I missed the walk this week and instead attended a class to improve my Nordic Walking skills at Orewa with June Stevenson, our INWA® Nordic Walking National Coach and Master Instructor. I had a great morning and it was a good opportunity to get advice and help with my technique, if you’re interested in a class take a look at June’s website at www.nordicwalking.net.nz.
As I didn’t walk as such this weekend I thought I would do a bit of research about the Kennedy Park area over at Castor Bay, in fact that area from Campbells Bay to Castor Bay has some of the area’s most oldest and historical parks.
Campbells Bay is a relatively small safe swimming beach with access from either the Esplanade or Huntly Reserve at the end of Huntly Road. The reserve covers just less than half a hectare of land to the southern side of the stream. The bridge over the stream provides access at high tide to the beach and the reserve is used for a range of children and family activities. As with most kiwi communities, the locals have a keen interest in the upkeep and development of this reserve and it is well kept and provided for by Auckland Council.
The walk from Campbells Bay to Castor Bay and back is about 1 - 1 ½ hours, it takes you across to Centennial Park and down to Beach Road then onto to Castor Bay Beach. Centennial Park is a fabulous facility, created with the help of a group of people concerned about the state of the neglected bush area. The park now has twelve named tracks and a lot of the boggy ground has been transformed using raised wooded walkways, not ideal for Nordic Walking but a great platform to view the Manuka, Pine and Wattles.
To get to Kennedy Park via Centennial Park take the Bush Track, this brings you to the Rae Road exit. Please see map for more instructions. It's a great walk for a sunny Sunday, the steps in the Castor Bay area are very steep and the ground at Kennedy Park can be very boggy underfoot when wet.
Originally Castor Bay was known as Castor Oil Bay and before that the Maori named the area Rahopara Pa, Pa being a name for a fortified place. The area holds much significance for Maori heritage, an earth oven pit found there dates occupation to between 1466 and 1688. However, sometime after the assassination of John F Kennedy in the 1960’s the park was renamed in his honour to Kennedy Park.
The site of the Red Bluff battery above Castor Bay was bought in 1934 by the Army and the battery observation was built in 1941. Fake houses were constructed during the Second World War and they were designed to look like dwellings to disguise the fact that the area actually contained large weaponry which was in service until 1957. The reason that this particular location was selected was to protect the Rangitoto channel.
The battery was fully operational during the time when concerns over the possibility of a Japanese invasion in 1942 caused great panic. Because of the allied victories in the Pacific at the end of 1942 the battery was placed in reserve early in 1943, it was then utilised as a transit station building; but the neglected battery observation post remained and as time went on the disused structure became increasingly dilapidated. The site was eventually obtained by a Maori cultural group to prevent demolition and possible loss; it was registered under the provisions of Historical Places Trust in 1993.
In 1998, however, the Bays Rover Crew Trust raised sufficient funds and commissioned a heritage assessment to promote the restoration of the observation post. The Council now maintain the buildings, to keep the interest of the 63rd Battery and to keep the structures available to the public. In 2010 the registration of the Kennedy Park World War II Installations were passed to the Preservation Trust Inc, the trusts obvious main objectives are that of continued preservation and restoration of the buildings for public use as a museum.
The remains of the battery buildings are fascinating and a lot of effort was put into their design and construction, windows were even painted onto the outside walls to make them look real from the air. I was amazed that they still stood there and with no apparant graffitti or vandalism. These buildings are a great piece of the local history that is preserved for us all to see, they serve as a poignant reminder of the service and dedication to the protection of New Zealand's shores during less hospitable times.
As I didn’t walk as such this weekend I thought I would do a bit of research about the Kennedy Park area over at Castor Bay, in fact that area from Campbells Bay to Castor Bay has some of the area’s most oldest and historical parks.
 |
| Kennedy Park, Beach Road, Castor Bay |
Campbells Bay is a relatively small safe swimming beach with access from either the Esplanade or Huntly Reserve at the end of Huntly Road. The reserve covers just less than half a hectare of land to the southern side of the stream. The bridge over the stream provides access at high tide to the beach and the reserve is used for a range of children and family activities. As with most kiwi communities, the locals have a keen interest in the upkeep and development of this reserve and it is well kept and provided for by Auckland Council.
 |
| Campbells Bay Beach |
The walk from Campbells Bay to Castor Bay and back is about 1 - 1 ½ hours, it takes you across to Centennial Park and down to Beach Road then onto to Castor Bay Beach. Centennial Park is a fabulous facility, created with the help of a group of people concerned about the state of the neglected bush area. The park now has twelve named tracks and a lot of the boggy ground has been transformed using raised wooded walkways, not ideal for Nordic Walking but a great platform to view the Manuka, Pine and Wattles.
To get to Kennedy Park via Centennial Park take the Bush Track, this brings you to the Rae Road exit. Please see map for more instructions. It's a great walk for a sunny Sunday, the steps in the Castor Bay area are very steep and the ground at Kennedy Park can be very boggy underfoot when wet.
 |
| Castor Bay |
Originally Castor Bay was known as Castor Oil Bay and before that the Maori named the area Rahopara Pa, Pa being a name for a fortified place. The area holds much significance for Maori heritage, an earth oven pit found there dates occupation to between 1466 and 1688. However, sometime after the assassination of John F Kennedy in the 1960’s the park was renamed in his honour to Kennedy Park.
The site of the Red Bluff battery above Castor Bay was bought in 1934 by the Army and the battery observation was built in 1941. Fake houses were constructed during the Second World War and they were designed to look like dwellings to disguise the fact that the area actually contained large weaponry which was in service until 1957. The reason that this particular location was selected was to protect the Rangitoto channel.
 |
| Battery Building |
The battery was fully operational during the time when concerns over the possibility of a Japanese invasion in 1942 caused great panic. Because of the allied victories in the Pacific at the end of 1942 the battery was placed in reserve early in 1943, it was then utilised as a transit station building; but the neglected battery observation post remained and as time went on the disused structure became increasingly dilapidated. The site was eventually obtained by a Maori cultural group to prevent demolition and possible loss; it was registered under the provisions of Historical Places Trust in 1993.
 |
| Battery Building 2 |
In 1998, however, the Bays Rover Crew Trust raised sufficient funds and commissioned a heritage assessment to promote the restoration of the observation post. The Council now maintain the buildings, to keep the interest of the 63rd Battery and to keep the structures available to the public. In 2010 the registration of the Kennedy Park World War II Installations were passed to the Preservation Trust Inc, the trusts obvious main objectives are that of continued preservation and restoration of the buildings for public use as a museum.
 |
| Inside Battery Building 2 |
The remains of the battery buildings are fascinating and a lot of effort was put into their design and construction, windows were even painted onto the outside walls to make them look real from the air. I was amazed that they still stood there and with no apparant graffitti or vandalism. These buildings are a great piece of the local history that is preserved for us all to see, they serve as a poignant reminder of the service and dedication to the protection of New Zealand's shores during less hospitable times.
Sources and information:
http://www.movenorthshore.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/kennedy-park-booklet1.pdf
Superb Walks ISBN 978-0-473-18181-9 Hugh Willis
Superb Walks ISBN 978-0-473-18181-9 Hugh Willis
No comments:
Post a Comment