Lone Kauri Road - Buck Taylor Track - Pararaha Valley - Muir Track - Walker Ridge - Orange Peel Corner - Odlin Timber Track - Lone Kauri Road

Date: December 4, 2015

Party: Anna, Elizabeth, Lesley

Map: http://trampaddicts.weebly.com/buck-taylor-odlins.html

Distance: 10.5 km

Elevation: 370m

Time: 4 hours

Notes: Before we all head off our separate ways over Christmas, we thought a nice green walk in the Waitakeres was called for. We have done this walk before and on reflection it would be even better in reverse - coming out via the Pararaha Valley which is the best half of the walk. It would also mean that you don't have a mighty long uphill at the end on Odlins. One of the pleasures of walking a track more than once is the little rituals you develop and the anticipation of certain areas. The Valley is a good example: we check out the bulrushes; we look at how high the water is in relation to the boardwalk; we remember testing Anna's Tararua biscuit recipe with Debra Lockie, sitting on the boardwalk having a snack; we never fail to be excited to see the valley laid out in front of us; we take our boots and socks off to cross THAT stream - which has been high, low and frostily cold but always refreshing; we stop at the shelter for morning tea (or we move on if there are DOC staff cutting the grass, or a gaggle of students); we know there is a chain railing embedded in the rock further up from the shelter and that there is a stunning view at the top of this where we say again that we MUST walk up the valley to the waterfall one day - on a hot day, mind, maybe in February? - and we file that away. Somewhere in the middle of this circuit is the 'nest of vipers' too - a low point that is gloomy, wet, muddy and full of viperous tree roots and a tangle of hanging 'scribbles'. We recognise the little camping area by the stream. We notice, this time, the kanuka in absolute full luminous snowy bloom, and that the cabbage trees this year are extra-ordinary too (even the wee ones have flowered competitively this year). "Put that in the blog so we remember when they flower". The same track can surprise, too. We had sat down for second-lunch by the Pararaha Stream, eating an eccentric mix of antibiotics, cold potatoes and macaroni cheese, when three strapping chaps splashed into view from down-river. They had followed the river from the beach, swimming and climbing over rocks to this point, where they hopped out and ran up the Odlin stairs back to their car. We stopped them long enough to find out how they had done it, whether three only slightly middle-aged women could do it and how long it had taken them. When we saw them sprint off up Odlin we revised their suggested one and a half hours to more like three. They swam quite a bit of it and wore trainers, not boots, and we decided that we would have to attempt it ourselves this summer. Yup. I will be over my phobia of water by then, my therapist says so.

Mary Oliver

I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
With your one wild and precious life?

From 'The summer day'
New and Selected Poems, 1992

Mairangi Bay - Long Bay - Mairangi Bay

Date: November 20, 2015
Party: Anna, Lesley
Map: http://www.northshorecity.govt.nz/Coatal_walks/PDFs/Te_Araroa_walkway_map.pdf
Distance: 16.5 k
Elevation: Minimal
Time: 3.5 hours, including lunch at La Tropezienne
Notes: We walked some of this track to Torbay in July last year, but having set ourselves the task of walking further on to Long Bay some weeks ago, we decided we should ignore the rain and just do it. Most of it was easy walking, although there seemed to be a lot more hills on the return trip. We really loved the well-kept-secret of Waiake Beach, the magnificent coastal views, the flowering flax and cabbage trees, the lovely little baches and the designer gardens. We came across a beautiful ground cover - grevillea fanfare - and were sprung by the owners taking photos of it. They looked amused. The tide was low when we left, so we were able to walk along the concreted beach trail, but as the tide was coming in by the time we returned, we took the higher route. We incorporated a little shopping into this trip, stopping on the way home at Tee Total to enjoy their new store and stock up on Christmas presents. Oh and then we may have gone to farro. Just for some essentials. 

The Timber Trail - Toi Toi Track - Mt Pureora - Link Track - Hitchhike!

Date: 13-15 November 2015
Party: Anna, Lesley and the Timber Trail cyclists - Elizabeth, Peter, Chris, Andrea, Alice, Marion, Neil
Map:

 

















Distance: 15 km
Elevation: 1150

Time: 4 hours
Notes: A couple of months ago, Elizabeth mentioned that she and some others were cycling the Timber Trail in the King Country, and Anna and I wondered if we could walk it while they rode it. The actual Trail is 80+ ks so we were not going to be able to walk the whole lot, but thought we could perhaps do some of it, or even a track close by. Anna needed to put old demons to rest in relation to this Trail, having spilled blood on it when it first opened. Elizabeth checked to see if there was accommodation still available at Blackfern Lodge's Forge, and prestochangeo we were booked in. Half of the group (us) drove down on Friday morning and stole the best beds in what turned out to be one of the most quirky lodges in New Zealand! There was a stroll to the waterfall, to see if we could see any whio or trout, and then a delicious meal Anna had whipped up beforehand...she had even thought to bring napkins and tealights...very sophisticated. Four other people arrived quite late to share the Lodge with us - one of whom knew Neil (there is no escape). Up bright and early, we left the cyclists to organise themselves onto the shuttle van, as we took off to find Link Road and the start of our track. Hilariously, we spotted the cyclists at the start of the Timber Trail, were excited to see them, so parked the car, got ready, took a few photos of the group and set out - completely forgetting we were doing another track! The Timber Trail is well marked and really lovely. It was very cold (there had been a frost the morning before), but there was bird-song-galore and it was easy walking. We had been told that there were at least 6k of steep uphill, but it was pretty slow and steady elevation. We broke through the bush into an area of felled trees, which was not particularly appealing, and we were worried that we might not be able to find and connect to a track that would take us to the top of the mountain. The day was mostly sunny, and we were keen to see the view from the top. At the 10.7k mark we came across a signpost to Toi Toi track and the summit - yay- so off we set up the side of the mountain. The terrain was much rougher, and steeper, but the DOC sign said the summit was only 40 minutes away, so we toiled on. Funny how the vegetation changes as you get closer to the summit, and there were signs of pigs too. Eventually we popped out onto the alpine top, then had a frustrating 10 more minutes of being able to see the trig...but not being as close as we had thought. Always the way. Finally there, we enjoyed about 20 minutes of very chilly, windy weather, while we took in the 360 degree view of Lake Taupo, Ruapehu and the great swathes of Pureora Forest. We had hoped to see Mt Taranaki, but it was a little hazy on the skyline. Next time maybe. Having felt like the most isolated spot in the world, we were taken by surprise when a lone lady strolled up just after us (more of her later). We took Link Track down - it has great boardwalks from the summit - and fabulously mossy matai and totara next to the track. We had lunch at the end of the track, contemplating the problem we now had of getting back to the car, inconveniently parked 15k away. A Classic Kiwi Bloke pulled up in his ute, and we shamelessly pitched for a lift back to the start of the Trail. He, however was about to take his grandson up the mountain, so we held out for Lone Lady...who finally emerged onto the road. We happily got into the MP for Hamilton West's Tim Macindoe's car and tootled off to the car park down the long, gravelled, dusty, hot road that we would have had to walk, grateful as. We made a compulsory stop in Bennydale to have a coffee at this place, and the ladies there were delightful, and the coffee that I didn't spill over my lap was good. They let us use their wifi, which turned out to be a mistake, as this had just happened, and that was pretty shocking.

Butterfly? Moth?

Teepee puzzle

Day Two:
Ah yes, Day Two. The skies has opened, as predicted, and the rain came down. The cyclists opted not to head out to do the second half of the Trail, but we intrepid walkers decided a quick trip around a handy track would be good exercise, and sallied forth. All was well until there was a 'ping'. A message had appeared on Anna's new-fangled-European-veeehicle saying that we had low pressure in our right rear tyre. Visions of being stuck on a gravel track, with no phone reception, in the rain, changing a tyre. Hmm not quite what we had planned for the day. Erring on the side of caution, we headed to Te Kuiti and filled the tyre with air, which seemed to fix the immediate problem, but we decided not to risk a total puncture and headed back to Auckland. (We were busted at Bosco's by some of the cyclists, who looked a bit skeptical of our story!) So we have unfinished business in the Pureora Forest... 

Huia Ridge Track, or Orchid Central

Date: 30 October 2015
Party: Anna, Elizabeth, Lesley
Map: 

Distance: ?
Elevation: Well something was lifted, if that's what you mean...
Time: ? can't remember now - 3 hours 20?
Notes: This was an in-and-out in our quest to walk all of the tracks in the Waitakeres, and was the other end of a track we have done before. Again we were astonished by how different the route looked on the return trip, and flummoxed as to how we had missed the ABUNDANT orchids growing on the side of the track! And the fabulous fungi. We concluded that on the inbound trip we tend to look at the big picture, and off into the distance, and on the outbound leg we focus more on what's beneath our feet. 

Montana Heritage Trail with a Bit Extra

Date: 23 October 2015
Party: Anne, Elizabeth, Lesley
Map: 

Distance:
Elevation:
Time:
Notes:

twenty-seven names and Rosemary

This is the current window display in Smith & Caughey's in town. Rosemary was rushing to dinner with Anna on Friday night and spotted this on her way, describing the dress on the right as the "dress I have been waiting for all my life". She was determined to go back after the evening's entertainment ('Tosca') for a closer inspection, and gathered the party to her cause. Yes, they decided, a gorgeous dress...but there was something not quite right... Indeed. All of these dresses are made of icing by Sweet Bites Cakes. There's a story here about Rosemary, food and fashion colliding...

End of Christian Road Carpark - Swanson Pipeline Track - Peripatus Track - Anderson Track - Auckland City Walk (briefly) - Fenceline Track - Waitakere Tramline Track - West Tunnel Mouth Track – Anderson Track – East Tunnel Mouth Track – Carpark

Date: 25 September 2015
Party: Anna, Princess Elizabeth, Lesley
Map: http://nztramper.com/peripatus-anderson-fence-line-waitakere-tramline-tracks-loop/
Distance: 10.95
Elevation: up to about 280m and down to about 60m

Time: 4 hours
Notes: This was one of those walks where you are minding you own business and you see the weirdest things.

• We fell over the Waitakere? Swanson? Filtering Station at the end of Christian Road. Who knew? Lovely chaps directed us to the car park.

• Parked the car and got out to an indescribably bad smell, which we can only attribute to the emus. Or a dead body. Either way, don't bring one home with you.
• How does a track get to be called the Peripatus Track? Please explain, Peri.
• Now we know how homeless people keep their belongings safe - they use ropes to pull their gear up into huge trees. They also like to hide their rubbish at your favourite lunch spot.
• Why did the house up the road from the Filtering Station have a convention of doll's heads impaled on the fence? Possibly more disturbing was the 'Staff Entry Only' sign.
• There are more than 400 steps up Fenceline Track, if you are heading in the direction of the Waitakere Tramline Track. That's quite a lot. It was funnier the last time we did it in the other direction.
• There are two tunnels in this circuit - we love tunnels and buying special torches to light our way. They were a bit short to really test our range of technical lighting equipment.
• What is the point of a sign that says children should be supervised by an adult in an area where the only thing stopping them from falling over a waterfall 100 metres high is a three-string wire fence?!
• Kowhai are not in blossom in September. Dammit. Dammit.

Taranaki Tale

Date: 17 September 2015 - 20 September 2015
Party: Anna, Elizabeth, Lesley
Map: http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/waikato/places/waitomo-area/tracks/ruakuri-walk/; http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/parks-and-recreation/tracks-and-walks/wanganui/north-egmont-brochure-and-map.pdf; http://www.newplymouthnz.com/OurDistrict/Maps/CoastalWalkwayMap.htm

Distance:13.7 km





















Elevation: 1330m from approx. 910m and down to 650m




















Time: 5.75 hours

Notes: We set off from Auckland promptly at 4 o'clock (timeliness was something of a theme as we had a fabulous Itinerary to marshal our hours) and beat the traffic to the best little Top 10 Holiday Park in Waitomo! Cute, clean, with a Welcome Back Anna! note taped to the sliding door, we thought our wee space was just right - a bunk room in one tiny room, and a double bed in the lounge, with a teeny tiny kitchenette and bathroom. Meticulously well-kept units. The promised rain set in, but we were happy to wander the 100 meters or so to our first foodie stop - HuHu Cafe. We had expected to be the only ones there and were somewhat stunned mullet to find the place brimming with families and slightly harassed staff. The food was really good - crispy pork and lamb shoulder, delicious.

Up the next morning at some ungodly hour and off to do the Ruakuri Walk, which is a pretty simple loop through some collapsed caves, and is stunning. The scenery is really lush, the caves dramatic, and there is plenty of information along the way about limestone caves and acidic water. The limestone looks like brick and is in such definite layers it's hard to believe it's natural. Mostly boardwalks, and lots of lovely steps. We extended the walk out along part of the Waitomo Walkway, but it was very muddy and wet, bordering farmland in general, and we decided there were more exciting times to be had in New Plymouth. We had some great stops on the way to NP. Te Kuiti wasn't one of them. Pio Pio was a revelation, and some of the hardcore shoppers found a second-hand shop (a Royal Family Jigsaw being the absolute highlight, although a childhood Bible may have been runner-up). Shoppers were reluctantly dragged back to the car. We were looking forward to another foodie stop in Mokau (whitebait) and were amazed by the number of shacks lining the river, with nets and equipment. Every 50-100 metres or so, a shed. Mokau's whitebait could be eaten in an omelette, a fritter or a sandwich, so we each ordered a different meal. Strangely, they all looked pretty much the same and were all absolutely delicious. One of us had directional trouble and found herself in the staff toilets, not the public toilets, but...whatever. Got to our swanky pad at the Quest in New Plymouth and made ourselves at home.

Then we 'explored the city' (went shopping). A jigsaw may have been commenced, wine and nibbles consumed, DOC contacted, gear made ready. Reservations at certain restaurants dishonoured. Alternative restaurant fare enjoyed.

Breakfast on Saturday was at 0730, before we made a quick trip to The Federal Store for some lunch to eat on the track. We loved the look of the food (and later the taste), but found the cabinet food outrageously pricey. $9 for a filled roll/quiche?! We overcame our outrage, decided NOT to go there for breakfast in the morning and headed off to the Taranaki/Egmont National Park Visitor Centre to make sure the track was passable and declare our intentions. DOC has changed their policy on intentions - we were not able to record any information about our plans at the Centre, although they made sure to advise us to notify someone else, which we duly did. Not sure at what stage Tony would have decided we were missing, but I guess someone would have wondered about our car in the carpark when they came to work the next day! The weather was cloudy, but off we set. This would have to be one of the most memorable and gorgeous walks ever. So much to see, especially in the first half of the walk where the lichen, limestone bluffs, boulders, slip, and vegetation are just breathtaking and beautiful. The weather stayed misty, with the odd shower and occasional sunshine making the walk really atmospheric. We glimpsed Mt Taranaki peering through the clouds and that was satisfying. We consider ourselves to have been incredibly lucky to have experienced this place. 

Limestone Bluffs

Designer slopes

Anna, Track, Slip

Elizabeth walks the Boomerang Slip

Salted caramel tart

From the swing bridge

Social Kitchen for dinner. Mmmm, good without being a show-stopper.

The next day we woke up to the promised torrential rain, and decided what-the-hell let's do the Coastal Walkway anyway. 10kms in 1 hour 50 minutes, and a drench rating of 100%. Very west coast 'beaches' and surf, and haven't they done a magnificent job of this walkway! And the Te Rewa Rewa Bridge! The Len Lye Wind Wand! that bends and twists in the wind is outstanding as an icon and as a piece of sculpture. 

After a shower and check-out we were looking forward to seeing more of Len Lye in the new Gallery, and WOW were we impressed, inside and out.

Brunch at Monica's Eatery afterwards. Sardines. They asked me to put their photo in here.