Churton Park Community Walkers

Newsletter 3 March 2024

Hi everyone

Last week’s walks:

Although both the Friday group and the Thursday group had outings last week, the three Wednesday groups’ walks were cancelled due to the weather conditions. Let us hope for better conditions this week!

A reminder about walking arrangements:

After everyone has arrived at the starting location, each group should confirm its leader and also nominate a ‘tail-end Charlie’.  Please remember the medical kits – there is at least one for each group – and a reminder to take photographs. These allow us to record that day’s walkers in each group – please send them to both Bill Gaudie and Paul Alpe (and/or use our email address). 

We have the scenic Titahi Bay walks scheduled again this week as well as the ‘after walks’ coffee at the nearby Mitre 10 Mega in Porirua – see below.

Finally, just a reminder to swap telephone numbers amongst those with whom you travel to the starting point each week. A handy back-up for any late changes to arrangements.

Brian Vincent.

Convenor.

Reminder:     Please ensure that you inform your group’s leader if you leave a walk partway through.

Walk Details for Wednesday 6 March 2024. 

This Weeks Walks:  We will ignore the walk schedule and have another go at the Titahi Bay walks. As noted in last week's newsletter, we have created a new walk for the PPs and reversed two old walks for the SSs and the FFs.

It is under a 25 minute drive from Churton Park to our parking area.  We are hoping to get all the walks underway by 9:20am so if you are organising shared transport try to leave Churton Park by 8:55am or earlier.

PP’s:  A 4.56km loop walk taking taking in a couple of streets, the beach and a playing field before returning back to the cars.  The walk is newly created but in old territory.  You can see the walk here.

SS’s:   A 7.64km loop taking in a lot of the coast and a good hill up the middle of the peninsula.  The rest of the walk is scenic for those who look around and of course the rest of the walk is flat.  An old walk that has been reversed. You can see the walk here.

FF’s:  8.22km loop walk taking in streets and a lot of the coast and a couple of hills. This is an old walk that has been reversed.  You can see the walk in NZMapometer here and on PlotaRoute here.

Parking:  Turn right into Onepoto Road off Titahi Bay Road and the parking is in the large carpark off to the right. (One of our usual spots.)

Coffee:  We have warned Columbus Coffee at Porirua’s Mitre 10 Mega that a good number of us will be coming.  They generally look after us well.

Russell Paterson

Can each group please try and take at least one photo during their walk for inclusion in the next newsletter.  Send photos to this link.

Website

When you open the website to view your walk have a quick look at the “Home Page”  This usually has new images each week showing views from one of our walks.

Cancellation

If the walks are cancelled an email will be sent out as early as possible but definitely before 8:00am.

Walk Schedules

You can look at the walk schedule for March 2024 here. 

Photos

Walkers please try and take a photo of each group on walking days and email them to this link.
Preferably small size (around 450kb).

	CPCW Photos
	Reasons why Wednesday's walks were abandoned:
	By Thursday, the weather had improved and 7 walkers and Red headed into the Redwood Bush Reserve in Tawa. (Thanks for the photo, Hue Ng.)
	And on Friday a group of 15 walkers boarded the train north from Mana Station on a walk organised by Keith Thomas.  11 walkers headed out over farmland above Pukerua Bay .  Stunning views in all directions were seen from the hill tops.  The group then looped down to Airlie Road where they joined the Taua Tapu walkway south to Plimmerton and on to Ngati Toa Domain where cars had been parked.  Another group of 4 walked the Te Araroa Trail, beside SH59, from Pukerua Bay to Airlie Road where they, too, joined the Taua Tapu walkway home.
	The Group of 4 are shown below - great to see the indomitable Helen Paterson back walking on Friday. (Thanks to Gay Hoffman for the photos below.)
	And a selection of photos of the Group of 11.   (Photos courtesy of John Houghton & Bill Gaudie.) (See the “Home Page” of the website for further photos of views from this walk.)
	"Pick the Heifers!" from John H.
	And now, a poser for those long-time Wellington walkers.  Where are the following photos taken?  Please send your wild guess or your assured answer to:  this link. Regrettably, your editor has not been provided with funds to provide a prize, so it will just be the honour and glory!

Would I lie to you? 

(A Shaggy Sheep Story)

Friday March 1st (St David’s Day, in case a certain Friday walker has not informed you) saw a group of FFs walk across farmland resplendent with magnificent views in all directions.  Some distance into the walk, with the group somewhat spread out as it descended a 4wd track, one of the group towards the tail end was startled when a sheep rolled down the hill above and landed on its side behind him.  Said sheep seemed none the worse for wear, so the group member (who for the sake of their dignity [all non-gendered pronouns here!] shall remain nameless) lifted it onto its feet only to see it wobble, fall and roll down the other side of the track into the base of the ravine.  Said first-aider of sheep (henceforth to be known as X) stood aghast, as did others at the back of the group – those at the front of the group continued walking blithely unaware of the drama behind! – but the ever-empathetic spouse of the first-aider had turned and seen the event – response called out  by X’s spouse: “X – did you just push that sheep over the bank?”  Fortunately, said sheep, after lying immobile at the base of the ravine for some time, eventually lifted its head and looked around – seemingly having survived its tumble, hopefully unscathed.  X, meanwhile, felt relief: the sheep was alive and they no longer had to wrestle with their conscience about whether or not, as a first responder, they would have to undertake CPR on the sheep.  Would Merv be willing to have the defib used on the sheep?  Would the CPCW treasurer approve an expenses claim to replace First Aid kit items used on the resuscitation of the sheep?  The things that go through the mind at such times of stress...  And to add insult to injury, as the walk progressed and then stopped for sustenance in a paddock of sheep, one of the group was heard to yell out – “Watch out sheep?  Here comes X.”

Truth or Lie??

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