Posts Tagged ‘Devonport’

What is the Best Walk in Auckland?

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

The great weather just continues!  What amazing weather for getting out and about, and what better way to take advantage of these great summer days than enjoying some of this city’s great walks.

What is the best walk in Auckland?

As a dedicated city walker, and a strong Shore man, my vote would be the North Shore Coastal Walk.  At a really low tide you can get from Devonport to Long Bay and only have to leave the water’s edge once!  But if the tide is high, then you have to do some city-walking – it is still a great walk.

In December I walked from Devonport to Long Bay in just over 4 hours, and that included a nice coffee in Browns Bay.  What a great way to spend a Sunday morning – especially in summer.

On that day we carried on – after walking the Long Bay Reserve, we timed it right to get across the Okura estuary at low tide and eventually finished the day with a cold Lion Red outside the Puhoi pub.  After 57Km we needed a cold beer.  We carried on the next day – walking a section of Te Araroa – and finished our 100Km weekend in Matakana for another Lion Red!

Bit out of my comfort zone for a city walker – so next time I will stick to the city, and maybe even venture over the bridge ….. or perhaps somewhere out west!  Now that would really be outside my comfort zone!!

City Walker

Tags: , , , , , | Posted in Walks | 6 Comments »

Walker hit by cyclist

Friday, March 5th, 2010

Two weeks ago a walker was hit by a cyclist on Devonport’s Mount Victoria.  What are the rights of a walker on a road that has no footpath?  What are the responsibilities of a cyclist to other road users?

The road on Mount Victoria is very narrow – its width can really only cater for one vehicle, but it is a “two way” road.  On this occasion the cyclist was coming down the hill, and hit the walker from behind.  The walker was seriously injured – she was thrown through the air, suffered four broken ribs and was lapsing in-and-out of consciousness.

And the reaction of the cyclist: abuse the walker, and then leave – but not before telling  the walker’s companion that he was a surgeon!

Cyclists are the first to say that car drivers do not treat them with respect; that they often feel unsafe because of the attitude and actions of drivers; and that they are the vulnerable party in that they will be injured more than the driver, even if the driver is fully at fault.

So, why don’t cyclists practice what they preach?  This cyclist casued an accident that injured a “vulernble party” – then took no responsibility and became abusive!

Interestingly the cyclist has not come forward to “help the police with their inquiries” – perhaps he does actually kn0w where the resonsibility sits, in which case he can add “dishonest”, “gutless” and “no integrity” to other labels of “rude” and “inconsiderate”.

Finally, equally sadly, a cyclist has come to his defence saying that the walker had no right to be on the road!  Another very poor advertisement for cyclists that – given that I am a cyclist as well as a walker – makes me cringe.

City Walker

Tags: , , , | Posted in Walks | 1 Comment »