Arataki Visitor Centre - Slip Track - Pipeline Track - Hamilton Track - Nihotupu Dam - Incline Track (!) - Scenic Drive

Date: 29 May 2015
Party: Anna, Elizabeth, Lesley
Map: NZ Tramper; (includes the Summit walk, which we didn't do)
Distance: 17 km; An In and Out track with an unintended loop
Elevation: Not sure
Time: 4.5 hours
Notes: Started the day remembering the value of preparing the night before, as shorts, hat and gloves had vanished. A Friday Special in terms of weather, although it was colder than usual, and we saw plenty of steam rising off the bush and dam as the sun rose higher. Hunters must have been in the area - we saw a couple of pig dogs with gps antenna, and one unexpectedly and silently followed us, only being discovered when he butted the back of my boot! We gave way to him on the track and he calmly trotted off to butt a piggy trotter instead. A pretty walk, with some massive kauri, a wonderful kauri glade, and great views in several directions. Had a muddy slip on Slip track (bloodied knee), and had a slip of another kind when we confused Pipeline and Incline Tracks on the way back, Incline track being appropriately named. It was only as we struggled past a monster kauri that we realised we hadn't seen it on the way in...oops. It was also decided that we need a Paul Henry segment on each of our trips, given one of our party's over-assertive condemnation of him as a dick. The dam was gorgeous - no wind, perfect blue sky, ducks, steam, rushes - a very peaceful place. Due to our unexpected incline up Incline, we had to return to the Arataki Centre via Scenic Drive, which we have discovered is dangerously busier than you might expect - we try and avoid it whenever we can.

Upper Kauri - Smyth Ridge - Wainamu - Long - Cascades car park.

I can't believe we went without Lesley!  But she had a princess to deliver to a ball, so Elizabeth and I stepped out on our own, on a route that was a mix of the familiar and the new.  We managed to cover a section of the Hillary Trail which we had not done before, which is unusual.  I thought we had just about got that wrapped. It took us 3.45 hours,but we were pretty focused.  Up the Heritage walk to Smyth Ridge Track, back along Wainamu, then down the Long Rd Track where we went so horribly wrong with Vivienne. No rain, lots of mud, but we covered the Wainamu Track which is signposted as 2 hours in less than one.  I inadvertently switched the GPS off, so our track record is a bit dodgy.  Elizabeth had a great sandwich; spinach, salami and maybe capsicum? Mine was a couple of defrosted cheese pizza thingies from the middle Eastern place at Pakuranga.   Delicious but not the same level of anticipation.