Beaches offer great walking opportunities

Waverley Beach has interesting eroded cliff formations. Photo / Supplied

Beach walks don’t figure prominently on the Whanganui Tramping Club’s programme but the club does hit the coast from time to time, most recently South Beach this month.

Our beaches also become familiar to Te Araroa Trail walkers as the trail follows the beach from Whangaehu to beyond Koitiata and hopefully, in the not too distant future, will also run from South Beach to the Whangaehu River mouth.

Whanganui to Mowhanau is a perennial favourite and another popular beach walk in this district is from Waiinu Beach to the Waitotara River mouth.

December is a busy month for the club. It will take a group to Taumarunui for a weekend of tramps organised by the Taumarunui Tramping Club. The weekend visit there has taken place every year for more than a decade. Later the club will go to Stratford for a farm walk hosted by the Stratford Tramping Club, followed by a circuit walk in the Tararua and at the end of the month there will be a day walk to Red Crater on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing.

The full weekend programme for December is:

Dec 3-4 Sat-Sun, Taumarunui weekend, leader Dave

Dec 10 Sat, Taranaki farm walk, leader Shane

Dec 17 or 18 Sat or Sun, Kapakapanui circuit, leaders Sally and Trish

Dec 31 Sat, Red Crater, leader Esther

Make all inquiries about trips to Terry phone 021 262 7066 or Dorothy phone 345 7039.

The midweekers have a full programme of interesting trips every Wednesday. Those who get out on Thursday are in two groups, with a longer walk on December 1 and 15 for the TT1 group and shorter ones for the TT2 group on December 8 and 22. The Wednesday contact is Trish, phone 021 127 3862, and the Thursday contact is Anne, phone 345 4776. Call both by 6pm the night before for day trips.

To join weekend trips call the leader by the previous Tuesday at the latest. Call by the night before for day trips. As some trips have limited numbers, leaders have the final say about who to take as they are responsible for the safety and wellbeing of everyone on their trips. For further information visit our website www.whanganuitramping.org.nz.

The next club meeting on Tuesday, December 6 at 6pm in the Veandercross Lounge at the Whanganui Racecourse will feature a barbecue followed by a Dutch auction in aid of the rescue helicopter service. All welcome.