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This was a Sunday afternoon walk with a difference - instead of the usual easy footpaths and formed bush
tracks, we were treated to rough bush tramping that required boots and hiking poles. Our group of 11
led by Laurie King set out from the Henderson Valley Primary School about 2:15pm, and we walked along
the road to Henderson Valley Scenic Reserve off Candia Rd across the Opanuku Stream.
This was
where the rough tramping route began, following the true left bank of the stream upstream. We had short
stops all the way along where Laurie explained various things including the stream itself, a bunch of
fungus on a tree branch, how a branch of ponga fern laid on the ground with its white underside up can
be used as a direction sign for search and rescue, how the Maoris used nikau branches for such things
as chairs and ovens, and bait stations for poisoning possums and other pests.
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Our devotions began with singing Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow. Laurie said that God
loves us so much he gives us blessings. He gave His Son Jesus Christ to be our Saviour, a fragrant perfume.
Our faith is more valuable to God than gold. There was a gold tree, and Laurie handed out little gold
cadbury bars to each of us. When we eat one of these gold bars we can think of blessings we take for
granted such as good health and sleep which some frail people may lack.
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We came to the roped bush track leading down to the swimming hole behind Carey Park. Most of us crossed
the stream over some large jagged rocks below the swimming hole, but Laurie and John chose to wade across
the stream a little further down, coming out to Carey Park about 3:45pm.
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We stopped for coffee at the park's cafe, on the site of the original Carey Park main 2-storey camp
building which was demolished in 1985. It was at this very spot where John met Murray for the first time,
at a university EU camp on 16-18 March 1973. From there it was a 100 metre roadbash, passing a freerange
chicken farm, back to our start point finishing about 4:20pm.
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