Wednesday Walkers

Last week we began by walking across the Control Gates bridge. The gates were pretty much wide open so that the level of water was almost the same on both sides. We then moved along the western shore past the marina and the boat yard.

The tour boat Earnest Kemp was in dry dock for maintenance. This passenger cruiser has been plying the waters of Lake Taupō since 1982.

Having been built in Whangārei, the boat began its working life in Kerikeri in 1980. After being swept away in a serious flood the Earnest Kemp was repaired and brought down to Taupo. The vessel is named for the last private owner of the historic Kemp house in Kerikeri.

For the people of Taupo the sight of Earnest Kemp chugging across the lake with a boatload of tourists and locals has become part of our landscape.

We moved on to the place where the great Waikato River meets Lake Taupō . This is a magical spot and it is always exciting to see the pace of the flow gradually accelerate.

Last Wednesday it had a lot of speeding up to do as a huge volume of water raced away down to the wide open control gates. We then moved uphill and looped around Nukuhau much of the way through a long gully that runs up to St Pat’s Grove.

On the way back we had to follow a new path beside the eastern side of the Waikato because a large section of river bank has recently tumbled into the lake and there is a real danger of this erosion taking passersby for an unwelcome swim. This route is now blocked off with newly made-up earthen banks.

Wednesday walkers contact number: 073773065.