Last week’s walk was cancelled because of rain, so Christine and I were determined to get out this week even though light rain was forecast. We chose the Opawa River Loop and Hansen Park Walk which I last did 23 years ago. A pā site nearby was once a resting place for Kai Tahu travelling between Kaiapoi and Banks Peninsula. The pā was known as Ōpāwaho which refers to its function as an outpost (waho).
We started at Hansen Park which was originally a flax wetland, and in the early 1900s used as a gravel pit and rubbish dump. From here we went past Rudolf Steiner School, then along to Risingholme Park, home to a thriving Community Centre. A bridge across the stream, with a magnificent fern, led us towards Opawa Road.
As we are both keen op shoppers we were delighted to discover there is an op shop at the Opawa Community Church, and it was open.
We browsed the well-stocked shop, but neither of us found anything we wanted to buy. One of the staff complimented me on my purple hair.
A seat by the river was an ideal spot for our morning tea. The weather was mild with no wind, and we enjoyed the autumn colours reflected in the river.
Back towards Hansen Park we saw a lovely old homestead with a good stack of firewood ready for winter.
This was a picturesque walk around the river loop with many large older homes, and we met several other walkers, most of whom had canine companions.
This was a tranquil place to walk
and have a pleasant catch-up talk