Distance: 14.1/10.9 km                                                                                     Time Walking: 4h 10min

Elevation: Max Alt 161m      Min Alt 14m      Vert Ascent: 283m

High winds inland necessitated a change of tramp: from Washpen Falls to Charteris Bay – Purau and return, a similar occurrence having eventuated earlier this the year so everyone would be quite familiar with the journey ahead.  Same driver Allan as well.  President Peter welcomed regular visitors: Tessa, Sun, and Soo, second timer Deirdre and new visitor Enju.    Note – Whakaraupo [Lyttelton Harbour]

Negotiating boat sheds early in the day

With the appearance of an adamant Council road manager telling us we could not proceed through his roadworks site, our start was slightly altered when the two groups: Alternatives and Standards, had to go around the point in front of the boatsheds on a rather haphazard bypass – only to emerge through someone’s private property on to the main road; not a good look.  So much for that man’s advice that there was a track to follow!  Although it was blustery there was certainly sunshine as we all headed on to Bayview Road.  This route follows what was once an old stock route and meanders along the Mt Herbert edge of Diamond Harbour.  After morning tea, the tarseal gave way to shingle (in places scoured by recent heavy rain) and continued up and down on this secondary road towards Purau.  Carefully negotiating muddy stretches, we soon descended out on to Purau Avenue at Waituturi Lane beside the creek.  We had a brief stop on the foreshore there to take in the tranquility of the surroundings either looking out over the many moored boats towards Ripapa Island or to the dominating peaks of nearby Mt Evans on our right or The Monument at the head of Purau valley.

From Purau we continued along the main road past the boat ramp and then on to the coastal track that skirted Purau Bay and would eventually take us around to Stoddart Point above the Diamond Harbour wharf.  This track also had succumbed in places to the rain and the going was difficult to traverse.  A sunny lunch spot looking out over the bay gave an ideal view of Ripapa Island.

Ripapa certainly has a chequered past: being first the site of a fortress of the Ngati Mamoe Tribe (pre-Ngai Tahu).  The Island figures in the story of the Kai Huanga (Eat Relations) feud which broke out in the early 1800s when Ngai Tahu hapu from Canterbury, Otago and Southland sought revenge for various insults triggered when a woman from Waiwera tried on a chief’s dogskin cloak (a very sacrilegious act) at Te Waihora in 1824.  In 1870 a plan was made of the Ripapa Island Maori fortress. This sketch can be seen in the Canterbury Museum and shows that the pa had bastions placed for flank defence, an escarpment on the north-west side and inner earthworks.  In the 1870s Ripapa became the site of a quarantine station followed by a prison for 150 followers of Te Whiti (Parihaka) until the 1880s “Russian Scare” prompted converting the island into heavy gun emplacements with barracks and known as Fort Jervois.  No Russians appeared but the island remained a defensive stronghold into WW1 when it housed infamous German raider Count von Luckner and later, army personnel manning coastal defences during WW2 were stationed there.

Bush track overlooking the sea

Keeping on the coastal track that skirted Purau Bay we eventually came around to Stoddart Point above the Diamond Harbour wharf.  We cut through the domain and then sidled down to continue below Te Ara and Ranui Crescents.  We could see dust rising from the Evans pass remedial works and you could hear diggers working on the new container wharf across the harbour where a slab-sided car carrier was berthed. On this section of track heading around Pauaohinekotau Head into Church Bay, our journey was punctuated by the slurp-sploosh of waves lapping the rocks as the tide came in.  Soon we were leaving Church Bay for the final leg of the journey up the hill and back on to the main highway to Charteris Bay.

This time as we approached the road works, a decision was made to march on through.  After a bit of huffing from the council overseer, the stop/go men on point duty were organized so that we could safely reach the bus without traffic.  A good decision weather team – another satisfying jaunt for the Bishopdale Trampers.