Trip Reports, March - April 2014
EASTER WEEKEND 18 – 21 April 2014
Good Friday
A smaller group than usual set off from Auckland and, after short stop in Wellsford, carried on through Whangarei, heading north. Then we had a lovely walk along the coast from Opua to Paihia, on an easy track, admiring changing views of the Veronica Channel along the way. The recent storms had made their mark in one or two places along the second half of the track.
Arriving at Kerikeri, we settled into our rooms and had just enough time for a quick clean-up before gathering for drinks. Brenda laid on a barbecue in no time at all, with help from Joe, Lynne, John and Janet.. The barbecue was a huge success, with a lovely apple tart made by Bev to finish the meal.
A smaller group than usual set off from Auckland and, after short stop in Wellsford, carried on through Whangarei, heading north. Then we had a lovely walk along the coast from Opua to Paihia, on an easy track, admiring changing views of the Veronica Channel along the way. The recent storms had made their mark in one or two places along the second half of the track.
Arriving at Kerikeri, we settled into our rooms and had just enough time for a quick clean-up before gathering for drinks. Brenda laid on a barbecue in no time at all, with help from Joe, Lynne, John and Janet.. The barbecue was a huge success, with a lovely apple tart made by Bev to finish the meal.
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Easter Saturday
We were all looking forward to today’s walk, one of our favourites in this area: the loop walk in Puketi forest. Walking down to the stream crossing through paddocks, we noticed something new since our last visit: a station for cleaning and disinfecting boots. John deserves a pat on the back for having brought the trigene solution along on our last visit there, back in 2010! The forest was as full of delightful discoveries as ever - we saw a Blechnum fern (one of many Blechnum species with separate spore-bearing fronds), kauri fern, ground orchids in profusion and one of us saw a monoao branchlet that had fallen by the track! The tree was not visible from the track but seeing the branchlet of this very uncommon tree was better than nothing. One other surprise was a sound like a gunshot in the forest, then hearing a large tree crash down through smaller ones taking several seconds to reach the ground! We also saw evidence of the recent storms here: a kauri branch had broken halfway along its length and lay at our feet! We had a quick morning tea at the start of the loop, then the A group carried on to walk the full loop and the B group walked in some way and returned the same way. Both groups were thrilled to see signs that pest control is working well in the forest: lots of new undergrowth, for one. Driving to the Forest Headquaters, we did a quick walk around the nature loop and had lunch in the clearing. Then it was off to the Kerikeri River to see the Rainbow Falls and walk along the river to the Stone Store car park, where the bus awaited us. Always a popular walk with those who had done it before and an enjoyable new experience for those who hadn’t. A visit to Aroha Island sanctuary in the Kerikeri Inlet completed our walks for the day - it was very pleasant walking along the shore and sitting quietly at the bird hide kingfisher-spotting! Unfortunately there weren't many seabirds about and of course the resident kiwi weren't going to show themselves during the day. Dinner that night was at the RSA and we all relaxed, letting others do the work for us for a change! |
A Blechnum fern with separate spore-bearing fronds.
Good trampers clean boots going in and out of kauri forests!
Monoao branchlet. Note juvenile leaves on right, adult leaves flattened on to the stem.
Bird watching platform on Aroha Island.
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Easter Sunday
We drove 40 mins north to Hihi near Mangonui, a centre for whaling fleets in the 1820s-1850s, to visit Butler Point Whaling Museum, Butler House and its magnificent gardens. Captain Butler was 14 when he left England and at 24 was captain of a whaling ship. He settled in Mangonui and established a whaling trading post, becoming a farmer, magistrate and MP, marrying and having 13 children!! The house is furnished in Victorian style and is recognised by the NZ Historic Places Trust, while the exotic and native gardens are recognised as a "Garden of Significance" by the NZ Gardens Trust. In the 26 hectare grounds stand the largest pohutukawa tree in New Zealand and an extensive macadamia orchard. We were given a very warm welcome by the proprietors and a tour of the museum. This was a magical visit to a beautiful place preserving a unique part of NZ's colonial history.
http://www.butlerpoint.co.nz/index.html
Our next stop was Mangonui township to walk the well-known Heritage Trail but unfortunately the heavens had opened and it was too wet to do this comfortably, so we contented ourselves with a wander about the galleries and coffee shops!! Actually two hardy souls didn't let the rain stop them and they did complete the trail!!
We drove 40 mins north to Hihi near Mangonui, a centre for whaling fleets in the 1820s-1850s, to visit Butler Point Whaling Museum, Butler House and its magnificent gardens. Captain Butler was 14 when he left England and at 24 was captain of a whaling ship. He settled in Mangonui and established a whaling trading post, becoming a farmer, magistrate and MP, marrying and having 13 children!! The house is furnished in Victorian style and is recognised by the NZ Historic Places Trust, while the exotic and native gardens are recognised as a "Garden of Significance" by the NZ Gardens Trust. In the 26 hectare grounds stand the largest pohutukawa tree in New Zealand and an extensive macadamia orchard. We were given a very warm welcome by the proprietors and a tour of the museum. This was a magical visit to a beautiful place preserving a unique part of NZ's colonial history.
http://www.butlerpoint.co.nz/index.html
Our next stop was Mangonui township to walk the well-known Heritage Trail but unfortunately the heavens had opened and it was too wet to do this comfortably, so we contented ourselves with a wander about the galleries and coffee shops!! Actually two hardy souls didn't let the rain stop them and they did complete the trail!!
Whaling boat outside Butler Point Museum.
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Butler House from the side.
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Easter Monday
A few of us rose early to walk through the 70 acres of native bush and eucalypts surrounding our accommodation, following a long track down to the Kerikeri River. Soaking in the fresh air and early morning atmosphere, we watched the mist rising from the river, magic. By 8.30am we were saying farewell to our wonderful hosts at the Woodlands Motel and were on our way home. But there were still two more treats in store en route:
http://www.heritage.org.nz/places/places-to-visit/northland-region/te-waimate-mission
http://www.wdc.govt.nz/FacilitiesandRecreation/WalksTrails/Pages/AHReedMemorialPark.aspx
A few of us rose early to walk through the 70 acres of native bush and eucalypts surrounding our accommodation, following a long track down to the Kerikeri River. Soaking in the fresh air and early morning atmosphere, we watched the mist rising from the river, magic. By 8.30am we were saying farewell to our wonderful hosts at the Woodlands Motel and were on our way home. But there were still two more treats in store en route:
- Te Waimate Mission House, Waimate North
http://www.heritage.org.nz/places/places-to-visit/northland-region/te-waimate-mission
- A.H. Reed Memorial Park, Whangarei
http://www.wdc.govt.nz/FacilitiesandRecreation/WalksTrails/Pages/AHReedMemorialPark.aspx
The church at Te Waimate Mission Station
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A real live morepork!!!
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A.H. Reed Kauri Park
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A.H. Reed Kauri Park, Whangarei
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We had a good run back to Auckland in the bus, no traffic holdups, and were back by 4pm.
A big thank you to our driver, Joe, for getting us there and back safely for joining in the fun, and for negotiating some tricky turnarounds on narrow roads (!) Also many thanks to trip organisers, Brenda, John and Sharleen for a very successful and happy time.
A big thank you to our driver, Joe, for getting us there and back safely for joining in the fun, and for negotiating some tricky turnarounds on narrow roads (!) Also many thanks to trip organisers, Brenda, John and Sharleen for a very successful and happy time.
Waihi and Martha Mine 06 April 2014
Our original plan of walking from Humunga Bay to Waihi Beach had to be shelved because there had been landslips on the coastal track. An alternative plan was hatched, however this was also foiled by a high tide so it was on to Plan C which turned out just fine.
The weather was gorgeous, hot and sunny, and we busied ourselves with a visit to the fascinating mining display, "Waihi's Gold Story", in the local information centre, followed by an anticlockwise walk around the rim of the open pit Martha Mine. We stopped to read the many information boards around the track, marvel at the sheer size of this enormous hole in the ground, and admire the historic Cornish pumphouse building which dominates the town and was relocated from its original site back in 2006 in order to protect it from land instability. The giant yellow Caterpillar dump truck parked beside the walkway on the mine rim thrilled us all and would surely be every little boy's dream to have a ride in! When we'd had our fill of mining operations, we headed off down the Karangahake Gorge for a walk across the newly- opened Waikino Memorial Suspension Bridge and down beside the river. A quick stop at Ngatea for the traditional ice cream and it was back home to Auckland. Not the day we had planned but we'd made good use of our time! Thank you for Maurice for a good day and some quick thinking! |
We couldn't see the bottom of the pit.
Historic Cornish pumphouse, built in 1904 and relocated to its present site in 2006, now a Category 1 heritage building.
Barbara dwarfed by the big Cat!!
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The Pipiwharauroa Trail (near Raglan) 23 March 2014
The Pipiwharauroa Trail near Raglan follows an access road up to the Te Uku windfarm with its 28 turbines. It is a pleasant walk through rugged farmland (we were observed with curiosity by assorted friendly cows en route). The road is metalled and a gradual climb before walkers leave the road and continue across the farmland on up to the turbines. Unfortunately we ran out of time to complete the climb as our bus journey from Auckland took three and a half hours, thus we had to turn back before reaching the turbines. We did, however, have magnificent views of the countryside and as we got closer to the turbines we had a sense of the size and power of them. The blades are 49 metres across and the towers 80 metres high. In total they generate enough electricity for 30,000 homes.
Opened back in 2011, the trail is shared by cyclists and walkers. The name Pipiwharauroa was chosen as a result of a public competition and it means "shining cuckoo". Apparently Maori used to travel this route to harvest pipiwharauroa (shining cuckoo). It was great to see how much native planting has been done around a couple of wetland areas we passed near the beginning of the trail.
As a bonus we made a short stop to walk down to Bridal Veil Falls, one of the North Island's best waterfalls. The Pakoka River drops 55 metres over a basalt cliff into a deep pool and is surrounded by beautiful native bush.
So another lovely trip in the sunshine enjoyed by all 34 of us. Thank you to Des for organising the day.
Opened back in 2011, the trail is shared by cyclists and walkers. The name Pipiwharauroa was chosen as a result of a public competition and it means "shining cuckoo". Apparently Maori used to travel this route to harvest pipiwharauroa (shining cuckoo). It was great to see how much native planting has been done around a couple of wetland areas we passed near the beginning of the trail.
As a bonus we made a short stop to walk down to Bridal Veil Falls, one of the North Island's best waterfalls. The Pakoka River drops 55 metres over a basalt cliff into a deep pool and is surrounded by beautiful native bush.
So another lovely trip in the sunshine enjoyed by all 34 of us. Thank you to Des for organising the day.
The curious cows with their beautiful faces
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Getting closer to the turbines
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Bridal Veil Falls
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Kauri at Bridal Veil Falls
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Mt. Tamahunga and Omaha 9 March 2014
After a welcome coffee stop at Warkworth, we drove to Omaha, from where some of our walkers set off in great spirits to wander around this beautiful part of our country. They were very fortunate to speak with a volunteer from the Omaha Shorebird Protection Trust at the Bird Sanctuary at the tip of Omaha. She proceeded to give them a very interesting talk and show them a stoat that had been captured. They saw many dotterels in the nesting area and kept well away from the nesting sites - also spotted were several oystercatchers.
The rest of the group then went on to Mt Tamahunga. Our walk started with a rather steep climb over seemingly endless paddocks to the base of the mountain where we gratefully stopped for morning tea under shady trees. After reading a most interesting sign about birdlife living on Mt Tamahunga, we set off up the incline towards the summit. There were some amazing views framed by trees on the way up and we were all quite happy to stop and admire the sights. The track gave us all a good workout with a huge variety of trees (totara, kowhai, rimu, puriri, berry-laden nikau etc.) and ferns. We had tree roots to watch out for, but it was like walking through an enchanted wood. The birdlife on the mountain was truly fabulous, we heard much birdsong and fantails often kept us company. Just before the summit we stood on an enormous boulder and had an amazing view out over land and sea.
After lunch on the summit of Mt Tamahunga, we ambled back down the mountain, again admiring the views as we went. Back to the bus, over to Omaha for ice creams or coffee, then we collected our Omaha walkers and headed back to Auckland.
A big thank you to Trallea, our leader on the day, and all those who did the recce with her beforehand.
The rest of the group then went on to Mt Tamahunga. Our walk started with a rather steep climb over seemingly endless paddocks to the base of the mountain where we gratefully stopped for morning tea under shady trees. After reading a most interesting sign about birdlife living on Mt Tamahunga, we set off up the incline towards the summit. There were some amazing views framed by trees on the way up and we were all quite happy to stop and admire the sights. The track gave us all a good workout with a huge variety of trees (totara, kowhai, rimu, puriri, berry-laden nikau etc.) and ferns. We had tree roots to watch out for, but it was like walking through an enchanted wood. The birdlife on the mountain was truly fabulous, we heard much birdsong and fantails often kept us company. Just before the summit we stood on an enormous boulder and had an amazing view out over land and sea.
After lunch on the summit of Mt Tamahunga, we ambled back down the mountain, again admiring the views as we went. Back to the bus, over to Omaha for ice creams or coffee, then we collected our Omaha walkers and headed back to Auckland.
A big thank you to Trallea, our leader on the day, and all those who did the recce with her beforehand.
B Group enjoying Omaha Beach
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Spot the dotterels in the nesting area!
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The view from Mt Tamahunga
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All ready for off!
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