The Okura Walkway 1
Haigh's Access to Beach (page 4)
On the St James, and in training for it,I have become used to the camera - and my water bottle - hanging in their bag from the front of my pack straps. The day pack has no clips on the front, and I have been trying to manage the camera as well as walk with a couple of sticks, with result that the sticks have not been as useful as they might on all this up and down. So, yes, I am ready for a sit down — and a drink.
There's a relative whopper of a kauri just along the way, about a metre in diameter, and early in its growth it must have met some misadventure as the bottom 3 or 4 metres is at a 15 degree slope before heading straight up for the rest of its growth. The bark has that characteristic look that old kauri have.
We are by now right down beside the coast which is, for now, still mud and mangroves. That's Okura across the way.
The track itself is still doing its up and down bit, and down here it's somewhat more overgrown.
The aerial roots of the mangroves are a feature of the mudflats just here.
and, what we haven't seen a lot of elsewhere along the track, except right at the beginning, and also near the water, is rangiora.
Kawakawa is also a deal more common along here.
Just along the way is a fork in the track, with the right hand option leading in a few metres to the beach. The left option heads on to Dacre Cottage, of which more in a subsequent volume of the tracknotes.
Miranda has lunch under weigh, and I note that we are not the first here. Pack it in, pack it out is not the universal tramping ethic you'd wish it to be.
I find a slightly raised spot and gently ease myself down
That feels better. We grabbed a couple of pork filled rolls from the Asian bakery on the way. The pork is the traditional Asian barbecue pork with the red coloration around the edges, such as we used to get 40 years ago at the old Peking restaurant in Wellesley Street but I don't recall the Peking version having quite the same chemical flavour as this does, and we talk about processed meats for a bit.
Either processing methods and chemicals have changed or our tastebuds have as we have had a number of recent experiences with smoked chicken and smoked ham - the kind that comes sealed in heavy plastic - and with bacon and egg sandwiches of the service station kind that have left us unimpressed and in one case somewhat ill. We swallow the hot thermos coffee with enjoyment, though - the portable plunger was a casualty of the air trip from the South Island - and organise for the trip back.
Just along from where we are sitting a sandy spit extends into the estuary, about half way across to Okura and local horse people can get across the river here for a ride along the open beach of the low tide estuary
Miranda has to be back on deck by 3pm. Our only timepiece is our cellphone. We remark that there has been cellphone coverage pretty well all the way along the track so far, even in the bush. Miranda grabs the camera to shoot a few pictures of her own, and I shoulder the day pack and get a bit of a headstart.
I never cease to be amazed at the variety of rock forms and patterns. Miranda makes an effort to capture these though, when I am more likely to be interested in what's growing on them.
I make it about 3/4 of the way back before she catches up - much better speed when I am not cruising for photos, and the poles are working excellently now I'm rid of the camera. Back at the Okura River, the tide is well out, and a solitary grey heron is working the creek.
We get back almost exactly 3 hours after we started. Timing not bad. We plan another walk as soon as we can get some extended time, and that will take in the complete walk through to Stillwater. Watch this space.
8 October 2006: We've now done both ends of the walk and you can pick up the remainder by clicking on NEXT below.
1 January 2008: This time the tide was in when we reached the spit, and we decided to press on to Dacre Cottage via the bush route.
