About 21 people, 19 beagles, and one parrot met for this easy new walk along Balmoral Beach. The group included some new members (a very warm welcome to you), some latecomers who saw us disappearing at the start but who managed to catch up, the Walks Coordinator's brother, Peter, and a couple who had a little one in a pram. The youngest beagle was Banjo, 3 months, a new walker. The oldest was Gypsy, 13 years, an experienced walker. The parrot sat on a shoulder during the walk and was no trouble at all - very quiet. This was one of our more varied groups.
It was pleasant weather when we started the walk in the morning. Overcast, warm, and humid, with a refreshing breeze. However, by the time we finished at noon, it was hot - a good time to stop and rest.
We walked down a short steep track to Balmoral Park and around the park. Here we found out that dogs were not allowed in the park or on the cycle way. Next time, we’ll walk on the outskirts of the park. It's sometimes tricky knowing exactly where dogs can and can't go - there are so many council restrictions and signs.
The next part of the walk was a gentle wander along the waterfront. It was very crowded but our large group of beagles was pretty noticeable. There were many comments about hunts, drugs, rabbits, the Beagles Day Out, was it a club outing, how they all look alike, beagle power, and so on. One nice thing about beagles is that they are so friendly, they are a very good dog for young children to pat and socialise with - and there were plenty of young children. We had to watch the beagles as we passed people with food because they do like to jump up and check out what people are eating.
At the half-way point, we stopped at the Pavillion for a rest, chat, snack, and drink. Many of us bought a coffee and had a pleasant time looking around, enjoying the view, and talking about favourite topic - beagles and their quirks. You learn a lot about beagles on these walks! What they do, and what they don't.
We walked back to Balmoral Baths and then turned into Botanic Rd. Here we left the road and followed an old disused tram track for a short distance before popping out onto another road. From here, it was a short walk back to our starting point for a welcome rest. This was a very enjoyable walk, one we'll certainly do again.