Overview
Thurs. Feb. 5
Out early – walked through Plimmerton + measured a section along a line just south of rly. stn. [railway station] from beach across flat of Tapu Creek to summit of old sea-cliff south of Walker’s homestead. At the SW [south-west] end of the flat valley-bottom consists of heavy wave-worn shingle + gravel – an old barrier beach or shingle spit (derived from the NW [north-west] which cut off this, the third, branch or arm of Porirua Harbour, impounding the drainage, converting the former embayment into a tidal lagoon, which
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finally became a peat swamp which still, though drained occupies the valley bottom for a considerable distance in from the shingle spit. The peat is 4 or 5 f[ee]t. thick + rests on the shingle beds, which dip up the valley, + thus pass under the peat at a gradually increasing depth. After breakfast Maud + I left at 8:45am to walk to Te Rewarewa H[ea]d. The morning was beautifully fine. At Karehana Point, the rocks of the shore platform as [sic] of a different character to those further south – less weathered alternations of greywackes + slates, much crushed + intersected by minor faults, a net-work of fine quarty [sic] veins and some larger ones, the dip is NW by N at angles of 35 + upwards. Honeycomb weathering is noticeable here + there, + there has been a leeching out of the iron constituents into the joints which are in consequence harder than the intervening parts of the rocks + stand out in thin ridges. A little distance north of Karehana P[oin]t., there is a broad bay (Hongoeka Beach) with a shingly shore below high tide mark, + blown sand + small dunes above – the latter covering the seaward end of the flat-bottomed stream-valley known as Spring Valley Took photo (25) + (26) ½ pan of Hongoeka Beach, lower part of Spring Valley + Te Rewarewa Hd.
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from top of old sea-cliff in from south end of Hongoeka Beach. At the northern end of the Beach is a Maori pah and the old sea-cliffs again stand just in from the present shore-line. Only a narrow strip of flat land lies between high tide line which is marked by a barrier beach of shingle + the talus which curves out from the foot of the old sea-cliffs. Photo (27) ¼ pl[ate] of barrier beach looking west from mouth of small stream at north end Hongoeka Beach. Made a section across barrier beach to top of cliff at this point. Elsewhere the coastal strip is wider or narrower than on the line of section, the talus accumulation being more or less extensive + in the former case its toe has a flatter slope, – the barrier beach maintains a fairly uniform width. Reached Te Rewarewa Head + went a little past the Perforated Rock. Photo (28) ¼ pl. Remnants of the shore-platform and Perforated Rock looking south towards Plimmerton. The barrier beach of sea-worn shingle runs round Te Rewarewa Hd. on the inner margin of the now much eroded raised shore-platform. The remarkable boulders of very hard greywacke are littered about the shore-platform here also, and are of rather larger size than further south – one of the largest seen was flattish + triangular in shape, measuring 3ft. 9in[che]s. x 2ft. 4ins x 1ft.
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Their source of origin is still a mystery since they do not in the least resemble the greywacke strata of any part of the shore platform I have yet seen. Te Rewarewa is a very blunt headland + we were unable to see round it though we walked 5 or 6 chains past the Perforated Rock. Photo (29) ¼ of the Perforated Rock with Maud alongside looking landward. On the return journey the tide had ebbed to low, + on Hongoeka Beach a strip of very heavy boulders of the hard greywacke were exposed, being thickest on a little point just north of the mouth of stream draining Spring Valley. Photo (30) ½ pl. of the boulder-strewn point. Home at 1 pm, after a very good walk which both Maud + I enjoyed very much. After dinner went to town for shopping + then Nancy, Gertie + I bathed. Mrs. McDowell who happened to be visiting Plimmerton came in for pm. tea. Very fine sunset. After tea at 7 pm. I walked up the "sledge track" which runs along the crest of the hill-ridge lying between Tapu Valley + the coast, + reached the railway at a woolshed + the Pukerua Road at the bridge over rly. Pukerua Road runs up a right bank tributary of Tapu Creek + on crossing a low saddle crosses into the peculiar-looking branchless Motuhara Valley. Reached
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the saddle at 8 pm. The road runs down the side of Motuhara Valley in a long continuous cutting which in two places winds out on to the crest of the low ridge dividing the Motuhara from Spring Valley. The stream-systems seem to be rather complicated hereabouts being divided in some places by very narrow but fairly high ridges. A nearly full moon had risen so I was able to find my way down the road to "The Extension" + reached home at 8:30 having done the walk of about 4 miles in 1½ hours.