07/05/2025. Waikouaiti – Matakana. Grade 2.5. Combined. Leaders: Carol Thurlow, Jill Thomas and Clare Banks (with much help from Graham Thurlow)
35 hikers and trampers set off from the Waikouaiti Sports Ground walking down to the beach heading north, marvelling at how peaceful the sea was on a very still sunny day.
We then walked up the road
and through farm paddocks to the Matanaka Farm buildings.
These are the oldest surviving farm buildings in the country and are lovingly maintained by the local Heritage Society, who coincidentally were having a cleaning day of the buildings today, something they do annually. The buildings consist of a school house, whaleboat house,
stables and a 3 seater privvy! In the schoolhouse there was a lot of written history, especially about Johnny Jones, the farmer and whaler. We had morning tea here whilst perusing the history.
We returned the same way we came, then detoured through part of the golf course, on Gwenda’s advice, to see 2 stunning wood sculptures by Jakob Stadler of Nelson.
We then continued on to the lunch stop by the lagoon,
with 11 trampers taking a detour around the edge of the lagoon.
Most people, by now, were down to single layers of clothing, as it was so warm.
After lunch, we headed up to the main road and along to visit the Heritage Centre and Gift shop. Some chose to look through the old BNZ Bank/museum ($5 cost), a List 1 heritage building, which is under renovation but full of amazing artefacts from yesteryear.
We then walked back to the cars via the lagoon track enjoying the abundant birdlife.
Overall we walked about 11kms on a gloriously warm 20 degree autumn day.
We finished the day with coffee and cake at the Blueskin Gallery Cafe in Waitati.
Clare Banks, Jill Thomas and Carol Thurlow
Link to background information and earlier tramps and hikes in the same area.