A group of 7 ABTCers caught the 9am ferry to Waiheke then boarded a bus to Onetangi Beach. It turned out to be a perfect day for walking - fine and warm but not too hot. After morning tea overlooking the beautiful beach, we set off about 11am along the beach, through a local park to the Forest and Bird reserve. The expertly designed track wound so gradually up through the bush that we hardly seemed to be climbing at all!  Shortly before the reserve exit we paused to admire a stand of seven mature and stately kauri trees. A short time later we were at Trig Hill park with a stunning view of the gulf - virtually 360 degrees. After a lunch break at Eco Zip Adventures (with time to watch groups harnessing up and zooming away) we set off again. We wended our way down towards the Whakanewha Regional Park, then followed the stream to picturesque Rocky Bay. As we walked along the foreshore we were delighted to see 3 dotterel near the nesting area. We arrived at the bus stop in good time for the 3pm bus, and as no one opted to spend some time in Oneroa, we all caught the 4pm ferry and were back at Bracken Ave by 5.15pm. On the ferry back to Auckland, Susan shared a poem by Lester Masters which expresses something of our pleasure in, and gratitude to God for, the wonderful outdoors of NZ.