Waikanae to paekakariki

In all the years I've commuted past Waikanae I have never noticed the pretty green tunnel that heads west from the river bridge on SH1.
It wanders beside Waikanae River

with occasional outbursts of 
Monet-ian excess

and another bridge with tattooed pillars (how blind I've been). 

At Otaihanga the river opens into an estuary, 

where I heard a pair of fernbirds duetting in oioi, 

and met a whitebaiter. Only a few more days before the season closes and, yes, she had a feed in the bucket.

Kapiti Island dominates the view now, but these pipelines (stormwater?) let it down. 

Once the beach is reached, the rest of the hike is a no-brainer. Turn south and just walk to Paekakariki. 

First interesting discovery is that sea level change is affecting this coast. 

and at Paekakariki the diggers were on the job, pushing in stabilisers. 

Hmmm, now I recall a court challenge by property owners when the local council added the coastal erosion hazard to their Land Information reports. Even if they won in court, it's obvious they'll lose on the beach. 

Next fun thing was the over-sized buggy used to launch the boat to Kapiti Island. 

Back in the day it was a tractor! 

From the beach Kapiti Island looks a bit motheaten as the coastal forest slowly regenerates, but from a distance it really is pretty. 

Oystercatchers and white-fronted terns were common as I walked on the coastal edge of QEII Park. A woman bowled a tennis ball to a man who batted it away for their little dog to field and return. 

Five hours after setting out I found a café and then a train home. This would be a brilliant day out in winter, using trains to the start and finish.