The Sea Path
The Sea Path Pilgrimage
From the Ferry Building to Long Bay, Auckland (20kms)
8.00am Sat 4th April to 10.00am Sun 5th April 2025
Bookings are essential as places are limited to 20
Join a welcoming group as we walk the shoreline between the city and the sea.
Our walk begins at the Ferry building, at the bottom of Queen Street at 8am on Saturday morning. We will follow the coastal pathway north with the almost constant view of the Pacific ocean, Te Moana-nui-a -Kiwa and Rangitioto. Our destination will be Vaughan Park Retreat Centre in Long Bay, where we will gather in the Ruatara Chapel for a brief time of reflection.
We are booked in for a delicious meal with time to review the day, hot showers and a comfortable bed for the night.
Why are we walking?
As we walk, we will explore some of the history of Aotearoa that is still visible in this coastal landscape.
Pilgrimage is physically walking into the whenua with a desire to encounter the stories of the tangata whenua and pakehā ( Māori and non Māori ) that a landscape holds. Stories that are held by the place names, the signs of human occupation ( often familiar but ‘unnoticed’) , the artifacts and memorials and the living inhabitants. The resulting effect is not just an expansion of one’s physical experience, and of the narrative the landscape holds, but also the meaning of one’s place in the story is changed and therefore one’s view of the present, and the future is challenged in some way.
But what happens if there are huge gaps in the narrative; signs of early beginnings that are almost obliterated by a dominant present. The story can only be constructed from the information you have.
Who is this pilgrimage suitable for?
Please be aware that a moderate to advanced level of fitness is required for this pilgrimage. While we look out for one another, each individual is ultimately responsible for their own health, safety and wellbeing during the pilgrimage. We take care to assess the suitability of each person to cope with the physical demands of this day walk.
Expressions of Interest/Bookings
There are limited places of 20 on this pilgrimage and pre-booking and payment is essential.
Please feel free to ask any questions and/or indicate your interest as soon as possible by emailing us at info@pilgrimagesaotearoa.nz
Then in order to secure a place you will need to choose accommodation that best suits you and secure it via reception at Vaughan Park Retreat Centre using the reference “pilgrimages “ see https://www.vaughanpark.org.nz/
email admin@vaughanpark.org.nz or ph 094732600
Be sure to ask for accommodation overnight for Saturday 5th April, dinner that night and a continental or other breakfast in the morning on Sunday 6th April 2025.
This website is designed to encourage pilgrimage and provide people with some ideas for creating their own. Contact us if you’d like more information or to share pilgrimage ideas of your own.
What to Expect
A Guided Journey
Our pilgrimages are led by experienced walkers who know the terrain. and have made a commitment to doing the reconnaisance necessary to keep people safe.
It is a led walk, so you can put aside the worries of finding your way or keeping the time and concentrate on the moment that is right in front of you.
Food and Friendship
The spaciousness of walking and talking allows for new friendships to develop through deeper conversations and shared experiences. It is also a great pleasure to prepare and share a good meal together after a day of physical exertion.
Planning and friendships can begin on a pre-pilgrimage zoom meeting or an email conversation, At the beginnings of the walk there is always a space made for introductions and whakawhanaungatanga.
Who Can Come?
Anybody with a moderate to advanced level of fitness who is able to cope with the physical demands of the walk. Pilgrimage is an inclusive spiritual practice – open to anyone who wants to walk to connect with themselves, the land, other people. The spiritual dimension of life - our soul terrain - often emerges in a natural, organic way as we walk and talk together. You are free to simply be yourself.
Landscapes
The landscapes vary; sometimes beautiful, sometimes rugged, sometimes surpising. The variety of terrain is all part of pilgrimage as is the weather!
We use the Te Araroa Trail wherever possible as it is a generously available trail that runs the whole length of New Zealand from Cape Reinga to the Bluff.
Costs
We are are a not-for-profit and the leaders are volunteers. There are costs for accommodation and koha for mana whenua speakers, as well as some operational costs. Costs are kept as low as possible per pilgrimage. BYO lunch and breakfast. We prepare and share dinners together.
Mana Whenua
We invite you to be curious about the people who belong to the land we are exploring. As we walk we become more aware of the stories of the land and the mana whenua who have inhabited it. We make every effort to have local people share with us some of their stories of the land they call home.
