May 25 2024
Maia to Port Chalmers
2. 22/05/2024. Burkes to Port Chalmers. Hikers. Leaders Mike and Jill
I won’t take it as a personal insult that only 13 hikers turned up to join me on a walk from Maia to Port Chalmers via Sawyers Bay and back roads. I put the low turnout down to a reference to “grunty hills” in the pre walk notes.
After assembling at the Maia bus stop carpark and a brief outline about the walk we crossed SH88 and walked along the shared cycleway to Burkes where we crossed back over the highway and had morning coffee at the Burkes bus stop.
Photo Mike
From there we wandered along Burkes Drive and some back roads and had a brief stop in St Leonards Park before walking up St Leonards Drive past some interesting houses.
A short sprint along SH88 after exiting St Leonards Drive brought us to Blanket Bay Road and a steady climb to Brickhill and down into Sawyers Bay where we had lunch by the school.
From there it was a short walk along Stevenson Avenue and onto Mathews Track which is a short climb up through an area that is being planted and maintained by local volunteers with plants donated by Blueskin Nurseries at Waitati. Mathews track finishes at Borlass Road and from there it was stroll down to Port Chalmers where we had coffee at Santosha before getting the #14 bus back to Maia.
Thanks to the great bunch that came out for the hike. Usual varied interesting discussion including how to pronounce Maia and whether jam was spread on scones and then topped with cream or vice versa. I am firmly in the Devon camp, cream followed by jam.
The weather was kind to us. Overcast and cool made it comfortable.
Thanks to Jill Dodd who stepped in as Tail End Charlie when Max couldn’t make it.
We walked a total of 11.3km. Grade 2.5 to 3.0.
1. 18/10/2023. Maia to Port Chalmers. Hikers. Leaders Mike and Max
Once again Max and Mike showed their dedication to the TRTC by leaving a delicately poised England v Italy football match on TV to catch a bus to Maia to meet up with the hiking team who were assembling by the parking area at the Maia bus stop on SH88.
15 Hikers comprising of 11 ladies and 4 brave blokes met at the Maia bus stop for a walk to Port Chalmers on the shared walk/cycle way. We just missed a good photo opportunity as a log carrier was transiting the upper harbour on its way to the town wharves as we were assembling for our pre walk talk. We did see a tug and barge a bit later and a train coming from Port with containers.
Photo Helen
Photo Helen
It was a fine sunny morning when we set off at 0950 towards Port and after 20 mins, we stopped for morning coffee at Burkes. After a short break we hiked at a leisurely pace along the path and boardwalk until we arrived at Roseneath for our lunch break.
Cycling/walking track. Photo & caption Helen
The new track. Photo & caption Helen
Lunch at Roseneath. Photo & caption Helen
Post lunch at Roseneath. Photo & caption Mike
This was the only part of the walk with a slight incline and the area on the north side is ideal for a lunch break with a couple of bench seats, grassy banks and colourful bushes. The path was reasonably busy with cyclists, but no incidents of path rage was experienced.
Photo Mike
We arrived in Port around 1300 and eventually assembled in dribs and drabs to Santosha cafe (ex Galley) where we enjoyed the after match function in the courtyard in the usual Port Chalmers glorious sunshine.
Port Chalmers. Photo Helen
The team used their bee cards to bus back to Maia to collect their cars. I believe that the bus took a more circuitous route than normal out of Port due to some road works blocking a couple of roads.
We walked a total of 8kms.
England won 3-1.
Mike Webb