Wild Swimming In The Tutaekuri River And A Picnic On The Terrace

 So many of the wonderful river spots that we have found through the years, I first saw when someone shared a photo on facebook and at the moment I just knew that I had to find that same place. One such enchantment was a bit of a mystery- all I knew was that the access had to be somewhere along the Tutaekuri river that runs out to sea, very close to Taradale. It took us a good while to get back to explore this area after the cyclone as bridges, paths and carparks needed to be restored first. Once summer had settled we parked up near Waiohiki bridge and wandered along the river paths until finally, we found it. Then returning a month later with a picnic dinner and a plan to swim last Tuesday on a 32 degree bluebird sky day, we managed to take a wrong turn attempting to find an obscure car park. Oh look a fridge library. Stop! 

Apparently this is Ascot Place & this little library is set in a green space amidst a dozen walnut trees. We'll have to return again another day as I forgot to look in the freezer, and you never know there might be some decent walnuts on the ground by then.

So we were actually trying to find Murphy road and at the very end of that road is a small car park, an enclosed dog playground, an enclosed children's playground (quite weird really), a public toilet and access to the walkways and the river. Immediately through the little gate there are wide steps to take you up the stop bank and more to take you down the other side, then there's a right hand swerve that eventually leads you through the trees and down to the river. The bridge in the distance is the main motorway between Hastings and Napier. Up the other end is another busy main arterial road, yet amazingly once you're here in the centre of things, it's peaceful. 

It's reassuring to see the boys having a ball jumping, bombing, scrambling, swimming and fooling around at various spots along the river bank. They've got it all sorted. Not an adult in sight.

There's a lot of joy, score keeping and spotting of eels going on.

The most perfect swimming holes all along the bank.

While the little boys were up the other end- quickly Rob, have a go! One end of the rope tied to a willow tree, the other anchored by a solid piece of metal.

How on earth do they manage to pull themselves up that slippery bank over and over?

Good on him!

The water was just glorious.

The current just right.

You can happily swim down stream and still walk back.

So glad we wore our Crocs (backs up so they don't slip off and float off out to sea). Two eels just wandered past!

Such a sense of liberation at the river.

We checked out the terrain before we brought all our stuff down and found ourselves a perfect little river terrace with willow curtains and a changing room.

Just as well we were elevated on our own little river terrace as the locals constitute boys and dog walkers. So we swam with both: boys and dogs. So many dogs!

We were entirely puzzled as to why no other adults turned up just to swim. It's so perfect!

A few months ago I came across a book in the Hospice op shop entitled Pookie Finds A Home. I bought it because my neice's nickname has been Pookie since she was little. Once I read this Pookie book I realized that it probably wasn't this particular Pookie that was the name sake. So I kept the book and found two more in the series on Trade Me. Having paid $4 for the first one I was amazed to find that they can fetch a great deal more. i guess that could have something to do with them being published so long ago. This book Pookie by Ivy L Wallace was printed in 1954! It has a profoundly old book musty smell about it these days.

The Pookie stories are delightful- entirely suited to reading aloud outdoors.

Ivy L Wallace has illustrated the books herself. They are so sweetly imaginative.

Oh look, there's a fisherman walking by.

And a darling wee boy with his father not far behind.

It's so worth the effort to prepare a proper picnic dinner early in the day, on those scorching summer days so that you can sit in the cool later and enjoy eating out-of-doors, as the sun gradually descends and all the world turns to a magical glow.

The Cheesy Feta Bake is great for travelling and picnics. You can find the recipe just here.

Not even a single midgey bite either.

Watching the day draw to a close with no sense of the time is such a sweet blessing and so restorative to our souls.

And for a moment, just a split second, not even any traffic.