Havelock Reserves and Te Mata walk, Wednesday 10 December 2025
Banner Photo: The Flame Tree (Brachychiton acerifolius)
Eleven keen walkers met outside my place (Di’s) at 7.45am, for a not-so-long walk, but a hot day was already with us so it was going to sap our energy fairly quickly.
The first reserve, Keirunga, is only two doors away so we were quickly under the oak trees. In this reserve is the longest miniature railway in the southern hemisphere.
From there we dropped down onto Keirunga Road and within five minutes we were in Tainui Reserve. The natives planted a few years ago are now looking wonderfully healthy, with many more than two metres tall. We climbed a steep bank to the top of the reserve, then out by the water tanks onto Hikanui Drive where there is a steep track down to Tauroa Road with the bottom car park of Te Mata Peak being just a 10-minute walk.
There are good facilities at the car park so we made use of them and re-hydrated before starting into the park. Mark left us at this point, but it was good to see him even for a short while.
Selina and Donna were grateful for any shade on the hot day
The sun was already pretty hot and we were grateful for any shade on the track. We took the red track which goes around the edge of the park; an easy walk to the redwoods then around the back of the peak and up the zig-zag track. This sorted the fit from those with sore knees, with Selina, Michelle and Ian out in front. The views of the Tuki Tuki valley are lovely from that hill; definitely worth stopping and enjoying the scenery.
We met up at the top, squeezing into what shade we could find for a breather and some morning tea, then off down the hill. The shells in the rocks here always amaze me – as did several runners, not always small people running in that heat! I take my hat off to them.
We soon were walking in the shade behind the café, down to the middle car park and down again to where we had begun. As we left the car park, we spotted an amazing ‘red’ tree. Keith looked it up and it turned out to be a Flame tree, also called flame kurrajong or Queensland flame tree.
We virtually retraced our steps, but going a slightly different way, over Keirunga Pa which desperately needs more greenery on the top, since the council took out all the trees. However, the native plants lower down look great.
We arrived back in Plassey Street at 11.45am; the walk took 3¾ hours, which in the heat of the day was pretty good going. Most people chose to cool off in our pool, either just their legs or fully immersed.
Christmas lunch
It was suggested we stay there and order pizzas but we dressed and went to a wee café called At E’s in the village. Everyone enjoyed lunch and drank copious amounts of cold water with the lovely lady who owns it taking photos for us. Then it was off to our various destinations just before 1pm.
Walkers: Alison Greer, Colin Jones, Ian Pirie, Donna Weston, Selina Chilton, Keith Gore, Michelle Finlayson, Kate Fuller, John Dobbs, Mark Jenkins and reporter Di Reid
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