The Leisure Walkers visit Piha Beach
Piha beach is known for its massive rips and the imposing natural feature called, Lion Rock.
On Saturday 6th August, Mr and Mrs Massari took us Leisure Walkers to Piha beach, which is 28 kilometres west of Auckland city centre. While on the winding road heading down to the beach we saw the most stunning view of Piha and Lion Rock, in fact we at the stopped before continuing the drive down, just to take in this amazing view before our eyes.
Walking along the beach one of the thoughts we had was, 'Why is the sand so black?' During our discussion we found out that it is due to the high iron content, which is of volcanic origin.
After walking for a while and identifying footprints in the sand, noticing the dangerous waves and clambering over rocks, we decided to climb Lion Rock, the famous landmark at Piha.
Climbing Lion Rock is exciting, but also unnerving, and a person has to be careful, making sure they are concentrating all the time. You are only able to walk to a set point, this is due to falling rocks and the unstable ground in parts. Fortunately there are safety ropes and rails to help support you when you are walking up. The climb itself is steep and we found ourselves getting out of breath easily, so talking was a little difficult until we got to the top where we stopped and rested, sitting on a 'stone seat'. Here we enjoyed our morning tea and the beautiful scenery all around us.
Once we'd climbed down Lion Rock, we stopped to read the plaques. There are three altogether, two placed there to remember the men from the area who fought in the two World Wars, those who were killed, wounded and those who fought on the front line. The third plaque is to mark the day that Lion Rock was handed over to the Auckland Centennial Memorial Park Board.
From reading the information on the plaques, it is clear that Piha and Lion Rock is both a guardian and a symbolic place for all New Zealanders. It is an area were you can enjoy family days, take your dogs for long walks and if you are careful catch the surf.
