Weekending - Hiking in the Kaimai Ranges

 

Supplejack vines

Clematis Panuculata

Hurunui Hut

One of the shallower muddy sections

An elusive trail marker 

Mangamuka Hut

Over the weekend just gone, The Scout and I had a three day hiking adventure in the Kaimai Ranges.  It was my first multi day (if you can call a two night/three day hike that), starting at the Henderson Tramline North track through to Hurunui hut.

Day two: the North South track through to the Mangamuka hut. 

Day three : today the promised rain well and truly arrived as we hiked out via the TeTuhi track.

All up about 21 km, of some pretty gnarly tracks, up hill, downhill, plenty of stream crossings, sometimes swampy, and sometimes muddy, finishing off with farmland.

I will admit this challenged me, and I certainly appreciated my bed and a hot shower and flushing toilets once I got home.

Weekending - Ernies Track

Water is usually at least covering the filter off the side of the tower.

 

Rewarewa in bud

Puawhananga - clematis paniculata

Ernies Hut

View towards the low reservoir

Voting day in New Zealand was a stunner, and The Scout and I headed off to the Hunua Ranges after casting our votes to hike Ernies Track.  The Scout has hiked this  track about six times previously and it was my first.  I had heard conflicting stories about a how bad the hills were.

We went in past the Mangatawhiri Dam which is worryingly low for this time of year. I think Auckland will definitely have severe water restrictions in place over summer.  The forestry road we hiked up had a long slow seemingly endless incline.  I would call myself moderately fit, yet I seem to struggle up hills.  The Scout who doesn't exercise regularly seems to walk up them without any trouble, which I find frustratingly annoying.

Eventually this torture passed and we stopped for lunch at Piggots Hut, before coming to the bush section of the track.  This was much more enjoyable despite the stairs, mud, gnarly roots, more uphill and downhill.  I saw some native plants I hadn't seen before,  Puawhananga (clematis paniculata) and Rewarewa (New Zealand honeysuckle).

The track is just under 15km and took a a couple of hours longer than the 3.5 hours I had been told, but that could be my fault for my slow  uphill start and stopping to take photos.  Overall an enjoyable day out.

Weekending: Hiking in the Kaimais

Wairere Falls - from the first lookout point.

The summit with views out towards Waikato farmlands

This weekend just past, The Scout and I went adventuring.  We left  Auckland and drove south to our starting point - the Wairere Falls.  It was an upwards slog to these(probably made more difficult by carrying a large pack on ones back), so the first lookout point was a welcome reprieve, and a very picturesque resting point,  before all the steep stairs and rocky/rooty track to the summit.  We had lunch there and were lucky enough to see a possum.  Considered a pest in New Zealand it is very strange to see them out in daylight hours.

The next part of our adventure was hiking south on the North South track to the Te Whare Okioki hut, which was out accommodation for the night.  The track is a little used track, but very lush and green, lots of tree ferns, ferns, mosses, interesting fungi as well as mud and a few creek crossings.  Needless to say my hiking boots proved their worth and remained dry and cosy.  I have to admit that I did feel that it would be very easy to get lost in this part of the country, if you missed one of the track markers.  We arrived to the hut at about 5pm, and were very pleased to see some other trampers had lit the fire.  A warm drink, dinner cooked by the Scout and good company made it a pleasant place to keep warm and spend the night.

We returned home the same way and even though you think going downhill will be easier, it's certainly not.  I'm back at work now with a few sore and stiff muscles, while The Scout is keenly planning our next adventure.

Weekending - Hiking in Karangahake

The old tramline on the right

Looking down into an overgrown kiln

One of the windows in the tunnels

Monbretia in bloom

Remains of one of the batteries

In the old rail tunnel

Today The Scout, Miss B and I ventured to Karangahake Gorge, to test out a day hike,  The Scout is planning for a cub group later in the year.

We did the Windows Walk, which was an easy walk along the river and through the old mining tunnels (yes I did get wet feet doing this, and I was glad I had a torch) with the windows out to the gorge. 

Old tram lines and lots of old mining equipment litter the walkway, which is very scenic everywhere you look.

After lunch we did a short hike on part of the  Karangahake Rail Trail - the highlight being a walk through the old rail tunnel which is 1km in length.

It was lovely to get away from Auckland, before another week of work.