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hat did you do on Saturday? A group of trampers enjoyed a delightful evening at the Starlight Café. What a great night out! We enjoyed a fireside setting for four, in tranquil surroundings with rippling water and moreporks for background music. The decor and furnishings were simple yet adequate with seats of logs and rocks; spartan, yet functional for tired bodies. Entertainment was provided by our own talented musician, Snaiet, whose rendition of “Home on the Range” seemed totally appropriate (this was a Wild West theme trip after all). High overhead the Milky Way stretched from horizon to horizon, the bush walls were pushed back by the light of the fire, giving the whole setting a cosy intimacy. The menu was simple — to start the evening, a warming hot drink was served while the fire built up and chilled toes and bodies defrosted in that treat of all treats, dry socks and warm clothing. A few minutes of quick chopping, stirring and heating and the main course was ready. In a trendier café the menu would look something like this: A generous serving of refried beans boosted with red and green peppers, tomatoes, a blend of sauces and a smattering of fresh basil nestled on a bed of crisp nachos and assorted grated cheeses topped with a portion of sour cream. The effect was classic WT8&MC cuisine — hot, tasty and ready when you are! Several minutes of near silence were punctuated only by the sounds of a distant morepork and happy hungry punters. Dessert followed at a decent interval. We were mindful of the fact that it was only 6.00pm and the evening loomed long and dark ahead. Generous portions of seasonal fruit salad smothered in fresh yoghurt. What more could you want? Great company, good food, unique and stunning setting — all the makings of a truly memorably evening out.
Marilyn Duffy
You too can visit the Starlight Café. Directions are as follows: Travel to the mouth of the Managatoetoe Siream and head north on foot. Choose a fine day for best effect. Summer is best; the valley is deep and can be shady, though where the sun breaks through the effect is magical. Bright coloured mosses turn iridescent green in sunlight, water splashes with diamond brilliance as the stream tumbles on its way to the ocean at your back. Allow plenty of time for your trip for there is much to see, and at times the track is demanding. Steep bits, slippery bits, wet bits, scrambly bits, fallen down trees all add to the adventure. There are scary parts on the trail too, so be warned. Wasps lurk beside the track, dopey with the cold of autumn, but constantly suspicious of human invasion. The water of the stream is icy cold, seldom seeing the low winter sun in its deep valley. The climb from Mangatoetoe Stream across to the headwaters of the Onekaha Stream is sudden and brutal. From a gradual stream-sidle the track launches itself up a rocky claystrewn ridge which sucks the energy from leg muscles and lungs. Don't worry, it all helps to build an appetite for the evening meal. Observe the wildlife as you travel. There are plump woodpigeons overhead, tuis and bellbirds singing to each other, fantails which follow fearlessly, feasting on an insect cloud only they can see. Lizards and skinks scuttle from sunbaked rock faces, tiny fish and other water creatures flit and hide without trace as you make yet another crossing of the stream. Other creatures are more secretive, uprooted mosses and fems tell of wild pigs, and stunted growth on certain trees suggest deer and goats visit here too. It is not a totally easy walk to this Starlight Café, “out one welt worth the effort and one Heally enjoyed: A big thank you to my delightful dinner and travelling companions, Snaiet Shalav, Zoe Chang and Emma Barrack ~ please can we do it again some time.
eesti apace. aoe a ca