Celebrating a walkway built by the community

Bought to life by community fundraising, the original City-to-Surf Walkway will have its moment in the spotlight with a brand new commemorative sign and ribbon-cutting celebration on Friday, November 7 at 5.30pm.

Everyone is welcome to the event on the corner of Marine Parade and Wainui Road, meet some of the people behind the original project, and share in the memories. Organisers are especially keen to see those who paid for an inscription in the original walkway.

Local legend Kate Hayward helped activate the community when Waikato District Council funding wasn’t available for the project. With plenty of hard mahi, Muriel (Tari) Collins’ famous loaves of bread, and the collective spirit of Whāingaroa, a path was laid in 1993 featuring nearly 300 community-funded inscriptions.

“We’d love to see as many of the original supporters and fundraisers as possible join us,” says Kate. “This project was truly a community effort, and it’s a wonderful chance to reconnect, reminisce, and celebrate what we achieved together.”

In 2023, the Waikato District Council replaced the old path with a new, fit-for-purpose walkway, now renamed Te Ara ki Tai – Pathway to the Sea. While the original inscriptions were sadly lost, the new sign ensures the legacy of the City-to-Surf Walkway, and the community spirit behind it will be remembered for years to come.

Visit raglanihub.nz/coast-walkway for a full list of the names involved in the walkway.

Mrs Muriel Collins recipe for ‘Walk-away No-knead Bread’

Mix into a very large bowl:

• 700+ ml warm water;

• 2 dsp dry active yeast;

• 1 dsp golden syrup (or brown sugar / honey).

Then add:

• 4C wholemeal flour;

• 2C white flour;

• 1 dsp salt.

Mix with a solid spoon. (No kneading!) Put the sticky dough mixture into two generously butter-greased loaf tins. Put in a warm place.

Pre-heat oven to 190C.