Pukete

Yesterday took me to a series of interesting sites around the Pukete, Hikuwai, and Owhango areas of the Waikato river walkway. I will deal with each of these sites in separate entries.

I started out down Delamere Rd and picked up the walkway path under Wairere Bridge and headed towards Baithewaite Park The path meanders along the true left of the river with rather expensive real estate. There is a planting project occuring through this area to help avoid further erosion of the river bank. It looks great especially with the wooden board walks the raise walkers above the ground to prevent further damage. Beyond here there are two significant views. The first is of the Allandale rest home across the river. In the last year or so the council has extended the walkway so that it runs in front of the rest home. I often see residents taking walks or being escorted for a bit of fresh air. I sometimes encounter the odd elderly couple in the flush of a new romance -- it's so cute! The next view of significance is the Pukete to Flagstaff footbridge. It annoys me that maps often exclude mention of this footbridge as it is now a significant access way from Pukete to Flagstaff allowing pedestrians and cyclists to cross over the river to catch the Orbiter Bus, to shop at the Flagstaff shopping centre and the like. Prior to the development of the Pukete Flagstaff area, the bridge was used to carry stock from one side of the river to the other. The bridge marks the Braithwaite Park area, mostly green areas, with some stunning planting of natives. The walkway continues and zigzags up on to Pukete Rd where it comes to an end.

I do hope that the city council has plans to extend the walkway further as I think that there is some real potential to link from Pukete to Horotiu either on the Pukete side or Flagstaff sides of the river. Of course, such ideas cost money but there are ways around it. The sign at the end of the walkway tells of the effort put in by Task Force Green, a programme that uses labour provided by the unemployed. When this end of the walkway was being completed, I felt an empathy for the Task Force Green team. Many were Maori and had been put to work on a project that served to beautify what was and continues to be a middle to upper class suburb. I wonder if any of these workers had their own neighbourhoods beautified in a similar way? I wonder if any can step out of their front doors to brilliantly paved walkways?

Image slide show