| Leader | Mentor | Understudy | Tail Ender | |
| Standards | Dave B | Wendy A | Sally | Veronica |
| Alternates | Les | Leonie | Moira | Tessa |
Distance 12.3km; elevation gain 425m; total time 4hr 40min
An incident free day is a great summary for this early spring walk. The Coastal Cliffs Walkway follows the foreshore between Church Bay, Diamond Harbour and Purau, with harbour views and forms part of the Head to Head Walkway.
Acting President Jen welcomed visitor Linda M for a further outing, noted Basil’s return after an absence, also Eric from his and Margaret’s recent overseas trip. The 43 trampers and driver Viktor gratefully received Bill S’s birthday treat, hands delving into the brown paper bag.
The Coastal Cliffs Walkway site indicates the possibility of small slips and debris across the track with steep cliff edges in places, noting that the track can be slippery. The track was indeed slippery, and muddy, and when the 26 Standards crossed paths with the 17 Alternates at the Diamond Harbour domain there had been a few minor slips. The Standards had walked on inland rural and urban roads via Purau to the lunch spot.
Meantime as the Alternates walked around the coastal track, we idly imagined ourselves in distant places, Italy or Spain. We admired luxurious houses, the wildlife and listened to the bird song. It was a little tricky to be looking at the view, flora, and the properties while keeping a good foothold on the track and maintaining a good conversation. Among the plantings were tall blue spires of echium, euphorbia , tree lucerne, wallflower, geranium, tree aenoium (with the bright cone shaped yellow flowers), South African salt bush, buddleia and the ubiquitous eucalyptus and pine trees.
A large group from the Over Forties tramping club hailed us as we encountered them, covertly took photos of the opposition, though promised these would be made available.
Birdlife that might be heard, or seen, included the grey warbler, pīwakawaka/fantail, welcome swallow, and kererū/wood pigeon. There is also the possibility of spotting a kiwi on an alternate Bayview Road route, albeit a shapely topiary model. (Sightings by some dedicated BTC members who had walked the 14 km three days earlier.)
Following lunch the Standards returned along the coastal track to their pickup point at Charteris Bay. The Alternates carried on for a short time towards Purau, truncating their walk due to time restrictions and the lure of the nearby café/ice cream shop. Before long the Alternates were back at Diamond Harbour, wearing clean footwear, enjoying refreshments and relaxing in the sunshine. But not before one keen walker paced up and down the footpath to ensure that a bare 8km goal had been achieved. As the bus neared Charteris Bay, the Standards were finally sighted, a long line of walkers stretched out along the road, nearing the end of their 12km walk.
We returned to Bishopdale around 1600 hrs, having enjoyed this good day out, appreciating our surroundings and the ability to do our walks, one step at a time. From one tramper’s conversation, “Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day…” (Shakespeare, Macbeth)
Text by Marie-Therese
