All Hiking and Nature Play Meet-Ups
*All meet ups start at 10am unless stated otherwise. Please arrive early enough to be ready to start walking at 10am.
22nd October - Halswell Quarry
5th November - Birdseys Reserve (Heathcote)
19th November - Southshore Spit Reserve
Meeting point: end of Rockinghorse Rd, on street parking.
General info available for Southshore Spit Track here - please click and have a read and familiarise yourself with the track details.
Little Hitch Hikers Group - Complete the loop in a clockwise direction, and when you get to the viewing seat on the estuary (near the little board walk) you can continue following a track along the estuary to make a longer walk instead of returning straight back to the cars from there - check in with each other after a km or so on this extension and make sure nobody is left to turn around on their own, then turn around to head back toward the cars.
Little Budding Hikers Group - take a child paced hike around the loop track in a clockwise direction. Stop at the viewing seat on the estuary for a play before returning to cars.
Little Naturalists: Nature Play Group - you’ll need to take a little walk to get to your spot on this one - instead of heading on the loop track you can cut straight across to the estuary on a diagonal track - this would be pram friendly enough, or beach trolleys, to get anything you need to the spot. When you see a viewing seat and board walk by the estuary, this is the spot you can set up for a play. Get messy in the mud, wade in the shallows, find crabs, collect shells, find interesting driftwood, find bugs, and just generally explore around the spot.
Possible Hazards & Risks in the area (may not cover everything, please do your own risk assessments): water - close attentive supervision required, incoming tide, uneven surfaces, minor drop from boardwalk, slippery surfaces after rain, sharp shells, wildlife - birds, crabs, navigation/getting lost - stay close to and always supervise tamariki, vehicles on road, dogs, other humans.3rd December - Spencer Park
17 December - Sandy Bay+ Shared Kai
Meeting point: end of Sandy Beach Rd, off Governors Bay Rd. There is space to park at the end.
General info available here - please click and have a read and familiarise yourself with the track details.
Little Hitch Hikers Group - Start at Sandy Bay, climb the stairs up to Governors Bay and walk down Jetty Rd for about 100m and continue on the Governors Bay Foreshore Track (click for details) toward Allandale Reserve for another km or so. Check in with each other after half an hour of walking and return back to Sandy Bay along the same track when ready - make sure nobody is left to turn around on their own. If you do Sandy Bay to Governors Bay Jetty, then another 1km along the Foreshore track, then return, that will give you a 4km return walk.
Little Budding Hikers Group - take a child paced stroll from Sandy Bay towards Governors Bay - if the group is moving along quickly you could continue to the Governors Bay jetty, wander along it, and back (1km each way). You can shorten it by stopping at the Willow tree with tyre and rope swing attached then heading back. Take your time and enjoy investigating the shoreline! Note: if the tide is low enough you can walk along the muddy beach then return along the track.
Little Naturalists: Nature Play Group - spend time exploring Sandy Beach! Ideas include: look for sea glass, different shells, throw stones into the water and mud, find crabs under the rocks, explore around the rocks, caves at the end of the beach (but don’t go far on the incoming tide as it will trap you with no way back!), spot bird life, see what is in the rock pools down the end, dig holes and make tunnels and bridges, make sand castles and drip castles, draw art in the sand or make art with shells, see if you can find bugs in rotting logs near the porta-loo, find sea snails
Possible Hazards & Risks in the area (may not cover everything, please do your own risk assessments): water - close attentive supervision required, incoming tide, dead/rotten tree branches in case of tree climbing - check first and encourage to only climb where branch is thicker than wrist, potential poor water quality not recommended for swimming, uneven surfaces, minor drops from tracks and bridges/boardwalks, slippery surfaces after rain, sharp glass and shells, wildlife, navigation/getting lost - stay close to and always supervise tamariki, vehicles on road, dogs, other humans.