill, down dale, through the bush, along paths and roadways, up and down steps. So much for an easy walk in town! At least it was close to home and a leisurely start to the day.
Party: Anne D, Christine L, Colin J, Glenda H, Janice L, Judith R, Nikol S, Peter B , Peter Mc, Selina C, Steve B