We are up early, my new rucksack already packed, and soon heading off in our new convertible black MX5 to meet Jen and Dean in Highcliffe.

It’s a two and a half hour journey but we see very little traffic.. Park up and enjoy the stunning views and amazing apple strudel in the Cliffhanger café. The view looking back across the sandy beach towards Barton on Sea reminds us of where we walked last summer – where has the last five months gone?

Nigel and Dean deposit a car in Southbourne then we start our walk along the cliff top towards Bournemouth. It’s a very hazy, grey day – the needles of the Isle of Wight are just visible behind us along with the sticky out spit of Hurst Castle.

The cliff walkway meanders through pine trees and gorse before emerging onto a sandy beach, the waves rolling in and several walkers braving the cold winter wind. As the sand slowly turns to pebbles we arrive into Mudeford, a little beach resort on the edge of the much larger town of Christchurch. We walk on the promenade to avoid clambering over groynes and admire the beach huts – these have a little decking area which niftily folds up to protect the hut and provide extra security when not in use.

There are some stunning pine trees behind the huts as we walk along Avon beach marvelling at the rather energetic kite surfers and bizarrely a couple of swans in the sea! The beach gives way to a fishing quay covered in lobster pots, floats, flags and other fishing paraphernalia and our destination – the Mudeford Ferry. The ferry boat, which runs every 15minutes at weekends in the winter, takes us and another family across the mouth of Christchurch harbour to Mudeford Sandbanks.

Mudeford sandbanks is a delightful laid-back strip of land with the sea to one side and the harbour the other. Cute little beach huts, many of which look like they have overnight accommodation straddle the unspoilt beach and Black House, a former smugglers house, which has been converted to holiday apartments. We take a break at the Beach House cafe for lunch, fellow diners recommend returning in the summer when this is a highly rated seafood restaurant.

Suitably refreshed we follow the pathway which soon leaves the beach and raises over Hengistbury Head. The well-made, busy pathway, varying from concrete to wooden decking, goes through an almost moor like area with a golf club to our right and the many delights of the city of Bournemouth ahead.

By now the sea is rolling in fast as the view is slowly diminishing, and we are getting tired. Thankfully the car is parked not too far along the Southbourne seafront.