This article was first published in Tararua Tramper in April 2025
Te Ākau-tangi / Evans Bay
E - Sunday 23 February
A highlight of our day after we alighted from a No. 14 bus at St Barnabas Church, Roseneath, was walking through the grounds of Roseneath School to descend towards Te Whanganui a Tara, our glistening harbour and the saluting battery from which the New Zealand Army fires 21-gun salutes to mark significant events such as King's Birthday. The battery is near the site of the former Wai-hirere Pa above Pt. Jerningham / O-maru-kai-kuru, as is The Long Hall community facility.
From the school grounds we descended a path to Carlton Gore Rd. Once across Oriental Pde we walked the footpath next to the top of the sea wall on one side and the bike path on the other. We skirted Pt. Jerningham and then were beside the shore of Evans Bay / Te Ākau-tangi. From here we saw Mt Crawford / Matai-Moana and the peninsula sloping down from it to Pt Halswell / Kai-tawero. It is the eye- catching peninsula that historians, some iwi, trampers and naturalists hope will become a national heritage park. It could be managed by iwi, DoC, GWRC or Wellington City Council.
Another feature of this part of the day was being passed by groups of many women dressed in colourful saris, marching in support of Women's Refuge.
It was good to leave the busy road to have lunch on seats at the start of our route just east of the extensive campus of NIWA – National Institute of Water and Soil Administration - at Greta Point. Several people there had fishing rods and lines deployed, seeking to supplement their diets with fresh fish. In Cog Park we read the text of panels recording the first former patent slip (1873 - 1980) and the second slip built in 1922. Coastal ships and smaller vessels were hauled ashore on rails for painting and repairs. One panel described the use of a concrete wharf as the base for seaplane flights to and from Australia. Club members Sally and Brian Hasell are named on a brass plaque as having made a generous donation in 2024 for restoration of the wharf.
At Hataitai Beach we crossed Evans Bay Pde, climbed the path in Rewa Rd Reserve to Rata Rd, turned into Rewa Rd then climbed the path with steps to Matai Rd and descended Waitoa Rd to Hataitai shops. There, seated in welcome shade we enjoyed berry smoothies, cuppas and cakes at Crazy Rabbit Café almost four hours after we left Roseneath.
Chris Horne (leader and scribe), Diana Barnes, Alan Benge, Elizabeth Bridge, Bob Cijffers, Cecil Duff.