Twenty-seven people turned out for an afternoon walk along part of the Awaroa Walkway on the Howick coastline. The entire walkway extends from Shelly Park Beach to Musick Point as two routes, an inland route including streets, walkways and reserves, and a low-tide coast route. We did the southernmost part of the walkway, from Shelly Park to Fisherman’s Rock north of Howick Beach. From the end of  Sandspit Rd we set out about 2:25pm through a walkway to View Rd, and on to Pah Rd. A walking track dropped down from there through a delightful gully with bush and a stream to come out on Cockle Bay beach.

At the north end of Cockle Bay a concrete path led up behind a World War 2 gun emplacement to Tainui Rd. Further road-bashing past lovely upper-class houses brought us to Howick Beach and a quick loo stop. After Howick beach we climbed up to Marine Parade and had our afternoon tea stop on a grassed reserve with a panoramic view out across the water to Waiheke and some of the other Hauraki Gulf islands, including Little Barrier Island in the distance. We could see the summit of Moehau, highest point in the Coromandel Peninsula, behind Waiheke.

A stepped walkway brought us down the cliffs to Fisherman’s Rock on the foreshore north of Howick beach for our return walk. At low tide the foreshore all the way back to Shelly Park Beach was easy going with sand and a few rocks, but nothing difficult or tricky - except on the point between Howick Beach and Cockle Bay only the four people at the very front - John, Lin, Steve C and Mike - bothered to wade through water no more then knee deep, while the rest of the group opted to retrace their footsteps over the inland route as far as Cockle Bay.  Cockle Bay sure lived up to its name - the sand uncovered at low tide was covered with cockle shells!

Nearly everyone except the drivers and some others who had to get home early walked straight to Peter and Val Osborne’s home at Cockle Bay, accepting Peter and Val’s invitation for afternoon tea even though they were not on the tramp. Those drivers who did not have to rush off also went to Peter and Val’s. COST: $2-70.