Monday 2 October 2017

Paekakariki to Kiwi Road


Gosh, two whole months without writing up any blog posts. It doesn’t mean that we have not been biking, but the weather has been “trying” quite a lot of the time. I can’t wait for summer – I hope we do get one this year!

I have a few posts to write up. So here goes.

On Saturday 5 August, it was a beautiful day – bright and sunny, but cold. We opted to go to Paekakariki, which is becoming a favourite ride, not least because the weather there is often a bit better than in Wellington. After coffee at the Perching Parrot Café, we set off along the Paekakariki foreshore. The sparkling waves and Kapiti Island beyond were looking stunning.

The Perching Parrot Café in Paekakariki (photo by John) 

Kapiti Island from Paekakarirki Beach (photo by John)

We biked to Raumati on the lovely Te Ara o Whareroa track through the Paekakariki sand dunes. About half-way along we like to stop to look at a valley with several small lakes or wetlands. Sometimes sheep dot the hills, but today all we could see was a pukeko picking its way along the edge of the water. 

Wetlands on Whareroa Farm (photo by John)

A lonely pukeko at the water’s edge (photo by John)

At the end of Te Ara o Whareroa, we headed towards the track alongside the Kapiti Expressway. We didn’t go very far though, as the cold air was affecting John’s (non-closing) eye, even though it was not windy. So before Paraparaumu, we took a side track towards Kiwi Road. There are quite extensive new wetlands here, created as a result of the new Expressway. Gradually, the wetlands are becoming populated with waterfowl. There are a few seats overlooking the wetlands, and we made a brief chocolate and photo stop.

A stop by the Kiwi Road wetlands (photo by John)

A perfect reflection of a pied stilt (photo by John)

On the way back to Paekakariki, we took a little detour to the Kapiti Aeromodellers Club, near McKay’s Crossing. We stopped there once before – John loves to have a close look at the model planes.

A beautiful model plane on its prepping table (photo by John)

Oh dear, looks like this one came to grief … (photo by John)

The vehicles were equipped with all manner of special fixtures for transporting the planes
(photo by John)

We didn’t cover a huge distance on this ride – about 20 km – but it was great to be out in the sunshine even though it was cold.


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