Taupō's Monday Walkers take a coffee stop on the town side of the eastern bypass. Photo / Graham Jordan
Taupō's Monday Walkers take a coffee stop on the town side of the eastern bypass. Photo / Graham Jordan
Monday Walkers
July 17: From bush reserve, native trees and flowering imports to concrete paths, farm paddocks and pumice hills, today’s walk had it all.
We met in sunshine, and in a few hours, without leaving town, we walked almost 15km and climbed the equivalent of 37 flights of stairs; statistics courtesy of a walker’s wondrous watch.
After making our way through several of the myriad paths in the Waipahihi Botanical Gardens and out across the dew-glazed paddocks, we joined the shared pathway bordering the East Taupō Arterial route.
The steady stream of cars, utes and heavily laden trucks was a noisy reminder of Lake Terrace in decades gone by.
Walking along this path is akin to travelling by train on the outskirts of town with the backyards of industrial premises and town amenities such as Digger Mcewen Park and Taupō Golf Club all on display. Sadly, so was quite a lot of litter, mainly boldly labelled takeaway packaging and drink containers, but also the odd hubcap and even a car motor.
On the brighter side, areas of low-growing endangered plants hugged the geothermal land on either side of the highway.
We crossed the road at the intersection with Centennial Drive and began heading south on the Bridle Path.
No concrete path to walk on here. The grassy terrain was a little rutted but as we climbed high above the road cutting, we had great views back over the lake and further afield to the snow-tipped Kaimanawa Range.
Taupō's Monday Walkers return home on the north side of the bypass. Photo / Graham Jordan
The route then deviates through farmland. A tiny, reeded pond had formed where several gullies converged, making a sheltered safe haven for waterfowl.
A small geothermal area had been planted and fenced off.
Soon we were making our way in the dim light of a low-ceilinged underpass to Broadlands Rd. A warning sign cautions riders to dismount before entering this tunnel.
The Bridle Track follows the road for a short period before widening. In this section, large culverts open from underneath the highway attracting lots of heavy-duty litter including tyres and furniture.
The track then diverts towards the farmland and a herd of sleek-coated angus cattle briefly acknowledges us before returning to cud chewing and basking in the sun.
It seemed we had saved the most taxing section for last, and the end of the track is better described as hilly rather than undulating.
We rejoined the ETA and retraced our route back to the gardens, this time stopping to admire the newly developed Stumpery, which was inspired by the tradition of growing ferns among upturned tree stumps.
After a long morning it was great to lunch on a sunbathed bank amongst the rhododendrons.
Next week we have an out-of-town farm walk planned. If you would like to join us, or for more information, please email walkersmondaytaupo@gmail.com or follow us on Facebook at Taupo Monday Walkers.
Wednesday Walkers
July 5: Last week we did one of the great Taupō circuit walks. Beginning from the club rooms opposite the AC baths, we travelled down Spa Rd, past the historic Grandeur Thermal Spa Resort and up onto the high ridge above the Waikato River.
There was a biting wind near the lake but this area seemed still and remarkably sheltered. We must give a big shout-out to the people who have pulled these tracks back into shape after the damage caused by the cyclone earlier this year. Huge fallen trees have been pulled aside and sawn through, and even a new bridge over a stream put in place.
At the top of the ridge is Taylor’s Bluff, named for a passionate cyclist who was around back in the 1970s. Those were the days before electric bikes were popular, when there was no possibility of engaging maximum power and gliding up the steep slopes.
The view from the bluff is terrific with the rippled, deep-green, mighty river charging along, way below.
We then travelled down the steep, shale roadway that was put in place to service the pumping station on the riverbank. This provides water for irrigation and other purposes to the land east of the river valley.
We then trekked back along the lower walking path close to the river and finally up through Spa Park to our starting point.
All in all an excellent two-hour walk that was quite steep but well worth the effort.
