Sanders Reserve - The Faraway Tree

Pam F, one of our Nordic Walkers asked me to accompany her to a place called Sanders Reserve, she had recently taken a Women's Outdoor Pursuits course and did some of her bush survival skills here. She was so taken by this lovely location that she felt she had to show me the area,  I was pleasantly surprised, this is a gorgeous place and a fantastic area to visit for a family or a group outing.

The 'Faraway Tree" - Phil Bonham

Sanders Reserve is about 10 minutes from Albany, it's situated South of Paremoremo and located by the Upper Waitemata Harbour estuary; it's a splendid location, providing areas for dog walking and horse riding. It has a small walking track, a fabulous playground for children and heaps of mountain bike trails with breathtaking views.

Pam took me to see this tree (above) which is along the walking track by an area called Library Point. This is a Macrocarpa (Monterey Cypress) tree and was crafted by Phil Bonham, an Auckland artist and sculptor.

There a wonderful Vimeo clip of Phil talking about his work on the 'Faraway Tree' sculpture, it's a lovely short film that explains where some of his inspiration came from for the figures and animals that are featured in his work.

Take a look: http://vimeo.com/73850678

More information:

http://www.thebigidea.co.nz/work/resumes/133024-phil-bonham
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.599621883423361.1073741838.301561623229390&type=3
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paremoremo

http://www.wops.co.nz/

Unsworth Heights - Jack Hinton Drive

Unsworth Reserve

North Shore Nordic Walkers met at Jack Hinton Drive, Albany on Sunday.  It was freezing and frost was still clinging to the ground at 8.00 am as we made our way across Rosedale Park.

We passed the cable works and some interesting works being undertaken for the new stadium, continuing past the duck pond and crossing at Paul Matthews Road to take the tunnel through to Unsworth Heights.

Walking Through A Very Frosty Rosedale Park

Jack Hinton was a soldier in WWII who received the Victoria Cross. He was born at Colac Bay in 1906 and joined up in September 1939. Hinton, tired of retreating from a column of German soldiers that had arrived at the port of Kalamata Greece in April 1941, launched an impressive attack by throwing a couple of grenades at the soldiers who fled from their posts. He then led a group of New Zealanders into an attack and they managed to chase the garrison into nearby houses.  They then held the guns and position until they were overwhelmed by German soldiers and unfortunately Jack was shot.

Mist On The Duck Pond At Unsworth Reserve

Jack became a prisoner of war in prison camps in both Greece and Germany.  Apparently he was quite a character and did undertake several attempts to escape. The Kommandant presented him with a copy of the VC medal and offered celebratory champagne at his officer’s club to which Jack is reported to have told the Kommandant to put his champagne up his waistcoat.  After the war he returned to New Zealand and passed away in Christchurch in 1997.

We walked through the bush to the boardwalk which has been finished, but it was very slippery and we had to take great care crossing most of the wooden walkways as a lot of them have metal mesh, which when frozen become quite treacherous.

At the end of the boardwalk we congregated at Barbados Drive and waited until everyone had caught up.  We crossed the road and then followed the pathway into Unsworth Reserve. A lot of work is still going on in this area and the pathways and bush have been cleared.  It looked quite strange and solemn as the frost was still on the grass and trees whilst the storm water pond being home to dozens of ducks was swirling in mist.

Caribbean Drive

It was at this point that some of the group suddenly stopped, we realised that we had left people behind and one of our walkers was most definitely having problems.

This area is in the Albany basin and in winter can be exceptionally cold - certainly more than the surrounding areas.  I headed back to the group and one of the ladies was visibly distressed. She was in pain, wasn’t coping well with the cold and her circulation to her hands had suffered.

Some of our ladies turned back with her to one of the local cafes and Margaret kindly stayed with her until she had fully recovered.

Making Our Way Back

Auckland’s weather can be deceiving as some parts can be mild whilst other parts can be very cold. Having endured lots of terrible winters in the UK and also suffering with “White Finger or Raynaud’s Syndrome” and the consequent chillblains, I can appreciate the great discomfort that poor Pam was going through.

I want to share some advice when out walking in cold weather.  Wear layers, invest in a couple of Merino tops or polypropylene, use good quality socks, wear a hat and wear gloves. I know some people don't like getting over heated so carry a pack that allows you to take off layers as you go. I had a friend that knitted me cuffs to wear in winter and ladies need to wear long pants, preferably lined to keep in the heat, don’t wear jeans. Try wearing a gillet under your jacket as an insulating layer, keeping the core warm is essential, and keep moving.

Some Of The Reserve Has Been Re Landscaped - Look At The Mist!

We quickly continued our walk and headed to Cafe Drina just on Paul Matthews Road where the ladies had gone for a warm. We were all relieved to see that she had recovered well, the staff were very kind. We stayed a while for a chat over coffee and I had my usual English Breakfast Tea with poached eggs on toast, most definitely with a hint of vinegar this week.

Information and Resources:

http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/page/jack-hinton-wins-victoria-cross
http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/features/southern-military-history/3918686/Who-ll-come-with-me

More on Walking in Cold Weather: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fitness/HQ01681/

Browns Bay - Mairangi Bay

What a glorious day on Sunday and we had a good turn out too. North Shore Nordic Walkers met at Valley Road Car Park in Browns Bay, the sun was shining, the beach was very busy with dog walkers and the tide was on its way out. We poled across the sand to the steps at the Southern end of the beach to Beechwood Road and into Dan Jones Bluff.

Some of the North Shore Nordic Walkers at Browns Bay Beach

I noticed that the empty section at the top of the stairs had been cleared, it’s been neglected for years and it looks like someone is about to build a new home which would have spectacular views overlooking the sea and Browns Bay beach.

Steps to Beechwood Road - Section to the Right

We tramped in single file along the coastal pathway toward Rothesay Bay, where we picked up another Nordic Walker along the way.

The view from the Coastal Track at Murrays Bay

I love this walk. It’s mainly flat although once in Rothesay Bay there is a steep incline up the Rothesay Bay Road before turning left into Churchill Road and taking the Gum Diggers Trail onto Murrays Bay. The coastline is on the left with outstanding views of Rangitoto and the track is concrete all the way down to Murrays Bay Beach. There are three ways of crossing to Mairangi Bay from this point.  You can take the Crow’s Nest Rise Walk along the cliff, take Beach Road or use the man made causeway.  The tide was as I said on it’s way out so we crossed the causeway and made our way across the sand at Mairangi Bay.

Steps to the Gum Diggers Trial at Murrays Bay

I have written about this area in a previous blog Te Ararora – The Long Pathway. The Maori named this piece of land between Mairangi and Murrays Bays Waipapa, which means “water over wood" which was a reference to the stumps and logs left behind from ancient forest that were found in the sand around this area. In 1881 the name had been changed and the bay was renamed after Joseph Murray who farmed the kauri trees on his land between Mairangi Bay and Murrays Bay.

Nordic Walking at Mairangi Bay

The name Mairangi Bay (the sheltered arm) was chosen for the area as it seemed the most appropriate, and this Bay is a small but bustling village of boutique type shops and popular cafes.

The Concrete Causeway at Mairangi Bay

I bought my husband the White’s Aviation Arial photography book a couple of years ago, there are some stunning shots of this area in the book and much of the East Coast Bays on the North Shore in the 1950’s before the Auckland Harbour bridge was built. Check the links below for more information about Leo White and White’s Aviation Company and if you get the chance buy or borrow the book, it’s a great reference book and such an inspiring way to document the history of New Zealand, you can also get more information if you visit the library at MOTAT amongst many other places.

The Steps at Browns Bay to Dan Jones Bluff

We trudged along the beach past the Surf club where we stopped briefly for everyone to catch up before making our way back to Murrays Bay.

At Murrays Bay some of the group decided to take Beach Road back to Browns Bay whilst I and the others mounted the steps back to the Gum Diggers Trail, returning to Rothesay Bay and eventually back down the steps at Beechwood Road to Browns Bay beach.

Coffee at The White Flower, Browns Bay

We usually opt for Ben Gusto for coffee, but this week we tried the White Flower Cafe on Clyde Road, we had a bit of confusion over teas but the service was good and I had a very unhealthy chocolate caramel slice, yummy but made with desicated coconut - not keen.

Information & Sources:

http://www.mairangibayvillage.co.nz/community/mairangibayhistory
http://www.mairangibayvillage.co.nz/sitemap

Kauri Park



Kauri Park via Rangatira Road



Sunday was a grey day, the forecast was for fine spells with rain and I had organised a walk into a bush area called Kauri Park in Birkenhead.  I arranged to meet everyone at 8.00 am at the Rangatira Road entrance and after a delayed start we set off into the bush keeping to the left and following the track down the steep steps.  I must also mention that to protect the kauri all shoes must be brushed and sprayed before entering this Park and there are cleaning stations available at all entrances.  This is to try and stop soil based disease from damaging the kauri trees and spreading from contaminated shoes.



Kauri Park Tracks

This park has huge kauri trees, I believe that the older trees are actually to the North of the park and are quite easy to spot along the track, the kauri is indigenous to New Zealand. I'm told that they are the "conifer" tree of New Zealand.They can grow to 50 metres in height and originally much of the North of the North Island and Northland would have been covered in kauri.  They are simply one of the most impressive trees I have ever seen; they have huge trunks with girths up to 16 metres. Apparently the bark flakes and sheds from the tree to protect it from invading parasites. Maori used the timber of the tree to make boats, to build with, to make carvings and the gum was mixed with water and plant extract which was then chewed - sort of an early version of chewing gum.

Kauri Trees

The trees are evidence of ancient woods going as far back as the Jurassic age, sadly much of the kauri forests had been plundered by the 1900’s as European settlers arrived the kauri was used for timber and the gum extracted. The young kauri tree was very popular for making masts and spars.  The great kauri forests and bush were cleared to make way for farmland and houses.

Steep Steps and Narrow Tracks

In the early 1920’s 15 acres of this park were first made a public reserve,by Birkenhead Borough Council. A lot of improvements were made, tracks were constructed and entrance gates were made to the tracks in 1931, then in 1948 a serious fire threatened the reserve. A further 5 acres were added to the park in 1965 which was then under the control of the North Shore Scenic Board.

Stopping for a De-robe

The track we followed from Rangatira Road is the beginning of the loop track and to the left the main kauri grove is only few minutes’ walk away. The trees here are around 200 and 400 years old. 

Much of this track is not suitable for Nordic Walking, it’s steep, very slippery and much of it is boardwalk and what isn't boardwalk is narrow in places and riddled with tree root.  It is however beautiful, it’s been lovingly restored with tanekaha and kauri.  The nikau, puriri and many other plants and trees live amongst the kanuka (shrub). It can be quite dark in there as the trees are tall and the canopy is dense in parts.

Very Steep in Places and Slippery Underfoot

We crossed the bridge at the stream which took us past native plants, orchids and ponga trees. Eventually as we walked further we came out at Hebe Place so we turned back and followed the track through to the right but couldn’t pick up the track.

Beautiful Trees, Plants and Bush

Despite having a map we did find following the track difficult, it would be useful if the tracks were marked to make them much easier to find.  However we continued walking through until we came across another entrance at Kauri Road where we continued making our way around the park on the footpath.

Walking through the Street and Back to Rangatira Road

We made our way up the steep Waipa Street, turned right at the corner of Verran Road and continued along Rangatira Road and back to the cars.

We spent a few minutes searching for one of our walkers before making our way over to Verrans Espresso and food.

This is a lovely old fashioned Kiwi cafe, waitress service with a beautiful selection of food and beverages.  The service was excellent and my Blueberry Dazzle smoothie was one of the best I’ve had for a long time and my eggs on toast were scrumptious.

Information & Sources:

http://www.bngcommunitytrust.org.nz/kauri.php
http://www.localhistoryonline.org.nz/cgi-bin/CUI?e=0-------0----------0-1-0-0-&a=d&c=nshore-newspapers&cl=CL3.1980s.1981&d=nsnw-NNI-AAA-9680
http://www.doc.govt.nz/conservation/native-plants/kauri/

Shepherds Park – Oruamo Creek

A few peeps were surprised that I had organised a walk on Sunday as it was the Queen’s Birthday weekend.  My philosophy is that I’m sure that the Queen won’t mind and as her royal subjects we owe it to her to keep fit and well.

Shepherds Park, Beach Haven

I chose Shepherds Park as June Stevenson and I have worked there with Green Prescription patients, we’ve only used the footpath and park and when I found that there was a walk around the estuary I was keen to take a look.

Beach Haven is located North West of Auckland city, the first European settlers to this area arrived in the 1860s and until the early 1920s the area was primarily rural consisting mainly of farms growing strawberries and holiday homes (baches).  The area was subdivided for housing later in 1923 and during the construction in 1959 of the Auckland Harbour Bridge the housing development in the area was sufficiently completed to make it into a largely urban populated area.

Making our way to the Bush Walk

Shepherds Park is named after the family who lived there on a farm, originally the area was market gardens before it was developed into a park for community use.  The park offers many amenities including rugby, soccer and tennis; it also features an outdoors fitness circuit for anyone to use.

The headland that is adjacent to the park has been restored to a beautiful bush environment. It’s situated on Hellyer’s Creek and still contains middens from previous Maori occupation. Centuries later Thomas Hellyer opened a kauri mill business in 1840 that supplied timber to Auckland city.

Outstanding views of Hellyers or Oruamo Creek

North Shore Nordic Walkers met at 8.00 am at the park via the Melba Street entrance and parked outside the football (soccer) club. We were joined by June and Paul Stevenson from Nordic Kiwi who were also keen to try the walk.

We started our walk by taking the path on the left past the back of the soccer club, turning right at the Oruama Landing sign we made our way through the bush and onto the track. We followed the track by the coastline though the bush alongside the houses that back onto the water.  

Some of the steps are steep and can be slippery

I’d advise anyone trying this track to take extra care when it’s wet as it is full of tree roots and holes. It is quite boggy in parts although some of the track is boardwalk and there are steps to climb to take in the views of the estuary and the upper harbour, with a backdrop formed by the steep slopes of Greenhithe.

Beautiful tree canopies along the walk and some branches are at head height!

We stopped to look at the views at Hellyers Creek (Maori name is Oruamo which means “for all”) before continuing along the coastal track.  The views are truly outstanding along the estuary, we passed many little wharves some of which looked to be in very precarious positions. The area is marsh wetland and teaming with birds. The plants and trees are magnificent along here, with huge rimu, kauri gum trees and many of New Zealand’s native trees have been replanted by volunteers and the team at the Kaipatiki planting project.

Beautiful views along the estuary track

We proceeded along the track before exiting at Beach Haven Road, turning right we then continued right into Lancaster before taking the left turn back into Melba Street and onto the car park.

Boardwalk view

I think everyone was surprised and delighted at such a beautiful walk that is tucked away on the other side of the park. It’s definitely worth about an hours trip out to walk the area.

One of the small wharves along the way

After a short deliberation we took the cars into the small centre of Beach Haven and walked across to Cafe Au Bon Coin Patisserie, which is on the corner of Rangatira Road. It’s a small establishment but has the friendliest staff with excellent service and I can recommend poached eggs on toast, ils étaient très bons. ; )

Information and Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beach_Haven,_New_Zealand

http://beachhavenaucklandnz.blogspot.co.nz/2008/02/parks-hilders-park-beach-haven-wharf.html

http://www.bngcommunitytrust.org.nz/shep.php

http://www.harboursport.co.nz/site/harsport/files/ACOM/N%20S%20Walks&Maps/FINAL%20BEACH%20HAVEN%20-%20SHEPHERDS%20PARK%20July.pdf

Northcote Tuff Crater

The Tuff Crater Restoration Project

The weather on Sunday was ok, despite the downpours during the week the weekend wasn’t too bad at all. It was just as well as I had been advised that the Northcote Tuff Crater (also known as Tank farm) and Onepoto Basin walk was treacherous underfoot when wet.  I was hoping to have a local with us as a guide but unfortunately they were unable to make it so we tramped on regardless.

View from the look out at St Peters Street

The North Shore Nordic Walkers met at the Library at Northcote at 8.00 am.  We walked down College Road crossing over to number 77 turning right onto the walkway in St Peters Street; we stopped at the Crater lookout and then turned right onto the track which was mostly gravel, boardwalk and around wetland. Further on we crossed onto the grass adjacent to the motorway.

Boardwalk around the Crater

Onepoto, (Maori for short beach) is a volcanic crater or maar on the North Shore situated near to the approaches to the Auckland Harbour Bridge, The 26 ha crater is the result of a number of massive eruptions about 250,000 years ago. It first emerged as a freshwater lake, then later became a tidal lagoon when sea levels rose after the last ice age. The crater floor has been reclaimed and now has a sports field, a children’s playground and a lake surrounded with beautiful native bush.  Some areas of the tuff were quarried away in the 1950s to obtain landfill for the Northern Motorway. The tidal Onepoto Stream runs through the swamp under Onewa Cycle Bridge near Waitemata Harbour.

 View from the Motorway Bridge

This area was also known as Tank Farm - the name comes from the  petrochemicals storage tanks which were located here during World War II.

Onepoto Domain

At the end of the walkway we climbed up the steps onto the motorway bridge to take a look at the traffic zipping past; the view of the city is spectacular from the footbridge.  From the bridge we walked back across the grass and past the Pumping Station on the left. Taking a right between the houses we walked though to Heath Ave. Following our map we headed right down Sylvan Avenue where we crossed over to number 72 and along the track to Onepoto Basin. We followed the track through the park to the playground then we heard the loud speakers, Auckland Run Series were having one of their events and we arrived in the middle of it. Curses. Mental note - must check the events calendar for future walks!

Children's Playground

We stopped to look at our map when a helpful young lady came along and gave us directions to another walkway to take us to Northcote Tennis club, unfortunately it clashed with the runners and we tried to find an alternative route. Grace found us a track between the houses but it circled back further along the street so we ended up back in the race;. Curses again. Anyway we meandered for a wee while before deciding to walk facing the runners along the street and exiting Exmouth Road before turning right into College Road and back to the library.

The Lake

We walked though to the shops and found a lovely cafe for our coffee, I had very yellow eggs on toast and was told that they were probably organic although I don’t know as my Nan would say "eggs is eggs", but they tasted superb!

Information & Sources:

http://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/Contexts/Volcanoes/Sci-Media/Animations-and-Interactives/Volcano-map-of-New-Zealand

http://www.theaucklander.co.nz/news/slow-boat-to-danger/1018200/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onepoto_(volcanic_crater)

Te Ara Alexandra Pathway

North Shore Nordic Walkers met at Rosedale Park on Sunday, it was cold but the rain held, we all met at Jack Hinton Drive and took a stroll down Jack Hinton Drive and into the park.

Rosedale Park North Home of Competitive Softball

There are lots of excavation works going on at the moment; this is for a new stadium and new softball diamonds. Rosedale Sports Stadium will be ready for use in the 2013 season which will be in time for the World softball Championships to be held at Rosedale Park from 1 – 10th March 2013.

There is other work going on there too, it seems that cable installations are in progress from Albany to Wairau and a lot of the park is fenced off at the moment, but as we progressed along our route it was nice to see that the installation of the outdoor exercise equipment was now complete and was being used.

Pam E Demonstrating a Graceful Dismount with Nordic Walking Poles

Coming out of the park and crossing over from Jack Hinton Drive to Barbados Drive and onto the concrete path that runs alongside Alexandra stream we passed though into the tunnel under the Upper Harbour Highway. The painted corrugated tunnel artwork was the handiwork of Jonathan Grange a local and self taught airbrush artist who has done much work on the Shore, it’s painted with bushes and trees making it bright and inviting.

The Airbrushed Tunnel by Jonathan Grange

After a short walk we were on the boardwalk which has been completed and looks terrific, we all marched across making a clatter with our Nordic Walking Poles. It’s much nicer than walking across the path as it is covered with tree trunks and can be dangerous underfoot when it’s wet.

The Beautiful Arum Lily

The bush is really dense along here and is lined with the New Zealand Ponga Trees. The Ponga or Kaponga grows the silver fern that is the national symbol for New Zealand whilst the koru which is often depicted in Maori art is based on the young curled frond of the Ponga leaf, which has the distinctive silver colour on the underside of the leaf and gives it it’s name. The reserve is actually situated between housing and commercial buildings although you would never think that you’re actually still walking in suburbia. I was struck by the huge Arum lilies growing either side of the path and was told that these are probably noxious and extremely poisonous, but they are beautiful to look at and grow wild in New Zealand. A little further along we came across a striking Lilac tree too, it seemed so out of place, typical of an English Garden but didn't seem quite at home in the bush.

The New Wooden Walkway Through the Reserve

Another amazing featue in the bush environment and quite wonderful to look at, are the tiny Gorse Spider Mite webs, these tiny creatures were introduced into New Zealand as a mean of biocontrol. They spin the most intricate, dense cobwebs and tend to cluster in the plant, originally they came from Europe and have been ideal to control infestations of the Gorse plant.

The Intricate and Fibrous Gorse Spider Mite Web

Once out into the open, the path is lined with new exercise equipment which brings you out at Unsworth Heights. This is one of the North Shore’s popular suburban areas particularly for young families and is situated just north of Rosedale and not too far from Glenfield.

Crossing over the road we made our way back to Unsworth Heights Reserve, after a short walk passing more equipment, we arrived at the park however there were further earthworks interrupting the path. Gingerly we climbed across the orange plastic fencing continuing along past the children’s playground, across the street and onto the path back into the reserve.

On the way back instead of turning to the left after leaving the tunnel, we took the gravel  path along the right hand side of the stream, it comes out a little farther along the pavement where we crossed back to Jack Hinton Drive and into Rosedale Park.

Pam E Leading & Demonstrating a Very Graceful Ascent to Unsworth Park

It did start to get a little damp and cold but we managed to keep dry on the short Nordic Walk back to the cars. Once we arrived back at the cars and I had distributed the wipes to clean our poles, we were deep into conversations about the nearest cafe.  It was decided to visit the New Deli Cafe for coffee as most of the Nordic Walkers have been before and it’s got a nice selection of beverages and breakfast items.

Despite much confusion over coffees and what could have been an expensive scrambled egg on toast, the waitresses were quick to sort out our order.  The scrambled eggs on wholemeal toast are recommended, it arrived on my plate looking like a scale model of Rangitoto!

Information & Sources:

http://www.sportsground.co.nz/Article.asp?SiteID=5630&ArticleID=13835
https://www.asa.ac.nz/documents/transport/albanynewsletter1.pdf
http://www.aucklandtransport.govt.nz/moving-around/delays-roadworks/CurrentRestrictions/Pages/Te-Ara-Alexandra-Cycle-Walkway-Tunnel-Upgrade.aspx

Hobsonville Point

Last week we had a local walk and I didn’t really have much to say about it, but this Sunday North Shore Nordic Walkers met at Hobsonville in the morning; we parked opposite the Catalina Cafe and it was quite an adventure. I copied a map from the Internet to try a walk around Hobsonville Point. Unfortunately some of the walk had been interrupted by earthworks for new housing and school development and a good portion of it wasn’t easy to access.  The place was really busy though, they have a traditional farmers market on a Sunday at 9.00 am and the place was already bustling as we passed through.

The Catalina Cafe

We crossed over the road at the Corner of Buckley Ave and Hastings Crescent and walked around the back of Catalina Cafe. We poled past the community plant network garden, down past the children’s playground and past many of the old service buildings.   

The Quaint Church or Pump House

Hobsonville Point was previously the Royal New Zealand Air Force airfield, set aside for development at the start of the millennium and is now emerging as a new semi rural suburb of Auckland, located on the North Western shore of Waitamata Harbour and named after the first governor of New Zealand.

Signposts around the Coastal Walk Path

Originally the area was used for farming, what I found interesting and a few of our walkers commented on, was that the earth that had been dug up by the bulldozers was mainly clay.  Apparently there were clay and brickworks in the area and most of the pipe work in Auckland would have been made there.

Some of our Nordic Walkers at the Landing

In the 1920’s the Royal New Zealand Air Force built the airbase which later joined up with Whenuapai airfield. Later in the 1930’s the air strip was evidently too short and the area was used as a repair and equipment utility.  Eventually in early 2000  the RNZAF relocated most of its logistics and operations elsewhere.

Walking through the old air base was really kind of eery, we all had that feeling that we shouldn’t be there, there were lots of signs stating that the area was strictly for Defence personnel only.

We made our away across the tarmac path and down to the Landing, this area was used by the old seaplanes, it’s a small concreted area that faces the sea, this will become the new Hobsonville wharf and ferry terminal.

View from the Landing

Eventually we came across signposts that lead us onto Bomb Point, it looked like there was a path in the grass and another walk.  We didn’t venture down the path but continued to the airfield where a sign told us to look out for the wind socks. Well with no wind socks in view we picked our way across the building site and walked across to where the new primary school would eventually be built.

Sign for Bomb Point which wasn't half as exciting as we expected

It was at this point when we came across a couple of ladies we saw earlier on the car park outside the Catalina cafe. I asked about any further walks and they pointed us in the direction of the yellow bridge so away we tramped, passing a pump station that we thought at first was a small church. We crossed over the road and made our way across the Memorial Park and onto Clarks Lane Footbridge.

Not a single windsock in sight!

The bridge is indeed canary yellow and is tiled at the edges with beautiful details, each tile along the end had some cycle or truck tread artwork being the creation of Matt and Kate McLean. They have been put together most decoratively and add a lovely touch to what could have been a boring path across a very busy highway.

From the bridge you can see what would have been some of the homes used by the pilots whilst working at Whenuapai airfield.  Mary pointed out some of the traditional houses and from where we stood we could also take a good view of the Sinton Windows Sculpture which was apparently created using recovered materials.

Clark Lane Footbridge

We were now ready for a coffee so we headed back past the park towards the cafe, however as usual we were distracted by the new housing development and took a slight detour to have a nosey at the new homes. 

Once satisfied that we weren't missing anything we ventured back past a lovely kiddies playground and onto the Catalina Cafe.

Matt and Kate McLean Tiles

The cafe was doing a roaring trade with hungry shoppers and walkers, however the queuing was short and service was fast, and I had two poached eggs on toast with lemon and ginger tea!  Some of the group went off to see the farmers market and the remainder made our way back to the car park.

Sinton Windows Sculpture

I think we’ll be returning to Hobsonville as it’ll be interesting to see the finished result - I might even go back and explore some of the other paths.

Information and Sources:

http://www.hobsonvillepoint.co.nz/about/history/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobsonville

http://www.arc.govt.nz/albany/fms/main/Documents/Council/Consents/Notified%20applications/HobsonvilleLandco/Appendix%2010-21/Appendix%2010%20-%20Archaeological%20Assessment.pdf

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsmargret/5266006132/

http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/SiteCollectionDocuments/parksleisureculture/Heritage/hobsonvillewalk.pdf