Greater Te Huruhi boundary walk

Introduction | Walkway guide and map | Additional information

Kauri Art

Walkway guide and map

Guide yourself around the track.

The Greater Te Huruhi boundary walk begins and ends at the Red Cross Building on Ocean View Road, Oneroa Village. Start by walking down Tui Street, turn left down Nikau Road to pass the Old Blackpool School. From there turn right into Moa Avenue and walk to the beachfront road (The Esplanade).

Follow The Esplanade towards Surfdale, keeping the sea on your right. When you get to the first houses in Surfdale look on the left for the walkway leading to Burrell Road. Turn right at Burrell Road at the top of the walkway and wander along the 'Greater' Te Huruhi Boundary line through to Burrell Road Extension then cross over Ocean View Road to the walkway which leads into Goodwin South Reserve.

Turn right up Goodwin Avenue and then left at the top of the hill to Queens Drive. At the corner of Newton Road take the bush track through regenerating Newton Reserve to Little Oneroa Beach. Walk across the bridge up to the Catholic Church, the track goes to the right around the church with cliff top views and then turns right down Puriri Road to Oneroa Beach. The first track from Oneroa Beach to Ocean View Road completes the loop back to the Red Cross building in a leisurely 3 hours.

The information below corresponds with the numbers on the map and tells you about each of these places. Numbers that are highlighted in yellow will have yellow disks placed around the walkway.

1	The Red Cross Building, originally The Ascot picture theatre has tearooms upstairs open for the public from 10am to 3.30pm, Monday to Friday. Why don't you pop in for a cuppa before or after this walk where you can relax and enjoy views up the Main street of Oneroa Village. Built in 1949 The Ascot picture theatre was the hub of community life. Movie buses would bring regulars from all corners of the island to watch their weekly newsreel, serial and then the feature movie. The large pencil shaped funnel at the main entrance was the vent for the projection room. The Ascot came to an end in the late 1960's, likely due to the owner passing away and televisions becoming more accessible.
2	Old Blackpool School was built in the 1930's. Students had to traipse through the marshlands to get there! Although the area has been drained extensively the low water table in this area is still a reminder of it's sodden past.
3	Self-sown silverbeet and peach trees can be found along this walk, a novel reminder of the areas Maori occupation and successful agricultural past up until the 1914.
4	Waiheke has its very own Tip top corner! At the very eastern end of Blackpool Beach lies the film location for the famous Tip Top Trumpet TV advert. Starring a very young Rachel Hunter in the late 1980's.
5	In the 1920's there was a 300ft wharf located on Matenga Pt, over summer months steamers would arrive daily dropping off holiday makers. One of the first areas to be subdivided, the area was named "Surfdale" from a place naming competition, the prizewinner winning a section. Surfdale Hall was a temporary movie theatre from the 1970's it was then relocated in the '80's to Oneroa where you can still enjoy movies from a comfy sofa at Artworks Cinema.
6	Views – from left to right – Surfdale Beach, Waiheke recreation centre and High School, Te Huruhi primary school and Kennedy Point.
7	Burrell Road boasts of extensive views over Blackpool and Oneroa. Rangitoto Island can be seen towering over the distant headland. All the land you can see from this distinctive boundary line was known as 'Greater' Te Huruhi. It was the last area of Maori (Ngati Paoa)owned land on Waiheke. The Alisons' were the first pakeha owners farming the land until it was subdivided in the 1920's. The holiday era began with the earliest visitors being children from a Church holiday camp in 1924. Road access to Matiatia's Wharf paved the way for what is now Waiheke's main tourism gateway and Oneroa soon became the main centre of Waiheke.
8	Goodwin South Reserve: The deeper you walk into this urban surrounded gully the more you discover a treasure of healthy native forest. Past the old bush batches with long-drop toilets and further up the creek and up the gully this reserve thickens into one of the finest examples of broadleaf forest on this side of Onetangi. There is almost 2 Hectares here with trees such as Puriri, KohuKohu, Nikau Palms and Supplejack vine. The evidence of Kauri gum close by suggests that the Giant Kauri were felled for timber here, the creek and its deep clay bed suggests that the trees may have slid down the stream for transporting by boat at Little "O" Beach.
9	Kauri Art – Resident Sculptor – 40,000 year old swamp Kauri – Gallery and sculptures- open over summer months or by appointment. Ph: John (09) 372 2479
10	Guardians of Newton Reserve – volunteers that are planting out this regenerating bush for the past four years, the unique yellowish tinge to the bush is the predominant Red Mapou that is growing there.
11	St Peters Catholic Church proudly sits between Little Oneroa and Oneroa Beaches. Keep your eyes open for Orca (Killer Whales) as they frequent the bay in search for delicious stingray!
12	Welcome back to the Red Cross Building! Generous benefactors helped to purchase the Ascot Theatre for the Waiheke Red Cross in 1967. At this time 70 per cent of the 2,400 residents were elderly and hence services were created to benefit the community. The Red Cross continues in this roll and would love volunteers to assist: contact President Jocelyn Luckens on (09) 372 4020.

Map of the Greater Te Huruhi boundary walk

Published September 2008