Mid-Winter Mystery Tour

Saturday 18 June 2022

A sea of expectant faces met at Paru Paru Road at 9am, each knowing it would be foot travel from the carpark, everywhere in-between and back. But where would we be walking and where would the chosen lunch spot be? Just as well there was no serious betting, because all would have lost.

We set off in a crocodile line out to the BP Service Station on Haven Rd, took a left heading up Fountain Place and climbed straight up the track at the top coming out on Beachville Terrace. From there we crossed Britannia Heights to Albert Road. The views were magnificent. The sea was as a millpond, the sky, light bright grey, the western mountains snow-topped looking as though they were iced buns, Haulashore Island serene and the Boulder Bank lighthouse looked like a dot.

We continued ogling at the splendour of our location as we walked along Fifeshire Terrace, down Stafford Way and along Rocks Road to Tahunanui beach for morning tea. The beach was a hub of activity with planting going on along the sand dunes and hardy swimmers including our Waimea TC vice-president taking a mid-winter dip. We watched in admiration of the swimmers and would have joined the planters had we known in advance.

From the beach we walked along Annesbrook Drive as far as the lower Tamaki Steps. As we were ascending them, some of our party expressed fear and trepidation at the prospect of then climbing the main Tamaki steps. Anyone could have done that and waited at the top. However all chose to follow me along Chamberlain St, up Maire St, then up three walkways which made for a longer, slower ascent onto Princes Drive. Once there, we watched planes taking off from the airport then made our way back along Princes Drive towards town via Quebec Rd, Laval Heights and a walkway down to Woolf St which brought us out across the road from our lunch destination – Street Food on Washington.

We arrived at 12:30pm which was the exact time I’d booked for. Ben and his partner were welcoming, generous hosts with a delightful array of mainly Mexican food on offer at very reasonable prices. We loosened our tongues even more and warmed our bellies, until finally staggering the last kilometre back to the cars which were waiting on Paru Paru Road.

The circuit we’d walked was 12km long.

Those who came and partook of this year’s mystery outing were Alison (leader and scribe), Colin, David W, Grant, Jamila, Jenny, Julian, Karen N, Pauline, Rob, Maria, Terri and visitor Megan.