We were ready to go by about 0820, with only a 10 km or so walk to Devenport, then ferry across to city planned. Today's gps track is here. The weather was overcast with possibility of a few showers so we started out with rainwear. We started with about 1.5 km on Takapuna Beach. Then it was up the steps into roads near the coast for about 4km until we got to Cheltenham Beach just at south end of Takapuna Head. We dropped back down onto Cheltenham Beach for a short while and then followed the track up and around North Head. Stopped as base of stairs for a chat with a group of mums taking their youngsters for a walk up around the Head. The Head was obviously fortified during the war, with gun placements, harbour boom operating mechanisms and associated walkways and tunnels. We walked mostly around a good walkway perched on the rock face above the beach. Eventually we came to an option for the final stretch where we could continue around rocks or head up through one of there old tunnels to a higher road, then back down to Devenport Beachfront. Tides made us choose the latter option. Quite quickly we were down on the waterfront with only a km or so to the ferry wharf. We could have made the 1045 get but decided to relax and get the 1115 as it still gave us plenty of time. We killed a little time by heading up Queen St and looking for a few things in outdoor shops. Finally to our favourite Bivouac Outdoor where we got a small replacement drink bottle for B and a new waterproof enclosure for my phone - one of them having mysteriously disappeared during our three month layover at home!
Then it was a quick wander to Sky City terminal where the Intercity bus left from. An uneventful trip up, with the bus dropping us off at Opua Hill about 1730 - so only a km or so up the road to Ria and Andrews house - and it wasn't even raining! Quick freshen up and we headed with Phoenix down to the Opua Cruising Club for dinner.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorBelinda and Anthony (aka Tony) Hadfield made a decision, in their late 50's, to do something a "bit different" and walk New Zealand's 3000km Te Araroa Trail over summer 2015/16 - although updates will now tell you that this plan will take longer now!!. As the old saying goes - "don't leave home 'til you've seen the country"!! Archives
January 2018
Categories |