| Leader | Mentor | Tail Ender | |
| Standards | Steve | Lynne | Brent |
| Alternates | Eric | Jan Bw | Tessa |
Distance 14 / 9 km Ascent 153 m Duration 4:30 hours
Once the Halswell contingent was aboard the bus, President Jen greeted 39 walkers including visitor Hailey. Jen also noted the return of several trampers.
Bus driver Alan dropped us at Te Wharau / Charteris Bay. With just the one toilet available for the many, it was a case of patiently waiting to begin the walk at 1000 hrs.
The Alternates were promised “…a delightful tramp complete with morning tea and lunch views, toilets and refreshments available at the conclusion.” Such a goal had the right appeal to several of the regular standards who opted to take this shorter walk. It was a lovely spring day, with 17 alternates taking the coastal path around the cliff track on the southern side of Whakaraupo / Lyttelton Harbour, intent on reaching Purau Bay via Te Waipapa / Diamond Harbour.
Dwindled by a few – per above we didn’t have the same promising outlook of coffee & ice creams in Diamond Habour that the Alternatives were looking forward to – the Standards set out with Steve B leading in his familiar territory – the walk through to Purau seemed to go quickly and without the slippery conditions expected from the heavy rain two days earlier.
After making our way some distance along the Head to Head track, our morning tea stop was reached, opposite Otamahua / Quail Island, the location for the movie “We Were Dangerous”. There was time to view the lush plantings that lined the hillside, a theme of yellow and blue, succulents galore, a little micro climate in the sunshine. As we nimbly navigated the cliff edge we also pondered the prominent sculpture of a large fishing line?” at a property above us. So much to see that the “Kia Mataara / Warning was probably a good reminder of keeping to the straight and narrow, or in this case, the winding path, uphill and downhill.
The Standards lunch was at the head of Purau Bay and looking out across to Ripapa Island. (This island has played many roles over the years. Amongst these, it was: a Māori fortified pā in the early 19th century; a quarantine station in the 1870’s; Fort Jervois was built in 1886 as part of system of defences against a feared Russian invasion; the fort was then in military use until the end of World War I, and again during World War II.)
Alternates reached our lunch stop around 1215 hrs. We then continued onward towards Purau. A short steep track led back up to the road, just a brief distance back to the waiting bus. And our promised refreshment stop at the cafe. Alternates enjoyed a leisurely time in the sun while catching up with some Nor’West Hikers who had been former BTC members, also enjoying their day out.
The Standards followed the picturesque Coastal Cliffs Walkway around to Diamond Habour and around several boating enclaves, encountering unexpected succulents and flowering shrubs. We walked around Church Bay then Hays Bay and then over a small rise into Charteris Bay.
The day’s promise had certainly been filled, another delightful tramp successfully undertaken.
Marie-Therese (Alternates) and Brent (Standards)
