Auckland Natural History Walking Club
Established 1925
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Walks
    • Upcoming Walks
    • Safety/Weather Report
  • How to Book
    • Bookings
    • Payment
    • Bus Stops & Timetable
  • Trip Reports
    • April-May 2025
    • February-March 2025
    • November-December 2024
    • September-October 2024
    • July-August 2024
    • May-June 2024
    • March-April 2024
    • January-February 2024
    • December 2023
    • October - November 2023
    • August-September 2023
    • June-July 2023
    • April-May 2023
    • February-March 2023
    • November - December 2022
    • September-October 2022
    • July-August 2022
    • May-June 2022
    • March - April 2022
    • January-February 2022
    • August - September 2021
    • June-July 2021
    • April-May 2021
    • OHAKUNE: March 2021
    • February 2021
    • December 2020
    • NEW PLYMOUTH : October 2020 >
      • January - February 2017
    • October-November 2020
    • August-September 2020
    • June-July 2020
    • ROTORUA - March 2020
    • February-March 2020
    • December 2019
    • Chatham Islands - November 2019
    • October-November 2019
    • August - September 2019
    • June - July 2019
    • Easter 2019 - Te Aroha
    • April - May 2019
    • February - March 2019
    • November-December 2018
    • Labour Weekend 2018 - Waitomo
    • September - October 2018
    • July - August 2018
    • May - June 2018
    • EASTER 2018 - ONEMANA
    • March - April 2018
    • January - February 2018
    • November - December 2017
    • Labour Weekend 2017 - Dargaville
    • September - October 2017
    • July - August 2017
    • May - June 2017
    • Easter 2017 - Turangi
    • March - April 2017
    • November - December 2016
    • Labour Weekend 2016
    • September - October 2016
    • July - August 2016
    • May - June 2016
    • April 2016
    • March 2016 including Easter
    • January - February 2016
    • November - December 2015
    • September-October 2015
    • July - August 2015
    • Ninetieth Anniversary Celebration
    • June 2015
    • April - May 2015
    • Great Barrier Island - Easter 2015
    • March 2015
    • January - February 2015
    • November - December 2014
    • Labour Weekend 2014 - Waikato
    • September - October 2014
    • July - August 2014
    • May - June 2014
    • March - April 2014
    • January-February 2014
    • December 2013
    • October - November 2013
    • August - September 2013
    • June - July 2013
    • April - May 2013
    • Easter Weekend 2013
    • February- March 2013
  • Join Us
  • Contact Us
  • Photo Gallery
  • News Items
  • Tree Walk
  • Kauri Dieback


​


​EASTER 2018 - ONEMANA
​
Saturday 31 March – Tuesday 3 April
​



Picture

Destination
Our destination this year was the eastern side of the Coromandel Peninsula, stretching from Whitianga (in the north) to Sapphire Springs (just south of Katikati).   A stunning part of New Zealand!​
​

Picture
​DAY 1 – Auckland / Broken Hills / Onemana
​

The weather forecast, when 32 of us set off on Saturday morning, was ideal for the four days that lay ahead. 
First stop – Bugger Café!  A fun choice for our coffees with lots of artwork and humourous expressions to read.

PictureWhat's not to love about moss-covered rocks and waterfalls?

​After refuelling we made our way to the site of our first walks - Broken Hills an area of ​interesting mining history, natural beauty including the Tairua river, waterfalls, tunnels and some lovely ferns.
​

A group – Main Range, Water Race, Collins Drive, Third Branch  and Puketui Tracks loop.
This route was definitely a tramping experience to remember.     A bit of scrambling, climbing and lots of steps, the walk took us around 3 hrs.
​   

Picture
Picturesque part of the Water Race Track
Picture
Cost-cutting on signs by DOC?
PictureRusting relics abandoned in the bush


​
​There were constant reminders of the history of the area as we encountered rusty relics of mining equipment abandoned in the undergrowth, boarded up mine shafts, the old aerial ore hopper site on a hillside and at the end of the walk, the site of the Government battery beside the river and a beautiful waterfall. 




PictureSpring happy to see daylight again outside the tunnel entrance
, 

At the highest point we had the chance to enter the Collins Drive tunnel -  500m of underground mine system which was cut through the hills in the vain search for a quartz reef. 

It was cold, spooky and dripping with water inside,  and clutching our torches,  we ducked to avoid the low roof and made our way slowly through to the other end.  It was magic to get so close to glow worms that we could see not just the light but also the whole worm and silky threads hanging down.  

Picture
Gorgeous giant moss (Dawsonia superba)
Picture
Young umbrella fern (Sticherus flabellatus)
PictureWaterfall beside the Government battery site

​There was a great variety of lovely ferns – kidney fern, umbrella and tangle ferns, also large patches of our favourite giant moss (Dawsonia superba) looking like miniature pine trees – plus tanekaha, manuka, masses of kumarahou (gumdigger’s soap) and a few kauri.  
​

B group – Golden Hills Battery, Broken Hills Battery and Gem of the Boom walk
A more leisurely walk for the B group but also very scenic and interesting to see the remains of the mines and settlement of days gone by.  

Picture
Linda amongst the toetoe
Picture
Eyes down as we descend
Picture
​

​Club dinner

After settling into our excellent accommodation for the weekend, (Onemana Beach Chalets), Wendy produced a wonderful meal for us all which we enjoyed el fresco.  We made short work of chicken, beef, interesting salads, hot potatoes and garlic bread followed by apple pie!  Big thank you Wendy. 

PictureHistoric Ferry Landing wharf

​
DAY 2 – Ferry Landing / Whitianga / Shakespeare Cliff / Cathedral Cove
​

We headed off at 8am in the direction of Ferry Landing (oldest stone wharf in Australasia – built 1837).  A two to three minute ferry ride then had us across to Whitianga in time for a quick look around and a cup of coffee prior to visiting the Mercury Bay Museum, formerly a dairy factory. 

Picture
The only way to cross the water without getting wet!
Picture
Mercury Bay Museum exhibit

​
​​A small museum, with an extensive collection of exhibits highlighting the history of the area – Maori artifacts, fishing, kauri, gold, and of course, the arrival of Captain James Cook on the Endeavour.
PictureCooks Beach

​Back across the water, onto the bus, and off to Cooks Beach for lunch under a cluster of large shady trees.  The A group then made their way up to the Shakespeare Cliff Scenic and Historic Reserve (viewing the memorial to Queen Elizabeth II’s visit on the 200 year anniversary of Cook’s arrival), as well as seeing the acknowledgement to Helen Clarke who planted the 10,000th kauri there in 2001.
​
The B Group opted to take the more gentle gradient and on arrival into Flaxmill Bay had time to view the amazing sculpted rock formations.  It should also be mentioned here that at least one person found time to take her boots off and paddle the length of the beach – go Wendy!!

PictureAmazing rock formations

​Next stop – Cathedral Cove.  Popular at the best of times, but during a long weekend with beautiful weather, the crowds were hard to believe - even though it could only be accessed by water or foot.  The water taxis were doing a roaring trade and those of us who walked up and down to the cove were amazed by the number of different languages we heard along the way.  Cathedral Cove - a definite highlight for us and our foreign visitors.

Picture
Sarah, Anne and Joan on the beach at Cathedral Cove
Picture
Cathedral Cove

The decision was made to drive directly to the RSA in Whangamata for dinner, rather than return to Onemana to freshen-up and have “happy hour”.  We needed to be at the RSA early because of the size of our group – a wise decision, the place was extremely busy.  The meals were large and good value.  At this point, it should be mentioned that at least two ladies succumbed to ordering ice cream sundaes – they probably didn’t know what was coming – 5 scoops of ice cream plus 2 large mounds of cream!!


DAY 3 - Wentworth Falls / Sapphire Springs / Katikati / Whiritoa

Our first stop of the day was at Wentworth Falls – a gentle ascent (suitable for all) to a two level waterfall.  The walk was through a beautiful forest canopy, about 2.5 hrs easy walking on a well-maintained track alongside the Wentworth River.    A couple of bridges to cross giving lovely views up and down the valley, and at the top of the climb the wonderful falls viewed from a  sturdy wooden platform.   The falls are in two drops of about 20 metres each and are framed by beautiful bush as the water crashes down to the rocks below.  We couldn’t quite see the pool at the bottom but some of us made the short climb further up the track to see the basin at the top of the falls.  

Picture
Wentworth Falls
Lunch stop – Sapphire Springs Holiday Park (just south of Katikati).  Also on offer, natural thermal swimming pools and short bush walks, so some had a  soak and some took a wander.  What a lovely place to be on a sunny Autumn day.
PictureNear the beginning of the bird walk, Katikati



​After a short drive back up to Katikati, the bus dropped us at the northern end of the bird walk and we followed the river into town whilst admiring the bird life and the art.  From here we followed the interesting haiku walkway. 






Katikati gives the impression that this is a community that cares – beautifully tended hanging baskets adorned the main road and there are more than 66 murals depicting the history of the township as well as numerous sculptures, carvings, mosaics, etc.

​

Picture
Sculpture so realistic it's scary
Picture
Watched by a moa!
Picture
Viv with Humphry the sea elephant?
Picture
Hannah found a handsome friend
Picture
Mural in Katikati

We all seemed a little weary by now but we had one final short stop to make for the hardiest in the group – the Whiritoa blowhole.  The blowhole, at the southern end of the beach was formed by continual blasting of air along the cracks in the cave roof until it collapsed.  It also has two features of interest – a double entrance to the sea and a short exit tunnel leading to a shallow lagoon.

Unfortunately the tide was very low so we weren’t able to see the blowhole in full operation, but it did give us the opportunity to really see and appreciate the erosion and clefts that were clearly visible. We also found a puffer fish washed up on the beach.  Apparently these poisonous fish are turning up on our beaches in numbers now. 

Picture
Blowhole at Whiritoa
Picture
Puffer fish washed up on Whiritoa Beach


​DAY 4 – Pauanui / Pokeno / Auckland

PicturePauanui-Tairua walkway through the wetlands area
The original plan was to walk to the Luck at Last mine.  However, we were advised that the access road through the forest was closed because of harvesting and the number of logging trucks on the road.

​We reverted to Plan B and had the bus drop us at the Pauanui Lakes Resort entrance.  The community is constructing a track that will eventually link the towns of Pauanui and Tairua. 

We walked back into the township of Pauanui  on the part of the track that has now been completed – metaled paths through pine forests, onto expansive views of the estuary and across the boardwalk over the mangroves.  

Many thoughtfully positioned benches along the track, with acknowledgement to those who had helped fund the project. With masses of toetoe around, we also learnt the difference between these plants and the pampas grass.  ​

PictureHard to get a group photo but here are some of us!



​
​The bus then took us down to the beach where we found a shady spot for lunch.  A couple of keen swimmers donned their bathers and had a swim, others rolled up their trousers for a paddle and at least one person was spotted napping on a bench!  Time to head home.....
​

Picture
​Finally - no trip that is being organised by Molly would be complete without an ice cream stop!!  A detour off the motorway had us at Pokeno, the town renowned for its large inexpensive ice creams.  A significant number of ice creams were certainly purchased although nobody was seen losing their willpower and buying a 7 scoop!    


Huge thanks to Molly and her helpers, Wendy, Anne, Linda and Marilyn for all the hard work in putting a marvellous weekend away together.   Thanks also to Auban our driver.

Text:  Linda and Sharleen
Photos:  Sue, Praemi, Sharleen and Molly
Proudly powered by Weebly