Opawaho Divide, Christchurch 360 Trail 

Sunday 26 Nov. 2023

The segment of the 360 Trail named Opawaho Divide refers to the Avon and Heathcote watersheds. Starting in Titoki Street outside Riccarton Bush, this flat walk ends at Halswell Quarry and combines street walking and cycle-ways, relieved by small reserves and green spaces. Online instructions are detailed and you soon get your eye in to spot the 360 circular symbols. Sometimes additional directional arrows are helpful too.

Probably, being Sunday, the streets were surprisingly quiet for our walk. Passing through Curletts Stormwater Basin, our attention swung from looking for water birds to Santa Parade floats as they assembled in the Show Grounds area. Following morning tea at Seagar Park, we were soon on popular Nga Puna Wai  walkway, meeting dogs and their owners. We then diverted to Mt Magdala Cemetery of the Good Shepherd Sisters before lunching on a grassy swale slope sheltered by native trees.

A circuit of one of the lakes at Westlake Reserve was followed by mainly street walking. Another lake we passed was in Halswell Quarry Park, not far from the end of our walk, right by the Quarry Cafe—perfect. As it was before 3pm, there was time for food, drink and rest before retracking to a bus-stop outside Halswell School, where we caught the number 100 bus back to our cars. Karen commented that Metro Bus got lean pickings from our crew as all but one of us were gold-card holders.

Our group of 10 included a visitor, Francoise, who had arrived from France just four days before. We hope she was not too tired after our nearly 18km walk.

We were: Wendy Wallace, Glenda Meredith, Joy Schroeder, Karen Fincham, Mike Bourke, Sue Britain, Sha SG, Francoise Cornet, Kerry Moore and Helen Harkness (Leader). [HH]