Havelock Hills

Wakaretu Bay – 18-20 June 2021

Bad weather made us nearly cancel the annual trip to Wakaretu Bay, but thanks to the flexibility of nine participants we left early on Friday to do our walk up Mt Takorika on the same day. We climbed up the steep (and slippery) waterfall track to the service road. From there we continued up to the communication tower to stop for lunch and enjoy great views of the Pelorus Sounds. We came down the new and well-formed escarpment loop to join up with the lower Takorika Track. These new tracks are a very good new asset to the Havelock area. There was an amazing variety of fungi, thanks to the wet season. One variety, wood-ear, ended up as a dish on our evening menu.

Jeff's bach at Wakaretu was great, as always, and a good place to be during rain on Saturday. We managed to do a new loop track at Kaiuma Bay before the rain set, and some of us were quite happy to do the local loop walk in the rain in the afternoon. We used the time at the bach to brainstorm about possible future trips, with members sharing their experience and their wish lists, and we enjoyed a tasteful potluck dinner in the evening. On Sunday morning we got a nice dry window to do the circuit at Cullen Point. We finished with morning tea in Havelock before heading home. I think we were all glad we still went away despite the weather forecast and luckily, we got a fine day at Mt Takorika. Mt Cawte will have to wait for another time!

Those on the trip: Anne L, Eric, Jeff, Joy, Lynda, Maria, Rob, Sue J, Esther (leader and scribe).