37. Cambourne Walkway

February 9

It really looked like it was going to rain so we picked something close to home. We parked at Dolly Varden Reserve and made our way to the start of the walkway. The Inlet was high today so we couldn't walk along the beach.

The boat houses at the start of the track are really cool. We all have our favourites . We also made an unplanned fairy door discovery. There was a new art installation posted on a small tin box thing. It had a Sam Hunt Poem ( Of Dan and the Peacock) on one side and a painting of Sam with a quote.

This is a lovely, easy, windy path. We stopped to paddle, throw a few pebbles and checked out a beautiful sting-ray and a deceased starfish. It isn't a very long walk but we managed to pass a very enjoyable 2 hours!

6 950 steps

36. Waterfall Walk - Belmont Park

February 8

This walk starts at the Dry Creek entrance. You have to walk through the camping area to get to the start of the actual track.

This is a really fun walk as there are lots of creek crossings and rock clambering involved. The girls were determined not to get their feet wet which added another element of fun. Mark went straight into the creek as he was helping Mr 5 with his rock hopping.

The girls caught up with a geocaching box along the way and we stopped to have a quick picnic just before the waterfall. We played  in the waterfall for a while and then headed back. We saw a huge dragonfly and an eel on the way.

about 5 000 steps

geocaching box

35. Ivey Bay Reserve, Paremata

February 8

I started off from Leeward Drive and walked down Bosun to the Inlet. I then followed the foot path round to the kindergarten and took the tunnel underneath the road.

The path starts at the end of the carpark. It isn't a long path and thankfully it zig zags so that it isn't a steep incline. At the top of the path you can turn onto Kahu or Kiriwai Rds.

I chose to walk along Kahu. The start of this was quite steep and gave pretty good views over the motorway and Porirua Harbour.

About half way along the road, on the right hand side, there is a path going down to Postgate Drive.
This is another zig zag path down the side of a hill but at the bottom it is reasonably long path through bush.

At the end I turned right onto Postgate and carried on up Leeward.

7 080 steps

34. Lyall Bay to Island Bay

view toward Owhiro Bay

February 7

We parked in front of the surf club in Lyall Bay. There were quite a few people around but the surf was quite rough so there weren't many swimmers and only a few brave surfers down the far end. The waves looked huge and put up impressive white plumes as they hit the rocks.

The path is a nice flat one with lots of little bays to pass by. At some points you can take a path alongside the footpath - which is a stone one. The footpath, for a long stretch, has flax bushes next to it which separates you from the traffic.

view over to Eastbourne 

When we got to Princess Bay we spotted a track going up the side of the hill to the lookout at Te Raekaihau Point. We walked up what was quite a steep path of loose stones and dirt. At the top we turned to the right and followed the path along the ridge.

view back to Lyall Bay 

Amazing views back to Lyall Bay and beyond to Wellington Harbour, Eastbourne and the hills around Wainuiomata, and around to Owhiro Bay. The view was a bit hazy today so we couldn't see the South Island.

We took a closer track back down to the road which was a bit easier going. Then we continued to Island Bay before returning back to Lyall Bay. The waves had calmed down a bit and there were lots more surfers and a lone paddleboarder.

About 12 800 steps

Lyall Bay

33. Whareroa Farm Reserve, Kapiti

February 6

Started out the day planning to do the Emerald Glen Loop Track...however, I didn't read the map properly (yet again). So, as we were unable to find any signs for that track we headed into Whareroa Farm.

We decided to do the walk up to Campbell's Mill Road. We started out on the Horse Track which looked pretty flat. It was lovely and sheltered and the farmland kind of weaved through the valley. A few spots were a bit boggy and on one attempted jump across I landed right in it.

We could see the hills looming in the distance and sure enough it was a pretty steep climb up a grassy path. We got to the road and thought we would just walk along a little way and then we stopped for a picnic on the side of the road.

On our way back down we took the link track. This was a really easy, steady descent through a little bush and then a winding open track. We met quite a few people cycling up it and a weta sunbathing on the path.

At the end of the link track we took the Forest Loop Track back to the car park. This was a lovely walk where we came across a family group of very skittery pheasants and some weta hotels.

Great Walk.

17 000 steps

32. Whitirea Park - Cliff Walk

February 5

We parked on the road near the north end of Titahi Bay Beach and headed straight up Richard Street. This is moderately steep but not too bad. At the end of the street you climb over a fence and walk around  the cliff.  At a few points you have to walk very close to the edge and it is a long way down. It feels very exposed here but the views are magic.

Once you get to Whitireia Park the walk feels a bit safer as you are away from the edge. You climb quite a steep hill/knob thing - which for some reason we have been calling the shark fin for ages.

We had a quick detour to find a fairy door and then back down transmitter road and back to the beach.

*** I wouldn't bring young children for the cliff part of the walk and I would avoid it on a very windy day***

6, 090 steps

31. Wellington Waterfront

February 4


The girls were at drama this morning so I had an hour and a half to spare with Mister 5. We parked at Michael Fowler Centre and headed across the road to the waterfront. This was probably not the best choice for getting in a good walk. There is just so much to look at and investigate that we didn't fit in a whole lot of walking.

Our first stop was at the rowing club. You can get down close to the water here and there are lots of old shipping things to look at. He would really have liked to run along the steps in front of the club but there was a big dog and he thought it looked a bit scary.

We then went up into Frank Kitt's Park. Really cool old light house style slide here. We had to stop and have a run around here as well.

We then headed along the sheds looking at boats, cranes and helicopters. We popped into the little playground at Capital E for a few minutes and then headed back via the City to Sea Bridge.

About 5 000 steps

30. Whitby Walkway

February 3

Decided to stay close to home today. Walked along Spinnaker Drive to the point where the walkway starts. The first bit goes past a bank of cherry trees - which looked a bit boring today, but in spring itlooks amazing when in full blossom and the ground is covered in daffodils.

The path follows the stream and has some lovely big oak trees along the way. There is a nice playground at the end with an area of stream with an island in the middle.

At the end of the walkway I turned to the right towards the Whitby Shops and had a quick side trip to the supermarket. I then went down to the main lake and kind of walk around half of it and then up onto Discovery Drive and back to Spinnaker.

6 400 steps

29. Porirua to Tawa, and back

  February 1
February 1

We parked at the Porirua train station and headed along a dirt service road that goes between Porirua Stream and the railway track. When you get to Kenepuru station the track is a developed one (it is called Ara Tawa at this point) which is good enough to cycle or even scooter along.

This first part of the track goes behind quite an industrial area so it isn't pretty but it is kind of interesting. Once you reach the cricket field in Linden you veer away from the train track for a while and wander through the streets. We took a slightly different route at this point and headed through the little park near the plunket rooms.

We connected back with Ara Tawa at Grasslees Reserve. This is quite a long stretch that runs along Duncan Street and then back down to a path beside the railway track. This carries on until Willowbank Reserve. I think this would have been our favourite park in Tawa for the kids when they were little - it has an okay playground, great stream for damming/pebble throwing and a lovely picnic area. If you go over the little wooden bridge and turn right there is a really nice secluded picnic area at the end of the park.

The walk home was very wet as the proper rain finally set in.

17 500 steps