Banks Peninsula Track Day 2

Day 2

Sarah and Fiona are up before it gets light and make their early preparations by candle light. They are in a hurry to be off as Sarah has a 6 hour drive back to Dunedin when they have finished walking. Again I am slower off the mark, but leave in plenty of time to be sure to get back to Akarowa in time to catch the bus at 5.30pm back to the farm. As I leave, there is no sign yet of the revellers in the other hut. The sun has not yet risen high enough to light up the valley, but is shining on the sea in the bay. A collection of geese are taking an early morning swim in a pool at the back of the beach.

Sunrise at Stony Bay

Geese

The track continues along the coast, with stunning views of the high cliffs. In one place where there is a stack on the opposite side of a bay, a board explains that until 2 ½ years ago there was an arch here, which was collapsed by an earthquake.

Stack

Further along the path another information board explains that this deserted headland was once the site of a Maori fortified village, or pa, which was overrun and destroyed by another Maori tribe. 'Behold the summer grass; all that remains of the dreams of warriors.'

Maori Pa Site

After a couple of hours I descend into a valley with a sandy beach, behind which the 4th hut of the walk is located. It is another lovely old homestead and as I go in through the front door on the hall wall there is an old photograph of the house and the people who lived here.

Otanerito Valley

Otanerito Beach

Otanerito Beach House

Old Photo of Otanerito House

As I am sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of tea, the owner, Doug, comes in to start changing the beds ready for tonight’s residents. I tell him there is a birthday party on the way that drank the previous hut out of pinot. He is hoping to be able to off-load the remains of a case of sparkling wine that he is stuck with because it has gone out of fashion. He is an English ex-pat who came to New Zealand over 20 years ago and worked as a volunteer to set up the track. He married a Kiwi girl and eventually bought this house when it came up for sale. When the track closes for the winter at the end of the month he and his wife will spend 5 months visiting England to see his 95 year-old father and to travel in Europe.
From the beach house the track turns inland and climbs steadily through the valley of native bush and into a forest of red beech trees, before emerging onto an open saddle between rocky volcanic outcrops known as Purple Peak. Here there are views in both directions – back down to Otanerito Bay behind me and in front of me steeply down to Akarowa where the walk finishes.

Red Beech Forest

Looking back to Otanerito Bay

Looking down to Akaroa

Purple Peak

I get back to Akarowa with a couple of hours to kill before the bus leaves for the farm. I stop in a café and read my book on the veranda while enjoying a cup of tea and a piece of carrot cake. Then as I am walking through the little town to kill time by sitting by the water, I bump into Jeff coming out of a shop. He offers me a welcome lift back to the farm and so by the time the bus arrives with the next batch of walkers I am already showered and have my clothes in the washing machine and dinner cooking.

I have really enjoyed this walk. I can feel that it is locally owned and run and it has a human element created by walking across farmland where people live and work and between the huts, each with their different characteristics. An example of this is the helpful hand-made track signs along the way, which made me smile. I felt as if the track was looking after me, like a parent looking after a child, making sure I don’t get lost or fall off something high.

Some Helpful Track Signs