Whatipu circuit - Donald McLean Track - Karamatura Forks - Huia Ridge Track - Walker Ridge Track - Orange Peel Corner - Walker Ridge Track (cont.) - Gibbons Track - Omananui Track - Puriri Ridge Track - Mt Donald McLean Car Park

Date: 12 February 2016
Party: Anna, Lesley
Map: http://trampaddicts.weebly.com/whatipu-circuit.html


Distance: Nearly 15km
Elevation:


Time: 5 hours 20 mins
Notes: From the start at Mt Donald McLean car-park this had the makings of an interesting tramp. We pulled our car in behind a wee suzuki, whose driver was the most ancient man we have seen out in the Waitakeres. He must have been at least 80, with a dodgy old-school pack, a stick, rheumy eyes and a hat a Boy Scout would have been proud of. As we got ourselves organised, he mumbled something then trundled off down the road. We hit the track, and discovered him at the first junction, where he mumbled some more and headed in the opposite direction to us. Well, we collectively thought, glad I am not going in the same direction as him/them! (More of him later...).This is a pretty straight forward tramp (initially) with signs at regular intervals and well-groomed tracks. There are some totally amazing views from Gibbons and Omananui Tracks out across the harbour, where you can see the confluence of harbour/sea and the sand bars which make this a very tricky stretch of water to navigate. The colours on this incredibly hot day were New Zealand classics, with the sharp blue sky and the peacock blues and turquoises of the water. The toi toi and pampas grasses were out (see Anna's photo) - it could not have been a more perfect day.

You can see on the elevation map that there is a significant downhill stretch, followed by two peaks. The Gibbons Track goes downhill to meet the lodge/camping area at Whatipu (where we saw a few campers and enjoyed a toilet break), then if you scan the way forward, and chance to look up, you see the trig. We have been here before, and know that there is a nice bench on the first peak, before you descend and then ascend again to the trig. It looks exposed and hot. But we've done it before, right? It's too hot for me. We hit the bench peak and have a drink and admire the ever-expanding view, then down-up on the way to the trig. I have to stop about 3/4 of the way to the trig, feeling buggered. We have to progress in 10 step increments. We are almost at the top when we spot...80-year-old-man. Coming down from the trig. He has gone in the opposite direction to us, has summited, and is now on the way to WALK THE REST OF THE TRAMP, and reckons he will be out about 6 pm. He has not even broken a sweat, and chats with Anna while I decide if I need to throw up or faint. Under the trig is too cramped for shade (we tried though) so we descend a bit, and eat some lunch. Munching happily on our sandwiches, we are surprised by a group of four, one with a go-pro attached to the centre of his chest. (What? Damn why didn't we think of that?!) The rest of the tramp seems lengthy (as things do when you are buggered) and we are disproportionately happy when the car park and beloved car finally appear. Love you, Golf GTi. We repair (literally) to the Huia Cafe and some light refreshments, and watch jealously as a stream of locals buy double-decker, freezing cold, melt-all-over-your-hands icecreams. We are slightly consoled by the fact that every one of them has a little extra padding...

Pampas grass

Heading up to the trig, 'bench' peak in background. Trying not to pass out in the heat.

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.