This article was first published in Tararua Tramper in December 2024
Seton Nossiter Park to Te Ara Waihinahina Park
Seton Nossiter Park to Te Ara Waihinahina Park
We met at Seton Nossiter Park entrance off a number one bus. Fourteen club members assembled for introductions and a look at the park map and the historic railway ruins information board. It was a bright and ‘picnic area’, a pleasant place that brought to mind early settlers who had planted a rim of now large exotic trees marking the wide curve of the streambed beyond the flat grassy meadow. It was a little early for morning tea so we turned uphill on the track leading to relatively mild spring morning.
We started off downhill enjoying the sunshine and paused to view remains of viaduct buttresses that were decommissioned in 1937. Hard to believe this was once the original railway out of Wellington. There were plenty of birds about, with welcoming tunes from tūī and the odd call of pīpīwhararoa. Following the track and several small bridges that crisscrossed the stream, we arrived at the large Colchester Crescent. After a good half hour trek, we found a sunny spot to stop for our break.
Refreshed, it was only a couple of short zigzags before we emerged from the track. Turning sharply, it was a steep and bushy track with steps in some places on up to a lookout point displaying where we had come from. It was not far then on uphill before we arrived in suburban Fernwood Court. We turned right at Kentwood Drive, right again into Woodridge Road, and left into Ladbrooke Grove. In all a very short stretch!
We then diverted back into the native bush of Gilberd Bush Reserve down to the route to Waihinahina Park on the Te Ara Pāpārangi walkway. It was a bit breezy at the park lookout but with jackets on we enjoyed both sun and attractive harbour views as we had lunch.
Setting off again we crossed the grassy area and on up the rise with further harbour and Petone panoramas. On past Te Nga Hau e Wha Marae, we branched back into the bush to join the southern Te Ara Pāpārangi escarpment. There were some lovely city views as we neared the end.
It was suburban streets for the last 10 minutes to the bus stops. Only four minutes to wait for a number 52 bus back to Johnsonville to connect with a number one to the city, or a 14- minute wait for a number 52 direct to the city. Some debate occurred about which bus would get city folk home faster! The final resolution, reached in the last two minutes, was for all of us to take the Johnsonville route. Fortunately all the city dwellers made the connection at Johnsonville, with a bit of a run at the end! About 9.5 kms of tramping in just under four hours plus a very enjoyable day out.
Penny Salmond (leader and scribe), Linda and Alistair Beckett, Karen Commons, Janet Dobbie, Trish Gardiner- Smith, Brian and Sally Hasell, Carol Kelly, Justin Kerr, Jenny Olsen, Lynne Pomare, Jocelyn Syme, Christine Whiteford.