Great Rides: Away with the Fairies in Greenhithe & Hobsonville

With The Midget Assassin safely entrusted to the fairies at Ivy Cottage it was dad’s chance to escape by bike and have a bit of a nosey around Greenhithe.

My memories of Greenhithe to date were winter mornings spent standing around in the mud, rain lashing at my back as I watched my sons play football. The battleground for such encounters was Wainoni Park which is smack-bang in the middle of Greenhithe.

This park has undergone somewhat of a transformation since my last visit and on this hot summer afternoon was a veritable Garden of Eden. I don’t know how Greenhithe wangles more council funds than the rest of the Shore but the landscaping and planting is quite outstanding, and I’m not usually one to notice such things.

Beautiful gravel pathways provide access to Wainoni Park from the surrounding streets and you glide past horses in their paddocks as you move out towards the newer housing. It’s all very well done and perfect for cycling if you don’t mind the crunch of gravel under your wheels and the odd bump over a drainage grate or two. The more I explored the more I got the impression walking and cycling were top-of-mind with the town-planners involved.

I tootled around the newer suburbs exploring the interconnecting walkways before riding over to the older part of town with it’s open storm-water drains and a bit more character in the housing. There are no footpaths here and the roads are narrower, but on a sunny Sunday afternoon with little traffic it all seemed so bike friendly. I guess it’s as busy as anywhere when Monday rush-hour hits but in the weekend the pace of life seemed a bit slower around here.

After dropping down to the water’s edge on Rahui Rd I climbed up the only significant hill of the afternoon to join the new cycle-path network that leads to the Greenhithe Bridge.

Cycle “path” is a bit of a misnomer, it’s more of a cycle “motorway” and a delight to ride on. On the Western leg it’s a downhill run from the top of Tauhinu Rd to the bottom of the bridge and you could coast the whole way if you chose to. A bit more of a struggle on the return trip East but there’s plenty of stunning views to take in and you’ll still have a smile on your face as you grind up the hill.

The path then flattens-out as you glance across to Herald Island, following the water’s edge until a slight incline takes you up to the overbridge. Still some unfinished construction here but I followed local advice and turned left over the motorway pedaling off towards Hobsonville.

Cruising along Buckley Ave towards the old Air Force barracks was nice and flat and as you approach the new housing development those with children will want to stop at the playground on the right. Strike that, everyone should stop and and check it out, it’s quite something. Chock-a-block with huge steel sculptures of native plants and seeds, some to be played on, some just to look at, it’s a marvel of art and whimsey not to be missed.

There’s a pleasant looking café further along if you’re in need of refreshment and before you know it you are down the end of the peninsular amongst the old Air Force buildings. I didn’t see a gate, and nobody seemed to mind me having a poke around, but there were groups of Air Force cadets moving about so be respectful of their digs as you pass through.

I was having a great ride, and there was much more to explore, but it was time to head back to Greenhithe and rescue my sugar-deranged four year old from her fairy captors. I packed up my camera, picked up the pace and in a flash I was back over the bridge sitting on a mushroom.