Sydney, Australia: Sydney's Port - Pyrmont/ Ultimo

While my sprained ankle has been mending I've done a few less demanding urban walks from the City of Sydney's excellent history walks series: For the full directions and explanation of the history see the walk's official brochure which can be downloaded or picked up in libraries and information centres. (Also available on Sydney Culture Walks app.)

The Pyrmont-Ultimo peninsula was formerly Sydney's industrial heartland, with its wharves, goods yards, woolstores and factories. The walk visits an area little known by most tourists with an interesting mix of former industry and urban renewal. Skirting Sydney's waterfront the views can be spectacular.

The walks starts at Pyrmont Bridge in darling Harbour.

A feature of an early part of the walk is the railways that originally went right diown to the wharves. Some of these have been repurposed to Sydney's light rail.

The Ways Terrace Workers Housing were an interesting example of social housing apparently at risk of being replaced by expensive luxury apartments given their central location. The featured good access to parks for children as well as easy access to the port for workers.

The older version of the walk brochure online (2011) is slightly different to the version one can pick up in person due to the opening of Pirrama Park in 2012. (The app versin is up to date.) This is a great piece of modern urban design and enjoys great views of the iconic harbour bridge as well as the more modern ANZAC bridge.

A final highlight of the walk is an amazing small park perched upon the top of a remnant of rock that has been quarried away on all sides and is accessible by a ramp, stairs or lift.

 Summary: 3.7 km, 2 hours

Walked: March 2019

Auckland, New Zealand: Meola Waititiko Mountain to Sea Walk

This walk may particularly appeal to ecologists and urban archeologists as it traces the route of a creek from the summit of an urban mountain through the streets of a city to the sea.

The walk is featured on the website of a local community group: the St Lukes Environmental Protection Society (STEPS).

The walk begins on the summit of Mt Albert (Owairaka) - walking on the mountain is now more delightful as it has become car-free.

The route has so many twists and turns as Meola Creek (Waititiko) heads in, and out of culverts that it is is useful to print out the instructions from the STEPS website.

You get the first glimpses of the creek as you get close to the Roy Clements Treeway in Sandringham next to Mt Albert Grammar School, a pretty walkway following the stream that was created through the effort of community volunteers, school pupils, the Council and, of course, with the leadership of school teacher Roy Clements. The treeway has various informative panels one of which traces the route of the stream and thus this walk.

The route wends its way along gullies, culverts and through parks which have been created partly to serve stormwater overflow needs. The walk crosses railways and motorways.

As you head past the zoo you may see an ancient tram linking the Museum of Transport and Technology's main site with its Aviation site (which is close to the end of the trail but not in the direct line taken by the tram but by a meandering creek-like route!).

The end of the walk is in the large Meola Reef reserve, a pretty park that belies its origins as a major refuse landfill. Mostly used for dog walking the park has views expansive across and along the harbour.

There are good public transport connections for this walk. Mt Albert can ge accessed by train or bus while the end of the walk is near a stop on the Outer Link bus route.

Side attractions along the way include: Mt Albert, Alberton, Western Springs, MOTAT, Zoo.

Walked: April 2019

Summary: Easy city walk, about 3 hours

Waihi, New Zealand: Martha Mine Pit Rim Walkway

Waihi is a small town at the eastern end of the spectacular Karangahake Gorge and its associated cycleway and steam train. Waihi differs from other small sleepy NZ towns by the huge open cast gold mine slap bang in tthe centre of town.

The Pit Rim Walkway is a 4 km loop and can be started and finished anywhere en route. There are handy storyboards along the route telling the story of a mine that began underground, involved slumpage under residential areas, became open cast and has suffered from slips. A huge amount of gold has been removed.

Part of the route has an eerie feel as it traverses deserted areas when houses have been removed after the underground mine slumped under residential areas.

Some interesting historic mine buildings can be viewed - sometimes moved from original locations to enable mining operations - as well as the huge pit itself.

An easy walk that is probably even suitable for wheelchairs (although 4 km may be a bit tiring and there are some hills in one part) and also good for cycling.

Walked: March 2019

Te Aroha, New Zealand: Waiorongomai Valley walks

Waiorongomai Valley is an interesting area just south of Te Aroha that boasts a number of tracks that offer great views and a host of historic features relating to a gold mining past.

As I had limited time before it got dark I took a short loop walk being principally the Fern Spur Incline Walk and returning down a short section of the High Level Pack Trail.

The enjoyable short loop of 45 minutes or so featured many signboards detailing the history of the site which overlooked a small township of 2000 people (now entirely disappeared), an incline tramway, bush tramways, stone crusher and various mines.
A highlight is the spur incline tramway, the remnants of which can be viewed from below and above.

Walked: March 2019

Summary: History walk, easy hike, loop

Christchurch, New Zealand: Diamond Harbour head to head walkway

Diamond Harbour on Banks Peninsula makes a nice and inexpensive day out of Christchurch easily reached on public transport.

First take a bus from the central city through the tunnel to Lyttelton and then transfer to the Black Diamond harbour ferry.

Ten minutes later you're on the other side of the harbour and in another much slower world. Several  walks are mapped on a noticeboard (more details available on a website).

I planned to immediately take the clifftop head to head walkway but missed the turnoff (easy to do as the signposting leaves a little to be desired) and so I explored the settlement and visited Stoddard Cottage: a pretty colonial cottage which was the birthplace of one of New Zealand’s foremost 19th century artists, Margaret Stoddart.

I had lunch before returning on the short track in reverse. The track is not paved and can be slippery after rain (I slid over twice) but offers some picturesque views of  the harbour entrance, Lyttelton and the next bay (Purau).

A pleasant and easy walk although not suited to those with limited mobility. There are other more strenuous hikes nearby notably the Mt Herbert Walkway.

Walked: April 2019