Vintage baches at Cockle Bay, the end of the Mangemangeroa Valley Walk, near Whitford and the Pohutukawa Coast. Photo / Elisabeth Easther
Vintage baches at Cockle Bay, the end of the Mangemangeroa Valley Walk, near Whitford and the Pohutukawa Coast. Photo / Elisabeth Easther
After brisk hike on Whitford’s walkway entices Elisabeth Easther to a pub lunch
Auckland sure knows how to turn on a storm. The wind was whistling so raucously round the house I began to fret that windows would break or trees would be blown over.
I also worried that the weather the next day would be foul as I'd spent the week looking forward to catching up with a mate. We'd planned a brisk walk out Whitford way followed by a hearty lunch at the recently opened Five Stags.
What do you know? Next morning the clouds parted, the sun peeped out and the day was a ripper.
Heading for Howick, we navigated the broad highways of Auckland's southeast, marvelling at the vastness of it all. From the moment we turned from Whitford Rd on to Somerville Rd, everything changed. Big box shopping and strip malls evaporated, replaced by rolling green fields, sweet pockets of bush and a silver lining of sea.
We parked beside a photogenic barn at the start of the Mangemangeroa Valley walkway. This can be enjoyed as a 30-minute stroll or a round trip of up to four hours. Our plan was to prepare for lunch with a middling hike. Clambering over a stile, we trotted downhill, heading for Cockle Bay.
The bush path soon connects to boardwalks built over mangroves and mudflats before narrowing to a single lane track. This patch of coast is home to all manner of birds and on a good day you'll see everything from tui to kereru, piwakawaka to kotare. In summer, you may spot godwits or knots. We also enjoyed perving at the real estate. On one side of the estuary, gargantuan mansions squatted on neat lawns, in contrast to Cockle Bay's charming baches and boat yard.
The tracks, despite the rain, were not at all boggy, and after little under two hours on a splendid hike, we worked up an appetite.
Whitford, minutes away by car, is a sweet little village filled with cute emporiums. Five Stags is housed in a building that was built in 1910. It's been a general store, a post office, a butchery, even a brothel. Today, it's a gastro pub. Guarding the bar, the eponymous five stags look lugubriously down, while curios and antiques lend the place a whiff of Central Otago.
Proprietor John East decided it was time for a change after working 30 years in telecommunications and launched into hospitality. You'd think he'd been a maitre d' all his life.
The place was humming with happy groups and a couple of blokes watching sport. Sensing our hunger, John delivered a plate of sliders to take the edge off while we eyed the menu. The salmon with hot smoked pickles, sour cream and moist rye bread went down a treat; the medley of mushrooms was an absolute joy, then there was the sublime duck glazed in redcurrant and orange. All was tasty and affordable, with no dish over $20 for lunch, including the steak.
Whitford is a gateway to all manner of wholesome adventures - mountain biking in Whitford Forest, cruising the Pohutukawa Coast Trail, hanging out at Hunua Lakes and Falls. Five Stags is another compelling reason to visit this neck of the woods.
• Elisabeth and her companion were guests of Five Stags.
Fact box
The Five Stags restaurant and bar in Whitford. Photo / Supplied
Five Stags 1 Whitford Wharf Rd, Whitford. This brand new gastro pub serves up hearty, delicious and affordable meals. fivestagswhitford.co.nz
Mangemangeroa Reserve Walk 108 Somerville Rd, Whitford. Walks can take as little as 30 minutes or up to four hours. This is a darling of a coastal bush walk. Reasonable level of fitness required. aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
