A glorious sunny afternoon brought out a total of 31 people to walk the perimeter track of Omana Regional Park and then do the short Wades Walkway at Whitford. One carload of four people left The Bracken at 1:15pm to meet up with more people at leader Barbara’s home in Pakuranga, and carpool out to the Omana Regional Park. We set out along the perimeter track at 2:30pm, the first part of which had recently been done up into a gravel path going through pasture and bush. There were views looking out to a new development at Beachlands. We continued along the track and later took a side track leading to a hillside with a commanding view of the Hauraki Gulf with Waiheke Island ahead, Rangitoto and Motutapu Islands to the left, and Auckland city with the Sky Tower in the distance to the west. Here we had our afternoon tea break. From there it was a 5 minute walk back to the carpark, and we were back in our cars at 3:20pm to go to Whitford and the start of the new Wades Walkway on Turanga Reserve. This was an easy wide track that followed the Turanga Creek to the end of Wades Rd, taking twenty minutes to walk.

We returned the same way to Whitford village, arriving about 4:20pm, and relaxed over coffee at a café at the village before heading home. COST: $6-50 from 10 Bracken Ave, $4-50 from Barbara’s in Greenhill Cres, Pakuranga. DISTANCES:  Omana loop walk 3km, Turanga track return 2.4km