The Golden Stairs at Pawarenga are so called because of the kōwhai trees which blossom on the slopes of the Whangapē Harbour in spring.
It makes for a tough climb – five hours of steep, muddy terrain – but I was keen to do it and I heard of a group that was going.
I put in some practice trudging up and down a nearby hill for a couple of weeks beforehand and declared myself fit enough.
The days prior to our walk were wet and miserable. The forecast promised an improvement, but on the appointed day I woke to rain. Surely it would be cancelled.
I rang Rena, my walking buddy who was giving me a lift. She has family connections out there and had done the walk before so I was relying on her local knowledge. She said she would pick me up in an hour. So that was that. We were going. She had dismissed my tidy little Mazda and declared we would take her hardier four-wheel-drive vehicle. I was glad about that.
So with all the usual requisites for a tough day (lots of food and tea), I went up to the road to meet her.
Our route
