29 September 2007

In the Steps of Jack Leigh

Chapter 18: Takapuna to Milford

page 3

According to Jack, the properties here extend to mean high water mark, which means effectively that the walking track crosses private property. A couple of stone barriers, since breached, appear to be early and unsuccessful attempts to discourage public thoroughfare along the beach. The track passes along the top of the sewer, and through gaps in the barrier walls.

A little further along, on the Black Rock headland, is the sewage pumping station, not a universally popular landscape item. My mind boggles at Jack's description of the colour scheme in the late seventies as "boudoir green", but that appears to have changed in the interim to something more akin to a buff-sandstone finish.

We now move on to a broad concrete promenade leading along to Milford Beach. A succulent garden set in the wall is quite delightful, and while not the only way to garden along here, is one attractive alternative.

There are a few hardy, salt-resistant shrubs that thrive along here. Karo, for example and Coprosma repens (taupata), here in both male and female flowered forms.

Male flower - drooping

Female flower - erect. It's a Coprosma thing...

The latin "repens" means creeping.

Some occupants have, the harsh environment notwithstanding, created as pleasant a garden as you would wish, even open to all that the sea can throw at them

I've got this in my own garden. I was given it and don't know the name. I hadn't realised it was so salt resistant.

We continue along the promenade

Here is a park bench memorial to Ross Selby.

Some enigmatic sculpted figures. I'm impressed - as I am with pretty much all of this walk - with the absence of graffiti or other obvious signs of vandalism. To be able to display these within a metre or two of a public thoroughfare without risk of vandalism, defacement or theft is something indeed.

True, this road sign deserved better, but that's about the only example I saw.

Rangitoto with it's almost perfect symmetry and apparent unchanging aspect is a constant presence whenever I look out. Jack comments that it wasn't even here when the first Maori arrived. You can sit on the benches or on the edge of the promenade and measure the progress of the big container ships as they move up the Channel to the Port of Auckland, or watch the fleets of small yachts silhouetted in white against its grey green bulk.