Oct 21 2023
Maia to Port Chalmers
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.
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.
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.
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.
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