Mt Richmond & Hamblin's Hill - 27th Jan. 2007

Yesterday we ventured to the southern most reaches of Auckland City, first to Mt Richmond in Otahuhu and then to Mutukaroa-Hamblin's Hill in Sylvia Park.

Mt Richmond is next to Sturges Park, and you can access a road to the base of the hill from either Great South Rd or Mt Wellington Highway. It's quite neglected, although the potholes have (mercifully) recently been filled.

We parked and walked up along the crater rim, which is quite extensive. There are some massive and majestic trees, including camera-defying Moreton Bay figs (which may be familiar to some readers from Albert Park, while Monte Cecilia Park has some of the largest examples in NZ.) We could see the geometric marker, but it took us quite a while to work out how to get there, as the trees are big, and thus mask much of the park.

Whilst trying to reach it we found a really enormous fungus growing on a felled tree,

and stumbled across some very flighty goats and a single sheep. They insisted on either standing in the shade or running away (or both) so no snaps of them. There were cows too, but after my experience in Cornwall Park I wasn't game to get up close enough for a decent pic.

Eventually we figured out how to get up to the marker, along the way spotting previously conquered Mangere Mountain, amongst other volcano peaks.

At the top we could see the Otahuhu Power Station too (the two tall grey chimneys right in the centre of the photo).
We also discovered there was a water tower (a la The Big King) on one of the other summity bits.

Then we tottered down, and drove back to Great South Rd, to the entrance to Mutukaroa-Hamblin's Hill Regional Park.

We initially went in via a sub-optimal route, but it worked out. There is a carpark and entrance on Great South Rd, not far from the intersection with Sylvia Park Rd. The park is a working farm also, so there is a loading yard at the entrance.

Of all the ARC Parks we have visited so far this is the least visitor-friendly. It's clear that they have only been developing the non-farm aspects such as walks and native plantings since about 1998 or 1999, and there is little sign-posting of where to go from the entrance. We walked through some planting done in a previous quarry,

and tried to get up to the peak of Hamblin's Hill (another water tower) but it wasn't obvious where to go, so we figured maybe you weren't meant to head up there just yet.

Instead we took a walk down hill through reasonably new bush to the South Eastern Motorway. Again the lack of development was obvious, and at one point there was a signpost that took us off to a dead end. There was also a clearing at one point with a rusty water tank, an area fenced off for no apparent reason and a park bench.

The shed at the start of the walk says there are tobacco plants throughout the bush, but sadly I don't know what they look like. It was a lovely walk through the bush, despite the lack of finishing, with some plants I certainly hadn't seen anywhere else.

Mt Richmond took us about 45 minutes, and we rambled around quite a lot. I would recommend closed shoes and long trousers (in hindsight) due to a lot of long grass and nasty things underfoot. Hamblin's Hill took up roughly 55 minutes, but hopefully in the future there will be more walks available, in particular to the summit.

Mangere Bridges and Mountain - 21st Jan. 2007

Today we went on a lighter walk, with the aim of assaulting the previously attempted Mangere Mountain (rained out). We parked at The Landing, on Onehunga Mall, and headed off across the Old Mangere Bridge, now closed to cars but open to fishers.

The wind was blowing something fierce, as we walked past the concrete works, across the old bridge and into the pleasant suburb of Mangere Bridge. We headed through the strip shops on Coronation Rd, then up MacIntyre Rd, followed by Scott Rd, which led to the carpark at the base of the summit to Mangere Mountain.

We walked around the crater rim, gradually heading up and up and up. Great views out across the Manukau Harbour, which of course includes the former sewerage ponds.

We could also see a number of other Greater Auckland peaks including One Tree Hill,

and Rangitoto (with the cement works and bridges in the foreground).

All of the plaques had been vandalised, but one showed the volcanic processes that had formed the mountain. We didn't notice until too late to read about this through the tags, but there is a little hill in the middle of the main crater, the perfect place for a wicked game of Spotlight.

There were quite a lot of people on the mountain, mostly just walking, sometimes with dogs, but also flying remote control gliders. Mangere Mountain has two peaks, both with navigation thingbos. Here's the lower of the two, from most of the way up.

Once we'd walked right around the rim we headed back down Hastie Ave, cut through Mangere Bridge School to do the fitness trail (the monkey bar defeated me), then back along Coronation Rd to the Gasoline Alley station.

From that point we diverged from our path to the mountain, heading instead for the walkway under the New Mangere Bridge, which started on the other side of a park. It was covered in graffiti, which actually looked really beautiful as it was so multi-coloured. Not quite the Via Dell'amore in Cinque Terre, but still fab.

Half way across there was a lookout, and in the water below a trolley cemetry.

Took an hour and three quarters, I stopped alot for pics (as always). An easy walk, but the tracks on the mountain are not properly formed, only goat trails, and as a result there are some parts where the footing is poor, particularly near the top of the mountain where there is a high amount of scoria. A good walk for a good weather day.

Again no walking this weekend

Saturday was a horrible day, although we drove out to the walk of Nickname Pending's choice in the hope the weather was better out there. It wasn't.

Sunday was taken up with other commitments but turned into a wonderful day.

Next weekend we are going to try to walk on Sunday afternoon, due to other stuff on Saturday.

Narrowneck to Milford Coastal Walk - 6th Jan. 2007

Yesterday's odyssey was undertaken with Homer, as Nickname Pending was at the cricket.

The Narrowneck, Takapuna and Milford coastal walk was down for three hours in the Day Walks of Greater Auckland book, but in fact it took us more like three and a half. Although there were some pauses for photos, sea glass and ice cream, we didn't stop enough to justify the extra half hour, so I suspect that the book did not include walking to the other end of Milford Beach, which we did because I used to sail from there.

We drove towards Devonport and turned off for Narrowneck, then parked in the large car park on the other side of the road from the beach reserve.

The path from Narrowneck to Takapuna beach is actually non-existent. You simply clamber around the rocks (if the tide is high-ish) or walk around the sand in a northly direction heading towards Milford. We started out at about 1.30pm and high tide had been at 10.15am. There was still quite a lot of awkward clambering, but on the return journey the tide had gone out considerably more and it was a comfortable walk along the sand in most places.

Once at Takapuna it's a matter of walking along the beach to the far end (where there's an ice cream shop) and then following the path around the coast to Milford. This path is sometimes concrete, sometimes shell, and even a wooden boardwalk at one point. There is some interesting lava, lots of lichen, and yesterday there was a good view (if you had binoculars) of the 470 World's, which was based at Takapuna Beach.

Here are some snaps:

Looking back at Narrowneck from the rocks.

Cliffs between Narrowneck and Takapuna

Cormorant with 470 fleet in background.

Some mysterious rusting metal between Narrowneck and Takapuna

Typical shell and stone litter between the rocks.

Moss on the rocks between Takapuna and Milford.

A sand pattern wot I liked, between Takapuna and Narrowneck.

A NZ-shaped rock formation Homer spotted.

Rangitoto from the sand.

All up a very pleasant meander, I recommend decent walking shoes or sandals and lots of sunscreen - even though it was cloudy and I had slapped I still got a bit burnt. While we walked from Narrowneck to Milford you could just as easily do it in reverse and there is probably more parking at the Milford end. Or you could just do bits of it, although apparently the Narrowneck to Takapuna part is impassable too close to high tide.

Mt Haszard and Waimangu - 28th Dec. 2006

Another Rotorua walk (guess where Span went for her holiday!). Again this is not actually in Rotorua, but on a side road off State Highway 5, heading to Taupo. And this is the first walk I've paid for - $28 each for the privilege. This bought us access to the valley, with it's many thermal wonders, and a really quite comprehensive leaflet outlining the key points, local flora and fauna, the route, and with a timetable for the boat (extra, didn't use) and bus (included, used to get back to the start).

Everytime we go to 'vegas and have some spare time we try to go to one of the geothermal areas. Partly this is because I am trying to find the one that I visited when I was about 8, when I stayed for the first time ever in a hotel where they put mints on the pillow at night. Unfortunately Waimangu was not the right smelly part of Rotorua, but it was a good walk.

The whole main walk is downhill, starting with some beautiful panoramas from the top. You slowly wend your way down the valley to Lake Rotomahana, where you can pay extra to go on a cruise to where the pink and white terraces used to be.

The first geothermal wonder is the Emerald Pool in the Southern Crater, which has some very orderly algae and sphagnum moss. I'm not sure this counts as geothermal as it's cold.

Next though is the Echo Crater and Frying Pan Lake, as well as the Cathedral Rocks that loom over one end. Seriously large amounts of steam.

At the end of the lake you can walk right down to a hot water creek and springs, with mineral deposits creating a crazy palette.

Then there's the brilliant turquoise Inferno Crater and the Bird's Nest Terrace.

At this point we decided to head up. You can follow the main path along the floor of the valley, following the hot water stream, or you can climb the hiking trail up and over Mt Haszard. I was sure when we bought our tickets that the seller said it was only another 20 minutes, but the leaflet said an extra hour. We did it in about 40 minutes I think.

It is a very rugged track going up, and my there is a lot of up; even the down is very steep. Nice views of the Rift Valley (no, not the one in Africa) and the lake though.

And also some of these flowers.

Then it was back to the main track, with more mineral-painted terraces such as the Marble and Warbrick. Then a short nature walk to the lake and the bus back up the hill. I was pretty disappointed with the nature walk, until all of a sudden there was a crashing in the bush and a wallaby on the track. A bad time to run out of memory space, luckily it was patient with me.

There were two of the blighters, clearly hoping for some food. We callously did not indulge them.

And then we were at the lake.

All up I think the walk took us around two hours. Unfortunately Nickname Pending didn't check his watch at the start. It's a gentle downhill incline, suitable for wheeled conveniences, with the exception of the Mt Haszard part, as previously mentioned.

Tarawera Outlet to Tarawera Falls - 27th Dec. 2006

This is a Rotorua-based walk, although more accurately it ought to be called a Kawerau-based walk, as that's the closest town. To get to the start of the walk you need to go along the Forestry Tarawera Road, which is a private, unsealed, road, hence the need for a permit from the information centre in Kawerau. It's $2.50, and they give you two maps of the area and the road, as well as the permit itself.

Once you get to the camping ground by Lake Tarawera, it's a simple matter of walking over the new wooden bridge (which has replaced the swing bridge referred to in the Walks in the Rotorua Lakes area leaflet we bought from the Rotorua Information Centre). Then you can pick the walk left to Humphrey's Bay and ultimately meet up with the Lake Okataina tracks, or you can turn right, as we did, to the Tarawera Falls.

The Tarawera Outlet is where the river from the lake to the falls begins. It's a typical NZ freshwater estuary, complete with children jumping off the bridge when we were there.

The walk partly follows the river as it heads towards the falls, but wends away at times. Much of the bush has regenerated since the 1886 explosion of Tarawera, and there are massive rocks strewn through the surrounds - often with trees now growing around or through them. It gives you a sense of the power of the eruption to see these huge boulders thrown so far from the mountain. In places the ground is totally overgrown with odd little plants and mosses, in others ferns predominate. The bush here was not like in the Greater Auckland area - few kauri, no nikaus, mostly pohutukawa, rata, and other trees I wasn't familiar with. While we heard a lot of birdsong none came close enough to see or snap.

The track also goes through a particularly alien landscape at one point. Most of the time it's all reasonably typical native bush for this part of the country, but then you end up in this higher area, where it's all scrubby manuka, much of it covered in black moss. Perhaps a part of the land particularly scarred by the eruption.

The river itself has a number of minor waterfalls along it,

and also a very inviting water hole, complete with several rope swings. Very tranquil and restful.

Other parts are reasonably wild, and at several points various parts of the river plunge down into the rock and disappear underground,

Ultimately we ended up at Tarawera Falls, where the river spurts out of the cliffs. There's a cobbled area there with a few benches and we stopped to have a picnic before heading back.

It took us about an hour and a half to get to the falls, stopping a lot for photos. On the way back it started to rain a little so we pushed the pace a bit and made it the whole way back in only an hour. The signs (and leaflet) say two hours each way, and there is quite a bit of up (some with stairs) but mostly it's a gentle slope down on the way to the falls, and obviously the reverse on the way back. I would also advise wearing closed shoes. The track is maintained through small stones which are really annoying if you are wearing sandals, even decent ones like Tevas.

If you wanted to see the falls but didn't want to walk so far you can also access them through a 20 minute walk from Waterfall Road, where there is a carpark and toilets apparently. But that would be cheating.

Again no walking - weather inclement

We even drove to the carpark for the start of my bad weather back-up walk, but the weather is just too cold to risk the showers.