Bridges Eels and Birds Walk

Track Grade: Walking Medium Track
Duration of Event: 3 – 4 hours

BOOKINGS CLOSE 8pm Friday 7 March 2025

Meet up at the front of Café Esplanade. There is plenty of parking to the rear. We will make our way west through the park past the park railway station and down to the new bridge. The He Ara Kotahi* is the name of the relatively new foot and cycle bridge across the Manawatu River. We will cross the bridge and turn right on the path to Linton and make a visit to the Tiritea Pa over the river. We will follow the track until we reach the Urban Eels platform on the Turitea Stream.

This unique spot, made out of recycled concrete pads from the Turitea bridge construction, offers you the chance to watch and feed the eels. It's a great way to learn about why these fascinating creatures are so important to Māori culture and the health of our waterways. (Do not try to catch them as they can bite!) There are toilets adjacent to the platform.

We will then retrace our steps back to He Ara Kotahi but rather than cross using the bridge, we follow the river back to the old bridge. We then cross the Old Bridge and walk back through the park to Wild Base where we will make a visit to learn of the work of the sanctuary and view the current patients as they recover. Admission is free but you can make a donation to assist the work of the sanctuary
He Ara Kotahi sits on the same site as a village once known as Mokomoko – a large Rangitāne village that was a site of both harmony and conflict. Rangitāne occupied the village for 300 years with established gardens, horticulture and a trading port, before abandoning it after an attack on its people. The main Rangitāne force responsible for defending the village went south to tend to another matter, leaving women, children, elderly, and a small number of junior warriors. But, with inferior weapons, defending the village was difficult.Upon the main force's return, and under the leadership of Chief Te Peeti Te Awe Awe, a full force hokowhitu (battalion) met the adversaries on the Kairanga battlefield (near Linton) to make their final stand. Rangitāne were victorious and are survived by their descendants residing in Palmerston North today.

Date: Sunday 9 March 2025, briefing starts at 10.00am
Distance: Approximately 7km
Track Grade: Medium
Walking Time: Cost: $10 per person. Refreshments at the cafe are at your own cost.
Depart: Croquet Club, Victoria Esplanade, Manawaroa Street, (off Fitzherbert Avenue), Palmerston North. Car park available next to the Croquet Club/Striders/Cricket Rooms (behind Esplanade Cafe) – Briefing starts at 10.00am, with the walk commencing immediately after the briefing.

Limited to 25 people, book now to avoid disappointment.

BOOKINGS ARE ESSENTIAL – no ticket sales on the day.