Anna's Lucky Loop

Date: 29 November 2013

Party:  Lesley, Elizabeth, Anna and Vivienne


Map and elevation:

Tracks:  Whatitiri, Long Road, Fence Line, Auckland City Walk

Distance: 13.5km.

There were omens - Anna chose a white teeshirt for the day, her pack fell out of the car in the car park into a muddy puddle, then rolled over in that puddle.  We had a guest walker.  In retrospect it was obviously the day something was going to go wrong...

But it was all good.  Elizabeth's Epirb had its first outing in her back pack and remained untouched.  Anna's iPhone tracked our every step and we were never lost, just off piste for a bit.  As it turned out the pink markers we were following marked bait traps, not the track.  After scrambling up and down slippery banks and bush whacking through valleys of parataniwha [thank you Lesley for identification] Vivienne was heard to remark that her Annapurna trek was a doddle.  Elizabeth made the wise call to back track and reluctantly we undid all our hard work and some long way back re-connected with the proper track.  I blame the beautifully mown path that misled us all the way to the start of the pink markers.

Having set out again on the right course we deviated from the original plan and followed the Montana Heritage track out to the Waitakere Reservoir and back along Fence Line track, a route which we knew would be both well marked and very scenic.  At least when asked how she enjoyed the tramp Vivienne could say that the Kauri were spectacular.  We came home via the rocky road at the Swanson Railway Station Cafe.

Very sore thighs the next day.

Time: 5 hours, including lunch on the conveniently situated seat overlooking the reservoir.



Ducks in a car park puddle.