Barnicoat Walk

On a sunny, winter's afternoon I took the dogs (plus Mum and Dad's dog, 'Bess') for a walk up Barnicoat Hill. The hill is named after an early Nelson surveyor, John Willis Barnicoat.

Barnicoat walkway is located at the end of Marsden Valley Road in Stoke. There's an area to park cars, which gets full quickly.

The walk starts off across a small footbridge and climbs up to join a 4WD road.

The track winds up the side of the hill through pine forest. It's steep in sections but the glimpses of stunning views over Monaco and Tasman Bay are a great distraction. And once at the top the views sweep over Tasman Bay and the Richmond ranges.

It's a busy walkway with mountain bikers, joggers and other walkers. Even the odd car drove past with paragliders strapped to their roofs. There's an area at the top where paragliders launch themselves off the side of the hill. It's popular with its great thermals and excellent flying conditions.

Launching area

A beginning paraglider took off as I was walking beneath him.I could hear someone talking to him via radio. After looking around, I saw the other speaker, he was standing on the side of the launching area giving advice.

The dogs had a rest in the long grass while I admired the view.

And then it was time to hit the track and walk back down the hill.