Banks Peninsula

An extreme upgrade in the “class” of track I’ve been used to, the Banks Peninsula Walkway was a very nice hike, with a lovely variety of terrain and scenery, along with superbly located and catered accommodation. All of the huts were very well equipped, and situated in beautiful areas with fantastic gardens.

Despite gale-force winds the first morning, the weather soon settled and the sun shone the rest of the time. Starting at Onuku Bay, we had a steep climb up and over to Flea Bay, then continued around the coast to Stony Bay. The cottages and surroundings there were adorable, with numerous wooden carvings and accessories - the shower inside a tree, baths heated from underneath by fire, rope swings, a museum filled with trinkets, a pool table, swingball, badminton net, tennis court, etc. Everything was old-style but incredibly well-kept, it was an impressive place. We’d carried in plenty of supplies, and with Sue’s car waiting there (she had to leave early the next morning), we were able to replenish the more necessary goods accordingly (mainly alcohol).

The second day we followed the coastline around several bays and inlets to Otanerito Bay, then up the valley to Purple Peak Saddle. I climbed Purple Peak for the views over both sides, and then ran back down the hill track to catch the others up before reaching Akaroa for an infamous hokey pokey ice cream!