No walking last weekend or this

Last weekend was consumed by the Great Cat Crisis of 2007, while this one has revolved around the much nicer event of a wedding.

Hopefully back on the tracks next Saturday.

River and waterfall walks, Maungaroa Station - 11th Feb. 2007

Step 1. Drive to Te Kaha on the East Coast, on SH35.

Step 2. Turn right (if coming from Opotiki, left if coming from Gisborne) up Copenhagen Rd.

Step 3. Drive along it until you come to the unsealed road marked with a sign marked Maungaroa Station Rd.

Step 4. Gently proceed along said road, trying to avoid the really big stones unless you dislike the underside of your car and want to punish it for unspeakable transgressions.

Step 5. Continue through a gate marked Maungaroa Station, being careful of course to shut it after you if it is open.

Step 6. Keep driving for a considerable distance more along an ever worsening road, including across dry riverbeds, until you reach some houses. At that point you may wish to approach the one with the cute puppy and ask for a) permission and b) directions to the walk.

We headed up river for about an hour and a half then walked back. This involved a lot of crossing the river back and forth, picking the shallowest spots. For this reason shorts and sandals are the go.

On the way back we took a short track to a small waterfall, marked by neon spraypaint on trees.

All up, including a stop for lunch and several shorter breaks to attempt to skim stones, take pics, avoid scaring cows, over 3 and a half hours (plus the drive there and back).

And here are some pics:

And what farm-based walk post would be complete without a donkey shot?

Three tracks, Duder's Regional Park - 3rd Feb. 2007

Today Nickname Pending and I drove out eastwards to Duder's Regional Park, and this time it wasn't raining.

The park sits on a peninsula, with a historic pa site on the far end, and a whole lot of farm between the carpark (with helpful signs and map leaflets) and that headland.

We started out by heading left from the carpark, following the red markers of the Farm Loop. This involved some pretty unpleasant up within a few minutes, and it actually hurt to breathe. The views from the top of the ridge were great - the farmland to the south and south-west, the Hauraki Gulf to the north, tidal flats and wetlands to the east, and Duders Bay sweeping to the west.

We continued to follow the red markers through various fields on the ridge, some dotted with skittish ovines and one including the trig station.

Eventually we came to a post that also had blue markers, which indicated the Whakakaiwhara Pa Walk. Sadly at this point we went the wrong way and ended up not heading towards the end of the peninsula, but at the start of a coastal walk.

We decided to follow this for a while and see where it went. When the coastal walk petered out we kept going around the coast (luckily the tide was out) and eventually found a spot to clamber up and rejoin the Whakakaiwhara Pa Walk, almost at the headland itself.

There at the end of the peninsula, where once there were defensive trenches and kumara pits, was a lovely restful spot where you could gaze out at the Gulf, Waiheke Island, Ponui, Pakatoa and even Rangitoto in view.

And then, the best thing happened - what appeared to be a fishing boat turned out to be a full size waka, clearly on it's way to Okahu Bay for Waitangi Day on Tuesday. Fantastic to watch it at full steam, and we walked much of the way back along the ridge to rejoin the Farm Loop with their coordinating chants ringing in our ears.

Then we went through the cow paddock

and along part of the Farm Loop again, and followed the metal road back to the carpark. Which had another one of those previously controversial frames (just like at Cascades).

All up it took us 2 hours 45 minutes, despite the error, and with the now customary many photo stops. Good walking shoes are essential, and there is a lot of long grass. Also for the first time since walking at John O'Groats in Scotland in May I felt the need of insect repellent.

Wonderful, varied, views - a good place to take visitors to NZ if they are ok with uneven land and massive bovines.

(Pics added 8.45pm Sunday 4th Feb 2007)

Waiheke Sculpture Walk - 1st Feb. 2007

Attentive readers may have noticed that the above date is a work day. This was indeed a work trip, and the photos have been stolen from a colleague and are thus not my own product.

Caught the ferry from the CBD, which then went through Devonport and then landed at Matiatia. From there we caught a shuttle up to the start of the Sculpture walk itself, but I'm sure you could walk it.

The walk is free and the brochures that explain the artworks are $5. There is a little station at the start that you can purchase brochures and water from, and half way around there's a delightful coffee stall, which also had hot chocolate but not trim milk.

The walk itself is actually part of the track to Church Bay, winding around the edge of the peninsula that is to the right as you enter Matiatia on the ferry. Lovely views and a well constructed track in most parts (although I understand there are some local politics around land-owners encroaching on public walkways through out the island).

The sculptures were modern, and mostly very clever. I particularly liked Clip Clop, which is a bridge with lose planks that create a xylophone effect. The blurb in the brochure talks about the story of Billy Goat Gruff and there is an obviously political element to the piece, in terms of local land ownership and use issues.

There's also a great fun work with orange and pink hats and scarves which you can use and return to a wooden box later on the walk.

Here are some of the pics of the sculptures, which are arrayed along the cliff edges, taken by my colleague:

All up I think it took us maybe an hour, but I don't have a watch. I didn't even have to wear decent walking shoes - just slides - and at time I went barefoot as it was nice grass.