25th July 2009: Waitakere Ranges Walking

Things have quietened down a bit since Sophie left - we had been trying to squeeze as much as we could into her last weekends here, and I haven't had much planned since. I did manage another sail at Panmure Lagoon Sailing Club last weekend, but it wasn't much to write about.

With Ken now back on the CHP NZ team, things were bound to get busy again. This Saturday I was supposed to be having another kite-surfing lesson, but the day dawned calm so that was abandoned. Instead, Ken and I headed to Cascade Kauri in the Waitakere Ranges for bit of a walk.

Sophie and I have been here before - there are some excellent stands of mature Kauri in the area and I wanted to see some more of them. From the car park, we took the Lower Kauri Track ("for experienced trampers only"!) which had some entertainingly muddy and steep sections. We then went north to take the Whatitiri track back to the car park, which crosses some grassy fields offering, unusually for the Waitaks, a open view.

Somewhere around then we lost the track. This doesn't happen often in NZ - they're normally very clearly marked. I suspect it was when Ken went to 'play' with a flock of pukekos. We'd been wandering around for a while, and were just discussing how to make a tent out of fern leaves, and wondering what pukoko would be like for dinner, when we found the track again and our fun was spoilt.

We saw quite a few birds in that area: pukekos, fantails, red-crested parakeets, a wood pigeon, an NZ robin and plenty of tui. Not a bad haul. It's interesting how this year in NZ has turned me into a little bit of a twitcher. Only a bit though!

1st June 2009: Montana Heritage Trail

It was the Queen's birthday bank holiday in NZ, so in amongst some wedding planning we did another trip out to the Waitakere ranges, 45 mins west of Auckland. This time, we headed to the northern end of the park to walk the Montana Heritage Trail, a track through the bush sponsored by Montana Wines who used to be based nearby.

We extended the walk a little to take in the Waitakere tramline. This line was orginally built for the construction of the nearby dam, but now occasionally takes passengers. It wasn't running when we were there but you can just walk along the track instead. It has an unusual railway station at Picnic Flats, a somewhat incongrous area of neatly trimmed grass in the middle of the rainforest.

A novel aqueduct, taking a stream over the tramway

On the way back, we passed along the Upper Kauri track, which has some of the best stands of mature kauri trees we've seen. It some parts you are surrounded by trunks over a metre thick, rising up like towers above you. One of the trees was wider than my arms streched out, around 2 metres across (photo). Much of this part of NZ would have been like this - before it was all logged early last century.

Sophie gives some scale to the kauris

More photos of big trees here.

10th May 2009: Surfing at Muriwai Beach

Mel and Dom returned to Auckland for the last few days of their holiday in NZ, so we spent the weekend with them.

Our travellers had tried surfing at Raglan on their first full day in the country and wanted another attempt. I hadn't managed to try surfing at all yet, despite it being a bit of a kiwi national sport, so I tagged along too. We headed out to Muriwai with two of my accomplished surfer-dude colleagues: James and Ken.

It seems to me that surfing is about spending a lot of time and effort battling out through waves, to be launched briefly back towards the beach. If it goes well you get a short bit of speed and exhiliration, otherwise you seem to drink a lot of seawater. Mostly, it goes badly.

I actually managed to stand up quite a few times (I surfed!) and it was good fun. I might go again!

After the surfing we flew the power kite for a while in the strong breeze, though still not strong enough for blokarts, annoyingly. Sophie's now fixed the kite twice, after we smashed it into the ground during some over-excited and under-skilled flying.

We finished off the day with some large and very delicious steaks at The Jervois Steak House, our favourite restaurant in Auckland. A good end to Mel and Dom's trip, I hope.

20th December 2008: Bethells Beach

Sophie's friend and ex-colleague Lucy was in town for a few days, so we headed back out to the Waitakeres for the afternoon. This time we drove to Bethells Beach, north of Karekare and Piha.

The surf on these western beaches is always impressive, and today especially so since it had been windy. We strolled north over the warm black dunes and sat playing in the sand for a while. (Tim built a pyramid and a camel. -- Sophie)

Tomorrow we're off to the South Island for two weeks. Christmas in a camper van this year...

16th November 2008: Piha & Karekare

Took a load of CHPers to the Waitakeres to see Piha and Karekare beaches. Both were riddled with surfers; good weather, and high season, seem to have started in earnest the past couple of weeks. I never previously realised how much surfing requires you to be able to dodge other surfers in the water - a bit like skiing on a busy slope.

We wandered up Lion Rock at Piha, then drove round to Karekare and took the Zion Hill Track over to Pararaha Stream. Back to Karekare along the beach. Took around 3 hours, much quicker than our last walk in the area, because the rain had let up for enough days that there were no mud-bath sections on the track. A bit of paddling to round off the walk was lovely on a warm day.

20th September 2008: Canyoning in the Waitakeres

Went "canyoning" down the Cowan Stream in the Waitakere Ranges. This involved jumping, sliding and abseiling down rocky waterfalls into large pools. Huge amounts of fun, and quite an adrenaline rush: some of the jumps were pretty big. The company we went with, canyonz, refer to this as the Blue Canyon. The guide was a total dude, about the best fit for the word you can imagine. He kept telling us to be careful walking in the river or we'd break our [cue laid-back surf-style voice] leeegs.

The trip was organised by John M and Sophie R, and we were joined by Claire P and Graham. And three amusing Germans.

One of the pools on the way down had a large tame eel in it called Albert. He seemed to enjoy ham from the sandwiches, and made a good attempt on the dude's shoes.

Canyonz also do a trip to the Billy Goat falls in the Kauaeranga valley. One to do later in the year perhaps, although Soph isn't so sure!

30th - 31st August: Waitakere Ranges walk via Whatipu

Walked from Mount Donald McLean to Whatipu and back, staying overnight at Whatipu Lodge. Weekend was forecast for no rain so we thought we should take advantage. But set out in drizzle and cloud just the same - luckily it did clear up later.

Took Donald McLean track north from the carpark, diversion via Bob Gordon track to see the site of an old kauri dam (no traces of the dam to be seen), then followed the Walker Ridge track and Gibbons track to Whatipu. 4 hours, mostly in bush until we got towards the end of the Gibbons track, when we were rewarded with some lovely vistas of forest, beaches and Tasman Sea. Much slipping and sliding on some hard pale brown surface - a bit like mud halfway to becoming rock.

Whatipu Lodge was really special (photos here - the red-roofed white buildings are the lodge). Facilities were a bit like a backcountry hut (bring your own bedding, food and a torch) but atmosphere very different. It is an old homestead with pretty bedrooms, old furniture and lamp shades, plates decorating the kitchen walls, and a full-sized snooker table. Someone was having a 70th birthday party there. This time we had toted a bottle of wine in and were glad of it. We will definitely go back, probably walking from Karekare next time (one way through the forest, one way along the beach).

Back to the car along Omanawanui track, a series of peaks beside the sea. Views fabulous, taking in hills, beaches, sea and the enormous Manukau harbour. Best view Tim has seen since Ben Lomond on a really clear day last April. Also lots of young kauri trees. 3 hours. We'd love to go back with a few friends.

Kura track also looks fun. We're told the Whatipu end can be so wet as to be impassable, so best to start it from that end.

4th - 15th July 2008 - around Auckland

Sophie arrived 4th July.

5th July - ferry to Waiheke Island with Steve Saxon. Went for a short wander & a beer overlooking Oneroa Bay.
Lovely peaceful bay. Must go back and spend longer, walking and/or wineries.

6th July - ferry to Devonport with Steve Saxon. Tea in a lovely tea shop on left side of Victoria Road, with conservatory & jazz-themed room at the back. Climbed Mt. Victoria.
Pretty village-like feel with older, more pleasing buildings. Must go back for a longer walk around the place, though suspect we saw about half of it in 45 mins.

12th July - day sail on Spirit of New Zealand tall ship (http://www.spiritofadventure.org.nz/). $60 each, well worth it. Sailed round Rangitoto & Motutapu, came home through a yacht race.

13th July - drove to Waitakere Ranges park. Saw Piha & Karekare beaches, an hour from Auckland.
Beaches beautiful - must go back to Piha for picnic & surfer-watching when the weather is warmer.
Walked Zion Hill Track, Buck Taylor Track, Zion Ridge Track from Karekare - all forested with occasional stunning views. 3 hours round trip.
More walks in Waitakere Ranges definitely worth doing.