10 km from car park.
Waldronville, Blackhead, Kaikorai Estuary – Information and Trips Library
14. 14 February 2024. Hikers. Waldronville Wander. Grade 2. $5. 10km. Leaders: Phil Keene, Helen Morris.
After leaving PJ park right on time and catching up with the locals at the Estuary, 24 Hikers set out in orderly fashion back down the road towards Waldronville and crossed over into Island Park through the new gate, noting the sign ‘ no dogs allowed’. Must be to keep all the professional dog walkers out?We kept to the out of bound red markers and sought out the shade where possible; the leader found a bit of rough to get some track clearing in but this was not to the group’s liking and they found the fairway easier going.
We stopped in the far corner to muse on concrete structures and take in the bird life, the cygnets being the stars.
We then followed the pathways and fairways up to near the golf clubrooms, finding shade to have morning tea.
As if by design the golfers started out on their ‘cross country’ game and there was some pretty good ribbing and argy bargy comment from Arnie’s Army, as players and walkers recognised each other – I thought golf was a gentleman’s game?
Following use of the facilities we crossed the main road into the town and ambled and shambled our way through to the Beachlands area and then our way into the dune system; the sand was soft and the heat was building now, so what shade was available was made good use of. Before the day’s ascent 2 ‘broke ranks’ and agreed to catch up on the beach for lunch. A steady but not long climb up to Blackhead Rd was achieved and then on down to the Blackhead car park where we regrouped, then down onto the beach where quite a few were quick to get the shoes and socks off and headed away agreeing to stop at noon for lunch. So much space and quietness, but for the sound of the gentle waves at low tide.
Probably 3/4 of the beach had been completed by lunch so the walk back around the Estuary was completed in pretty good time allowing us to head onto the Village Green by 1.15pm; this must have been a group of fit experienced trampers!
Having done 10km in 27degrees most of the drinks at the Village Green were of the cold variety! Thanks to Island Park Golf Club for the use of their facilities and to TEC Helen.
Phil
13. 22March 2023. Hikers. Waldronville Walk. Grade 2. $5. 10km. Leaders: Heather Kirk, Diane Paterson.
After the previous day’s heavy rain and strong southerly winds, it was surprising that as many as 19 brave hikers and trampers turned up, on this still chilly damp Wednesday for a walk in lovely Waldronville (some trampers joined the hikers, as the tramp was cancelled due to bad track conditions). We parked in the usual estuary car park and by 9.30 am we were walking along Brighton Road in light showers feeling optimistic it would clear.
We found shelter for morning tea under some large trees and then continued along to Friendship Drive, the Island Park Reserve and down to the beach. The track was recently trimmed so we kept fairly dry underfoot.
It was low tide and the sea was rough, as we walked the beach towards the Blackhead Quarry and then a short track out onto the road.
Plenty of trucks were passing us, as we walked single file along Blackhead Road, keeping a good lookout for approaching traffic. We walked back along Friendship and Brighton Roads to the Island Park Golf Club for a loo stop and our lunch on their seats, in now improving weather. Permission having been granted to us by the Club.
Rested, we then negotiated the parameter of the soggy golf club grounds, and a few golf players, making our way to the Club’s corner gate. Stopping to admire some clever “post art” and back out onto Brighton Road.
It was still fairly early afternoon, so we crossed the road and went over the stile and walked a track back onto the beach.
The plan was to come back along the beach to the estuary near our cars. But due to king tides and heavy rain the previous day our exit was flooded at the estuary.
So, as we weren’t keen on swimming!, we had no choice but to back track and headed quickly along the edge of the Gun Club driveway to safely reach our cars, just before 2 pm after a 12km walk.
Many thanks to Diane and Raewyn for their invaluable help to make the walk possible. We enjoyed it!
Heather
12. 23 February 2022. Hikers. Waldronville. M. Leaders: Raewyn Keene & Shona Munro
33 hikers met at Waldonville (the suburb of streets bearing aircraft names) at the estuary carpark.
We walked along Brighton Rd to Friendship Drive, where we had morning tea at a grassy area on the roadside.
Leaving there, we followed a beach track, walking single file…
…until we reached the beach…
…and onto a formed track up to Blackhead carpark area. Carefully heading halfway up Blackhead Rd, we turned left into the scrub onto another track (unmarked and a little overgrown in places) through the sand dunes single file again, back to Friendship Dr. Then a brisk jaunt along to the Island Park golf course for lunch, while watching some golfers in action.
After lunch, we made a circuit of the links…
…prior to splitting into two groups with some heading back to the car park. The remainder crossed the road, climbing a stile , and making our way back over the road and tracks back to the beach and wandering around the water’s edge back to the cars.
Coffee followed at Agnes’s in Green Island (private room )
Distance 11kms approx
Shona
11. 27/2/2020 Hikers/Ramblers E Leaders Raewyn and Judy
It was a nice calm morning when 22 hikers set out along Brighton Road to the morning tea stop in Friendship Drive. 3 Ramblers set off at the same time to have their own adventure. Another 3 hikers decided not to do the Blackhead part of the circuit & ventured off along the Speedway road. The main group turned into an unknown track to many, one on which the ‘little yellow digger’ had already played a part in widening, but those weekend horses had stirred everything up!
Branching off to follow a narrow pathway through the sand dunes, we were soon out on the beach and walking towards the Blackhead carpark (after taking a few photos of the young seal basking in the sun).
Then it was up the road to another secret entrance and downhill to where the ‘little yellow digger’ had completed his construction.
The ‘Blackhead Loop’ was completed at Friendship Drive and a short walk around the streets took us to the Island Park Golf Course for lunch & toilet stop.
There we found our 3 other hikers waiting as arranged (plus an extra!). A lovely view over the golf course for lunch, and after watching four golfers ‘tee off’ (and making sure we weren’t in the firing line for stray balls), we set off and circumnavigated the golf course.
By then the sun was out and the heat of the day was beginning to take affect. At this point, some opted to leave the walk, but 14 continued on. With a little bit of a detour in the shade, we were soon out on the beach again and walked around the Estuary back to the cars. 11km was achieved (a bit of variation between apps), so refreshments at the Village Green were most welcome. A beautiful day weather wise, with good company.
Raewyn & Judy
10. 21/8/2019. Ramblers. Waldronville. Beach. E. Leaders: All.
Four Ramblers met at the Kaikorai Estuary and walked part of the beach before stopping for a cuppa. Did a bit more, then turned back and took a route through the sandhills and stopped for an early lunch by a road frequented by surprisingly many lunchtime dog walkers of all shapes and sizes, (the walkers not so much). We eventually followed their route and came out through the paved streets and houses of Waldronville to reach Brighton Road and complete a circuit back to our cars. Close to 6 km in all. A good day and good company topped off with coffee at Sunnyside. – Ian.
9. 26/4/2017. Hikers. Waldronville. Beach. Easy. Leaders: Dot, Chris.
8. 22/6/2016. Hikers. Waldronville. Beach. Easy. Leaders: Dot, Chris.
The sandbar across the mouth of the Kaikorai Lagoon was innocent of the usual streamlet across it, giving us the opportunity to walk south dry-shod to ‘morning-tea’ at the 2 km mark on the map.
Consequent to that, a steady 3.5 km walk back north brought us to a lunching-spot under Blackhead quarry. This 3/4 hour easy walk along the flat wide low-tide beach saw our 23-strong group strung out in little clusters of twos and threes, all happily engaged in social intercourse – yes, social, – a perfect illustration of the oft-repeated aspect of the Club’s “Recreational” side.
Back south again and at the 7 km mark we turned off the beach to find ourselves in the Island Park Recreation Reserve at the rear of the Beachlands Speedway. At this point the leaders took us south behind the sandhills on a route they had only recently discovered on their recce. Unfortunately it was blocked by a red flag at the back-gate entrance to the Dunedin Clay Target Club through which our walk had been intended to go. There had been no public notice given on their website that this was to be a shooting afternoon.
What to do? A frustrated recconoitre of alternative routes of interest in the surrounding area left the leaders with no option but to find a way back out onto the beach instead, and complete the remaining 2 km back to the cars that way. Which we did. And all ended well.
A good 10 km day out (as measured by this reporter’s nike app), but inflated (!) to either 11, – or 12 km, by other measuring devices present). Take your pick. (Huff!). – Ian.
7. 16/9/2015. Hikers. Waldronville. Easy. Leaders: Dot, Chris.
6. 18/6/2014. Hikers. Waldronville. Easy. Leaders: Dot, Chris.
The route start was the carpark by the Kaikorai Estuary road bridge. A newly built path along the Brighton Road conducted us safely to the foot of the Island Park Golf Course. Fortunately for us, if not for the club, the greens were deserted in honour of the funeral of one of the club’s members. We skirted the edge between the greens and the stream. Of interest to this reporter, partway up was a small embankment on our left dividing two stretches of water. Which, or where, was the stream?
From the above pic, it appears that both were, creating an ‘island’ really. The nearer channel was crossed with three embankments linking the ‘island’ to our side. We were at the lower one. The middle embankment formed the end of Wavy Knowes Drive, where we were to stop for morning tea, and there was a top one as well, as you can see from the above map.
While at the stop, a goat entertained itself and us by perching precariously on the wires of the supermarket trolley.
The leaders took us out to the other end of John Knowles Drive, along the Brighton Road a little bit and down Friendship Drive, past the entrance to Beachlands Speedway …
into the Island Park Reserve.
The track took us along the back fence of the Speedway and through the dunes to the beach. The tide was only halfway out, waves blocking the beach below rocks beyond, so the leaders resolved on an 11.30 a.m. lunch stop, a bit short of the beach end at Blackhead.
After lunch, we enjoyed returning the length of the beach back to the estuary mouth, up through some dunes and back to the cars.
Thank you to the leaders for another enjoyable outing together in this familiar area, but still new to recently-joined members. We numbered 29, now becoming a regular total for the hikers. The coffee hounds resorted to Blend Espresso for a further get together. – Ian.
5. 16/1/2013. Hikers. Waldronville. Easy. Leaders: Lex, Elaine.
4. 6/7/2011. Both. Waldronville, Beach walk. Easy. Leaders: Chris, Dot.
3. 14/7/2010. Hikers. Waldronville, Kaikorai Estuary. Easy. Leaders: Peter and Wendy.