The Antarctic blasts recently flogging the Kapiti Coast backed off just enough to entice me to take an afternoon walk down to the Wairaka Reserve. I was only planning on heading down for an hour or so, blow off some steam, get some fresh air, and take in the always spectacular scenery. I’ve done the hike numerous times but had never gone around the headland towards Plimmerton. I’ve been curious, but figured it was too far for what one might consider an afternoon stroll…..until today.
PERSPECTIVE: AERIAL VIEW FROM 30,113 FEET
I decided I’d passed the point of no return after two hours of scrambling and rock-dancing my way across the rugged, stony beach. There’s something about the Wairaka Reserve where distances that seem deceptively close are actually a full kilometer away. With every headland I turned, I expected to see the Plimmerton infrastructure come into view. Instead I was met with yet another bare headland.ANOTHER KICK IN THE BALLS
I should have known better, but the elements still managed to slip one under the radar and give me a spinning back kick square in the balls—a meteorological “rope-a-dope" if you please. When I started at 3pm it was somewhat warm, so I just wore a pair of shorts, sweatshirt, and running shoes. The Pukerua Bay side of the reserve was pleasant, but soon turned into a frigid gale-force lashing as I approached the south-facing Plimmerton Quarry. I had no idea there was even a quarry out on the point. Fortunately, it’s a holiday so I didn’t have to dodge any heavy earth-moving equipment.
RABID SEAGULLS
My motor acuity began to falter. I could feel both hunger and thirst setting in after the three hour mark. I figured I’d buy something to eat when I arrived in Plimmerton, but soon realized I’d left my wallet at home, not to mention it was after 6pm on a public holiday. Instead of vultures hovering overhead excitedly licking their chops and praying for my early demise, I was met with a few seagulls rabidly cooing overhead. They swooped down a couple times narrowly missing my head. I’m not sure if they were trying to protect a nest or maybe they thought I was a thief trying to jump their claim on a stash of clams.
JUST WARMIN' UP, MATE!
I eventually made it to Plimmerton—beaten and tired, but not broken. I passed a number of families on the beach, bundled in their best winter gear, enjoying the last hours of sunlight on this first day of 2007. I stopped off to say hello to some people sitting in their front yard. I asked if there was a direct foot trail back to Pukerua Bay. “Ya best bet is to take Airlie Road, but that’s another 7km from here.” I smugly joked that I’d already done that much for a warm-up, to which they quipped, “aw yeah? well good onya mate.”
It felt good to be back on level terra firma compared to balancing and hobbling across soccer ball sized rocks. I could feel a noticeable increase in my speed and efficiency, even breaking into a mild jog just to generate a little body heat. I hoofed it on Moana Road for a short while, hooking left at the Plimmerton Boating Club and onto a steeply ascending Airlie Road. Considering the exhausted state of my legs at that moment, I groaned when I saw the sign indicating 3km of winding road—uphill. My fingers were so cold that I started to lose my small muscle coordination and my ability to work the small buttons on my digital camera. I’m just impressed the photos turned out at all due to how bad I was shivering.ENDLESS WINTER - COLD CLIMATE TROPICAL PARADISE
The region bisected by Airlie Road is like its own little biosphere. It’s well-protected from the wind, but the temperatures remain cool due to thick foliage that envelopes it. As I continued my climb, the olfactory amalgam of rock and salt air gave way to a very earthy, almost “mulchy” fragrance, much like the inside of a greenhouse. Even though I’ve been in New Zealand for a month and a half already, I still felt the need to take photos of the native flora—and time to smell the ferns! The longer I’m in New Zealand, the more I consider it something of a cold climate tropical paradise, equally as verdant but without the heat and humidity. Endless summer? Bah! More like endless winter!
I soon figured out for myself that Airlie Road is no place for walkers. The absence of any significant shoulder along with tight hairpin turns makes for a use-at-your-own-risk proposition. I walked against traffic so I could see oncoming cars. On one occasion in particular, it saved me from getting mowed down by two boy-racers on their motorbikes. As I approached a blind turn, I could hear a distant buzz approaching. I physically climbed up onto the embankment anticipating their arrival. Good thing I did, too, because they came ripping around the turn hugging the edge with, no joke, not more than a foot of room to spare. Had I remained on the bitumen, I think I would have either been run over or caused them to swerve and crash.SKID MARK ON THE UNDERPANTS OF SOCIETY
I noticed numerous skid marks around all the sharp turns. I tried to determine which car was coming from which direction and where the stopping point was. Memorial crosses are placed at various sites all over New Zealand, but amazingly, I didn’t see a single cross on Airlie Road. This comes as a particular shock to me after seeing numerous cars doing their best Michael Schumacher impression around the turns.WHENUA TAPU CREMATORIUM: YOU KILL 'EM, WE GRILL 'EM
With respect to the above, I found it morbidly ironic that the Whenua Tapu Cemetery and Crematorium is located—yes, you guessed it—on Airlie Road. I noticed that my cell phone had very little signal in this area, so any chance of getting an ambulance there in an expeditious manner would be slim to none. You might not survive the crash, but at least they won’t have to cart you too far to burn or bury you.
ARE WE THERE YET?
The solitude of my earthy Eden-like sanctuary soon gave way to the penetrating cacophonic drone of the motorway. I felt a sense of relief because it was getting progressively darker and colder, and I was still dressed in shorts and a sweatshirt. But I wasn’t out of the woods yet. I came across a sign for the Ara Harakeke trail. Still another 2.2 km to go. Damn! At that point, though, I just put my head down and charged. It was about 7:45pm, a full 4¾ hours since I started. While I enjoyed the journey, I was admittedly tired and hungry. I’d only eaten a bowl of yogurt with a banana before I left, and I’m pretty sure my body combusted that after the first half-hour.
If ignorance is bliss, then I'm pretty sure prior knowledge constitutes pure idiocy. I knew how far it was to drive from Pukerua Bay to Plimmerton via the main motorway, but in a car it all goes so quick. I figured it couldn’t be that bad to do the whole thing as a loop. On my previous hikes in the Wairaka Reserve, I’d often wondered what was around the corner and over the hill. Well, today my adventurous spirit and curiosity overcame my ignorance and added to my vast knowledge base of the Kapiti Coast. After searching online a bit, I estimate the total circular distance to be approximately 16 kilometers—just about 10 miles. I think the next time I go for an hour-long hike, maybe I’ll pack a couple liters of water and some snack bars just in case.
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