2025-03-26 < Weekly activities > 2025-04-09
Activity summary: Wednesday 2025 Apr 02 to Tuesday 2025 Apr 08
Wednesday April 2nd
Lunch at the Botanic Garden cafe led by Kath Kerr. 7M and 2NM
Five walked down through the gardens from the cable car entrance. The others arrived at the Picnic Cafe by more direct means. The weather was clear and calm allowing for a very pleasant lunch outside. All the members departed their lunch by foot or public transport.
E Pencarrow lighthouse led by Lois Kluger. 10M
We left Burden’s Gate @ 10.30 arrived back @ 4.15. . . 5 hours and 45 minutes.
A beautiful still, clear, warm and windless Wellington day, with a light sea mist over the harbour which made the long flat walk very pleasant, with lovely big white waves over the rocks at the end. Here we decided to take the short climb up to the Pencarrow Historic Lighthouse for lunch. We then walked down Kohangapiripiri Track passed the Lake and back around to Burden’s Gate.
This is obviously a very popular surfing area as we passed surfers in the water in the morning and quite a few on their way to surf as we were walking back, boards on bikes, being towed by bikes or carried.
A very enjoyable walk n talk trip!
EM Kāpiti Coast, Whareroa Hills led by Bob Buckle. 17M
On an ideal day for hiking, 17 fit and enthusiastic members of the club trekked a 19-kilometre circuit that included the Paekākāriki coastline, the beautiful native bush and grassy hills of Whareroa, plus a sharp 370 metre climb and gradual descent back to the coastline. All this was achieved in less than 6 hours and included a long and sociable lunchbreak. Highlights were the well-formed waves along the coastline, birdsong in the Ramaroa Bush, and views of the coastline and Kapiti Island while lunching at The Rocks lookout.
M South Coast, from Brooklyn led by Paul Bruce. 6M
Six of us left the Salty Pidgen cafe in Brooklyn to Helen St and Sugarloaf Road to check out the Brooklyn War Memorial to fallen First World War soldiers and an initial scenic view of Brooklyn. We chose a connection to the Transient Track off Karepa Street (close to Ashton Fitchett Drive) and to a new overbridge at the junction with the Highbury Fling, before following the relatively new upper section of Ikigal - this all provided a taste of the regenerating bush in the Upper Waimapihi Reserve and bird song of hihi, tui and piwakawaka.
We followed the perimeter fence up to the Brooklyn wind turbine, where we savoured a chocolate-covered ginger snack under encroaching high clouds ahead of a deepening low in the central Tasman Sea. From there, we dropped down to the Car Parts extension and then onto the Barking Emu tracks.
At the intersection of the Brooklyn tip track, we took the Red Rocks route but then deviated down to a short section along the Waipapa Stream, followed by a steep 200 metres back up to the ridge that leads to the historic gun battery at Sinclair Head. Hunger pangs led us to stop for a late lunch at the high point, with the fabulous views of the eastern hills and south coast all the way past Baring Head. A long, southerly swell pounding on the coastal rocks added atmosphere to the hazy, sultry, unusually warm autumn day. Because of the time, we skipped the final short step to the barracks and descended the steep gully track to the Red Rocks for the final seaside stroll beneath the cliffs to Owhiro Bay for the bus back to Brooklyn village. It was a 7-hour day and just under 19km. Sue Mahon took a dozen or so wonderful photos, as attached below.
SF Kaitoke, Putaputa Stream ned by Karen Baker. 8M
Eight of us set out from Kaitoke for the Putaputa Stream following a sidle track above the Hutt River gorge. We left Kaitoke at 8.30 and arrived at the stream at 11. The sidle was relatively straight forward to follow for the first half, although narrow and steep in places. becoming more difficult to follow for the second half, before we lost it altogether but managed to enter the stream only a few metres upstream from the track markers. A scramble up the stream saw us reach the A-frame shelter by 1pm. On the climb out over points 641 and 642 four of our party received wasps' stings, so please remember to ensure first aid kits contain antihistamine tablets and cream. We arrived back at the cars at 4.45pm, just as the drizzle started.
Sunday
EM The hills above Lowry Bay and Eastbourne led by Jenny Olsen. 5M
Five members had a very enjoyable trip on Sunday. We climbed to the ridge above Lowry Bay and followed the Main Ridge Track as far as the Ferry Road track. We then descended to Days Bay, where afternoon tea was enjoyed. Along the way we met a very intrepid group of mountain bikers and a tramper from Whangarei who was taking the opportunity to enjoy some Wellington tracks while down for a funeral.
Total 51 members and 2 non-members