Wednesday Walkers

Last week we began from the car park of the nine-hole golf course close to the Wairakei Resort Hotel. The recent incessant rain is not all that pleasant but is certainly good for golf links. Every fairway gleamed emerald green. This little gem of a course is open to everyone at a very reasonable price and is always kept in immaculate condition.

We went up through the pines that skirt the par five third hole. This is a steady uphill climb and before long we were on a very high ridge which at the top gave us a view northward. The Waikato River was a gleaming silver ribbon winding its way in the distance. Some hillsides we passed by have been harvested recently. The tracks left by the heavy equipment were still clearly visible. New planting is already going in, especially alongside the cycle paths where tiny saplings mark the barrier between the tracks and what will a few years from now be a new forest. When we turned into the trees to the left of our uphill trek the atmosphere was wonderful with the sun glinting through the foliage. It had rained all night so the freshness of the woods was magical.

It also rained all afternoon. We were so lucky to find a dry time of the day.

Mountain bikers were out in force skimming along the tracks in large groups rounding the pine trees at great speed. Everyone seemed to be pleased to have chanced a trip outdoors on a rainy day. Wednesday Walkers’ contact number: 07 377 3065.