River Road, Tukituki River Wander

15th July 2025

Today we really needed to walk in the wild, so we headed to River road thinking we might wander along the stop bank as it's pretty muddy almost everywhere presently. Quite suddenly we decided to via right instead- I wonder where this path goes to? And so we had the best winter Tukituki river wandering adventure & found spots & views we've never seen before. 

This spot is accessed by heading down River road, past David Cranwell's place & the Pocket Park, via left & park up the top just after the trees, or stay right & head down to the main car park. From there most people walk out along the stop bank or over the wide open spaces. You can go for miles- all the way to Haumoana. However, if you simply via right from the car park instead & follow your nose you'll find a whole nother landscape that is quite, quite different.

As you look up & back there is the back of Te Mata Peak.

And all the willows in winter grace, with buddleia davidii in the foreground.

The solid presence of Kahuranaki in the distance.

From season to season the rivers create new paths to suit themselves. The Tukituki has opted for the far bank choice at this time, so to reach the flow you have to wander across a good expanse of river beach.

And how beautiful. Looks like a good swimming hole to return to in summer.

Moss

Perhaps like people rivers never stay quite the same, with each visit there's a new interface, all depending on the season, if it's rained recently or not, weather conditions and the health of the river.

This was very much the spot to find. It's not the same wandering around in the blazing sun so winter is a great time to do the investigating.

On our return we came across what looked like a great little set up until our friend Rachel roared with laughter when she saw this photo as she recognised school issue equipment.

It's still astonishing to see just where the water rose to in cyclone Gabrielle (February 2023).

Fortunately for us there's some trail bike tracks well established that we were able to follow through the trees. 

And another tracking heading further on to the right past a horse paddock.

You have to wonder how on earth these stars (narcissus) manged to get themselves planted here in the middle of nowhere.

Happily, fragrantly naturalised.

We weren't quite sure how far this path would take us & if it was passable at all. Sadly a bird caught in a hawthorn tree, no doubt due to the cyclone.

This was the first sign of a hawthorn anywhere along here. 

This area is known as Undercliff. 

There's a homestead named Undercliff just up there too.

Lovely horse.

Oh yes here's the gateway to Undercliff as we pass by on Waimarama road.

Then over Red bridge & along Tukituki road on our way home. Lovely avenue of London Plane trees.

Then up the hill to the lookout, a tidy tucked in pull over to the side of the road near the fence & looking down- there's the spot we've just been wandering around in. 

Just on the outskirts of Havelock North this will be a great spot to return to.

TukiTuki Valley

During this winter Rob has had most weekends as his days off, which, through his nursing career, hasn't happened very often so we have been heading out to visit favourite spots and explore new places in our landscape as often as we can. It's just the best combination- heading to the wild for a walk, a picnic & to gather, observe and learn. All that it takes is a little preparation and for us to show up. Having decided to take a drive up the TukiTuki valley back in June, we explored a few side roads while we were about it, just to see what was up "there". A number of these roads lead down to the river. Moore road delivered us to the end of the walkway from Back Bridge & Haumoana.

A great piece of rusty orchard memorabilia parked a little long.

As we walked, a rural patchwork of many textures unfolded before us. 

The spentness of apples and their delicious cidery aroma.

The landscape unclothed.

A Kotari - Sacred Kingfisher.

Wild grasses and fennel.

At first a swathe of cherry trees and then sheep and then plum trees, further along we found cattle amidst the riverscape. Soon there were more apples and grapevines and horses- all woven in to a textural blanket of winter beauty.

At the end of the path we discovered a huge hedge of Sagewood. Beloved of Monarch butterflies, bees and bumbles too.

Such a distinctive scent- I always just thought of this bush as Buddleia but I've discovered that there are various kinds of Buddleia and this one is indigenous to Southern and Eastern Africa; known as Sagewood or Buddlleja Salvifolia.

In the lee of the hedge we set up our little picnic.

The scent of the flowers, light, heady and a little spicy.

The last of the sweet persimmons. 

This particular hedge is a good 4 metres high and a mass of blooms in the coldest months of the year.

I have learnt the Sagewood also has some useful medicinal properties and it is the dried flower buds and fresh or dried leaves that are used as a tea.

What a variety of other visitors appeared at the end of Moore road: some to shoot ducks, others to walk the dog, families, odd bods and those that drove way again in their monster, mud splattered off-road vehicles- evidently a little startled to see a picnic in progress.

Sweet tea towels have so many purposes. 

Caretaking our cups and saucers is a most useful one.

So nice to see the land so verdant green again after a sustained period of draught. 

It won't be long before the willows will be preciously dressing for spring.

Remarkable how the seasons pass so swiftly.

I loved this beautiful house in passing. Rob kindly pulled over for me to sneak a wee pic and we almost got stuck in the rain soaked soft verge on leaving- imagine if we'd had to go and ask for a hand to sort ourselves out, whatever would I have told them.