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| Auckland | North Shore | Kauri Glen + Cecil Eady Bush | various | 2006 | January | 1 | Harbourside Bush Walk Trail; Kauri Glen and Cecil Eady Bush leaflet | N42:252656 | In from Kauri Glen Road. ( NOTE : despite the evidence of both maps, and our book of Auckland maps, Kauri Glen Road does NOT continue to Tui Glen Road. ) We went through to Woodside Avenue, on something like the main route marked in the HBWT map, taking the north way round the loop. ( NOTE : despite the evidence of the HBWT map, Woodside Avenue cuts right through the reserve. ) Some of the track is under repair, and they are building wide wooden walkways with railings in places to save us from the the deadly native bush. It is not an improvement.
On the return leg, we explored a bit. There are more tracks than are marked on the map, and some are obviously well used. Those we tried were better than the official tracks, but geographically confusing; we found ourselves coming out of the south entrance ( by Northcote College ) when I thought we were at the north side. It is very pretty, and mostly unspoilt. There are many respectably big trees, and a surprising amount of up and down. The Cecil Eady Bush end is more compromised, with a lot of wandering jew and other intrusions, but the walks are still satisfactorily private. |
| Auckland | North Shore | Eskdale Reserve | Lauderdale Road to Kaipatiki Creek, and back | 2006 | January | 7 | Eskdale Park leaflet; Northcote and Birkenhead harbourside booklet. | N42:225676 | Into Lauderdale reserve, turn left by the stream without crossing it. Not a well-maintained track. Quite short. |
| Northish from Kaipatiki Creek, and back. | 2006 | January | 7 | Exploration. | Cross the stepping stones at Lauderdale reserve, turn left at the first junction along the bank. This is a well-maintained track which continues to Kaipatiki Road, by the new bridge. | ||||
| Northish from Kaipatiki Bridge, and back. | 2006 | January | 7 | Exploration. | Looking north from the Kaipatiki Bridge, there appears to be a footbridge across the creek. We crossed the bridge, and found a sort of footpath to the north between the commercial premises and the creek. The "path" does lead to the footbridge; it is a footbridge, but it's railed off and marked "keep out" etc. | ||||
| South-east, and back. | 2006 | January | 7 | Eskdale Park leaflet; Northcote and Birkenhead harbourside booklet; Exploration. | Back at Lauderdale reserve, we continued along the stream, where the path is to the north of the stream, not as marked on the maps. We carried on until we crossed a tributary stream flowing from the north, not obviously marked on the map at all; it runs in a very steep-sided gorge. There's a path by the east side of the gorge, and we followed it for a while; it's quite well marked, but we stopped when we came to houses. It would probably be possible to work down to the stream and come back along the gorge, but we didn't try.
On the way back, we crossed the bridge into what is probably the Eskdale Bush Scenic Reserve ( Auckland street directory maps ), a grassy area on the south of the stream. We were able to follow the stream on the south to the end of this reserve, where a roughish path continues first along the south of the stream, then by a fork to the north where it rejoins the north path. Enjoyable, and mostly pretty. Quite easy. | ||||
| Auckland | North Shore | Kauri Point Centennial Park | Main entrance to Bragatto Place ( NOTE : some - all ? - walks have names, not on the maps. ) | 2006 | January | 14 | Kauri Point leaflet; Kauri Point leaflet 2006; Northcote and Birkenhead harbourside booklet. | N42:231639 ( ??? ) | Walk in fairly thick bush; many pine trees felled. Well-made path. Pleasant. |
| Bragatto Place up road to water tower, and back | 2006 | January | 14 | Exploration. | Looking for west track through "NZ Defence Land", marked on N&B booklet ( slightly down the track we'd just come on, where we hadn't seen it ) and 2006 leaflet ( branching at the entrance, which we hadn't seen either ).
Waste of time. There's a moderate view from the water tower. | ||||
| Bragatto Place to beach along west track | 2006 | January | 14 | Kauri Point leaflet; Kauri Point leaflet 2006; Northcote and Birkenhead harbourside booklet. | The west track actually branches from a little way down the more direct track to the beach. Good once you find it. We included the detour to the lookout ( good view ), and down to the beach. | ||||
| Beach to David Beattie Place | 2006 | January | 14 | Kauri Point leaflet; Kauri Point leaflet 2006; Northcote and Birkenhead harbourside booklet. | Cross the beach to the east corner, path to David Beattie Place. Good. | ||||
| David Beattie Place to Main Entrance. | 2006 | January | 14 | Kauri Point leaflet; Kauri Point leaflet 2006; Northcote and Birkenhead harbourside booklet. | Onetaunga Road. Much shorter than we expected. | ||||
| Auckland | North Shore | Shepherd's Park | Cresta Avenue car park to eastern corner | 2006 | January | 21 | Northcote and Birkenhead harbourside booklet. | N42:205679 | Follow footpath through bush, keeping left where sensible. Down to sea, up to headland, round into inlet. Easy; well kept paths. |
| Coast walk | Shepherd's park to Beachhaven Road, where it crosses a long inlet from Kaipatiki Creek ( Hellyer's Creek ? ) ( - and back ) | 2006 | January | 21 | Turn left down into inlet and across bridge; follow the "path". Well made, mostly gravel. | ||||
| Shepherd's Park | Eastern corner back to car park | 2006 | January | 21 | An alternative "bush" path, somewhat more inland but not on the sports field. There's an information thing with a sort of map. | ||||
| Auckland | North Shore | Kauri Point Centennial Park | Colonial Road to David Beattie Place | 2006 | January | 28 | Kauri Point leaflet; Kauri Point leaflet 2006; Northcote and Birkenhead harbourside booklet. | N42:240641 ( ??? ) | Starts on narrow paved road ( signpost to Centennial Park, or something similar ) leaving Colonial Road just past the bridge and round the corner. Footpath leaves road to left ( signpost ); this is only marked on the N&BHB map.
Continued to the path marked in thick red in the N&BHB map, then to David Beattie Place. NOTE : There appears to be a more direct route to David Beattie Place, cutting off the big detour to the west; we saw what could have been both ends of it, but didn't explore. It was well marked, but not at all gravelled, so might be informal. |
| Chatswood Reserve | David Beattie Place to Colonial Road | 2006 | January | 28 | David Beattie Place entrance, east and round the corner. Then along the path to the east ( signposted Chelsea ), round and over a stream not marked on any of the maps, and along by Duck Creek and past a tennis court to the road. | ||||
| North | Shakespear Regional Park | Heritage trail | Waterfall Gully carpark to Lookout track. | 2006 | February | 4 | Shakespear Regional Park leaflet 2005 | N38:326907 | Seemed much easier than I remembered - no idea why. |
| Lookout track | Heritage Trail to lookout. | 2006 | February | 4 | Shakespear Regional Park leaflet 2005 | ||||
| Tiri Tiri track | lookout to Old Woolshed. | 2006 | February | 4 | Shakespear Regional Park leaflet 2005 | - except that we went from campsite to woolshed more or less along the road. We didn't look at the map and the track isn't clearly identified. | |||
| Lookout track | Old Woolshed to Heritage Trail. | 2006 | February | 4 | Shakespear Regional Park leaflet 2005 | ||||
| Heritage Trail | Lookout track to Waterfall Gully carpark. | 2006 | February | 4 | Shakespear Regional Park leaflet 2005 | ||||
| West coast. | Woodhill Forest | Hodges Basin Biological Reserve walk. | ( backwards, approximately ) | 2006 | February | 5 | Welcome to Woodhill Forest | The instructions in the leaflet are useless; the "map" is even worse. We were unable to find Blue Gums picnic area ( it appears to be on the west side of the road, and is not in any way marked, and does not have the facilities described in the leaflet - but there are some gum trees. ) There are no signs to the footpath; we found it by accident.
Once you've found it, it's well signed - until you get back near the road, when you're left to your own devices again. | |
| Waitakere | Huia | Parau track | Huia Dam Road to Farley Track | 2006 | February | 6 | Waitakere map ( 2002 ) #59 | HWR:498665 | Over the bridge. |
| Farley Track | Parau Track to Kakamatua Ridge Track | 2006 | February | 6 | Waitakere map ( 2002 ) #62 | Very pretty indeed. Up stream to waterfall, then climbs with a good view. | |||
| Kakamatua Ridge Track | Farley Track to Parau Track | 2006 | February | 6 | Waitakere map ( 2002 ) #61 | Undulating ridge track. Bush. | |||
| Parau Track | Kakamatua Ridge Track to Huia Dam Road | 2006 | February | 6 | Waitakere map ( 2002 ) #59 | Very pleasant walk, generally downhill, through bushy bits and also much more spacious woodland with comparatively little undergrowth. | |||
| Rangitoto | From Rangitoto Wharf | Summit track ( ??? ) | Wharf to caves track | 2006 | February | 7 | Rangitoto Island | N42:377656 | Uphill, but not difficult; mostly scoria, like the rest of Rangitoto. NOTE : individual tracks are not named on the 1985 leaflet, so I'm guessing a bit. I'll correct the names if I get a newer leaflet, and round to it. |
| Caves track | Summit track to lava caves | 2006 | February | 7 | Rangitoto Island | Bumpy, but easy enough. First you come to a dell with entrances to a few caves; the entrances are snmall, but if you shine a torch in some of the caves are long. We didn't go inside.
But CARRY ON ! ( We almost didn't. ) The path continues through a much larger and longer cave. You need a light of some sort; the ground is uneven and it would be unwise to slip. There's an overland way back to the start of the caves; interesting contrast. | |||
| Caves track ( ?? ) | Lava caves to road | 2006 | February | 7 | Rangitoto Island | Fairly easy walk. | |||
| Road. | Caves track to top of road. | 2006 | February | 7 | Rangitoto Island | Scoria road; tedious. | |||
| Boardwalk | Road to Crater Rim track. | 2006 | February | 7 | Rangitoto Island | Steady uphill; all boardwalk. A few seats - good views. | |||
| Crater Rim track | All round. | 2006 | February | 7 | Rangitoto Island | Surprisingly up and down, but well worth it. | |||
| Boardwalk | Crater Rim track back to the road. | 2006 | February | 7 | Rangitoto Island | ||||
| Road | Crater Rim track to Woodside Park track. | 2006 | February | 7 | Rangitoto Island | Downhill; further than we expected. | |||
| Woodside Park track | Road to Summit track. | 2006 | February | 7 | Rangitoto Island | Different. Not many views, but a wide variety of vegetation etc. | |||
| Summit track | Woodside Park track to wharf. | 2006 | February | 7 | Rangitoto Island | Downhill | |||
| Auckland | Coast to Coast walkway | 2006 | February | 9 | Auckland City's Walkways | N42:285614 | Auckland Domain; Mount Eden; One-tree Hill; Jellicoe Park. ( Why not Albert Park ? ) Follow the instructions. It's nice to have done it, but you get more out of spending more time at the interesting bits. | ||
| North | Okura bush | Haigh Access Road to sandspit, and back | 2006 | February | 10 | Auckland walkways; North Island Walkways, p104; Let's go walking on the Hibiscus Coast | N38:222818 | Longer than we remembered it, though the maps we have aren't sufficiently detailed to prove anything. DOC have redone it in the past couple of years, I think. Still good. | |
| Sandspit to Dacre cottage, inland | 2006 | February | 10 | Auckland walkways; North Island Walkways, p104; Let's go walking on the Hibiscus Coast | Dry, steepish, good walking. Lots of steps. | ||||
| Dacre cottage to sandspit, shore | 2006 | February | 10 | Auckland walkways; North Island Walkways, p104; Let's go walking on the Hibiscus Coast | Easy at low tide. Very spacious; excellent views. Mainly sandy, a little rock in places. Not muddy. There's an easy way between path and shore just at the seaward side of the landward end of the sandspit. | ||||
| Hunua | Wairoa Reservoir, Moumoukai Road car park | Otau Road | Car park to Wairoa Loop track | 2006 | February | 11 | Hunua Regional park map ( - and a newer version thereof which we seem to have lost ). | N48:634290 | Road. Quite pretty, though. |
| Wairoa Loop track | Otau Road to Wairoa Valley track | 2006 | February | 11 | Hunua Regional park map ( - and a newer version thereof which we seem to have lost ). | Starts uphill, fairly steep, until the branch to the Wairoa Reservoir viewpoint ( a bit off the path, but recommended ). Easier from there to a grassy road, which is easier still, though undulating. From the road there's a view of the Mangatawhiri Reservoir. | |||
| Wairoa Valley track | Wairoa Loop track to Otau Road. | 2006 | February | 11 | Hunua Regional park map ( - and a newer version thereof which we seem to have lost ). | Generally downhill, mostly following a stream valley. Not much in the way of distant views, but it's a very pleasant valley. | |||
| waterfall | by the Otau Road car park. | 2006 | February | 11 | exploring. | A rough track from the end of the car park away from the road leads to the stream, from which you can see the waterfall which you hear from the car park. It's more impressive than you expect. | |||
| Hunua | Waharau Regional Park | Waharau Ridge Track loop | 2006 | February | 25 | Hunua Regional park map ( - and a newer version thereof which we seem to have lost ); Waharau Regional Park map. | N48:800378 | Up to the Hunua ridge, along a bit, and down. There are some quite steep bits going up. Not many views, but a few from the southern side ( our way down ); it's a very good walk, though.
You don't have to park by the visitor centre ( which we did, because we knew no better ); there are much better grassy and shady spots further in. | |
| Waitakere | Huia | Parau track | Huia Dam Road to Nihotopu Ridge Track ( and back ) | 2006 | March | 4 | Waitakere map ( 2002 ) #59 | HWR:498665 | Over the bridge, along, and uppish. |
| Nihotopu Ridge Track | Parau track to 360m peak ( we think ) ( and back ) | 2006 | March | 4 | Waitakere map ( 2002 ) #55 | Rather scrambly, definitely up, with a bit in the middle that's equally definitely down. Reasonably strenuous.
There are a few not bad views over the Huia reservoir and back towards the Manukau Harbour and South Head ( easier to see on the way back ). | |||
| Waitakere | Parau | Panto track | Huia Road to Parau Track ( and back ) | 2006 | March | 11 | Waitakere map ( 2002 ) #60; Hema Waitakere Ranges map | HWR:498665 | The first half or so is a broad sometimes metalled vehicle track ( marked as such on the HEMA map ), which gradually dwindles to become a walking track. It's mostly uphill, but with easy grades. There are quite a lot of pine trees around, but with a vigorous native growth below.
The path section is mostly along the east side of a steep ridge, and there are a couple of views ( one in a clump of pines requiring a 10-metre or so deviation from the path ) over Parau. |
| Parau track | Panto track westwards until it got steep ( and back ) | 2006 | March | 11 | Waitakere map ( 2002 ) #60; Hema Waitakere Ranges map | Nothing very special. We decided we didn't have time to go round the loop Parau Track - Kakamatua Ridge Track - Farley Track. We were probably wrong.
Note the that Farley track appears to be incomplete on the HEMA map. | |||
| Waitakere | Parau | Panto track | Huia Road to Farley Track ( and back ) | 2006 | March | 18 | Waitakere map ( 2002 ) #60; Hema Waitakere Ranges map | HWR:498665 | - all of 100 metres or so. |
| Farley Track | Panto track to Nihotopu Ridge Track ( and back ) | 2006 | March | 18 | Waitakere map ( 2002 ) #62 | Begins as a broad sometimes metalled vehicle track, but that becomes a walking track just before the Kakamatua Stream. There are quite a lot of pine trees around, but with a vigorous native growth below on this section.
After the stream ( a ford, easy when we went in fairly dry weather ) the path climbs fairly steadily but with no really steep bits out of the valley. There are two small stream crossings; the first is easy, but the second is over a narrow stream in a fairly deep channel. Tall people ( me ) can jump across with a slightly extended stride; short people ( Jean ) might prefer to climb down and up again. In the higher parts the track runs along the side of a steep valley, where there are a few glimpses of the sea, and views over the Kakamatua valley. Very enjoyable. | |||
| Then, for various reasons, there was a longish gap. I mention it only to explain why the next four items are a good deal less ambitious than our usual level, which isn't saying a lot to begin with. We thought it advisable to restart gently; in hindsight, we could comfortably have been quite a bit more ambitious, but they were enjoyable walks anyway, and we felt obliged to try them as part of our policy of working through the whole Waitakeres map list. | |||||||||
| Waitakere | Whatipu | Omanawanui Track | Car park to Signal House Track ( and back ) | 2006 | June | 3 | Waitakere map ( 2002 ) #66; Waitakere Walks ( new ) | HWR:445615 | Steepish, scrambly; quite slippery in places, but it's been wet recently. |
| Signal House Track | 2006 | June | 3 | Waitakere map ( 2002 ) #67; Waitakere Walks ( new ) | Short easy walk to excellent views. | ||||
| Waitakere | Whatipu Road | Mt Donald McLean walk | 2006 | June | 3 | Waitakere map ( 2002 ) #65; Waitakere Walks ( new ) | HWR:472642 | Short uphill but easy walk to the summit. Good views; also exposed - very cold wind when we were there, so we didn't stop long. | |
| Waitakere | Whatipu Road | Manukau Bar view walk | 2006 | June | 3 | Waitakere map ( 2002 ) #64; Waitakere Walks ( new ) | HWR:478633 | Very short walk to a viewing platform. Exactly what it says - you can see the Manukau Bar. South Head is there too. | |
| Auckland | North Shore | Coastal walk | Milford ( end of Milford Beach Road ) to about Earnoch Road, and back. | 2006 | July | 22 | Coastal walk leaflet | N38:284707 | Sand, rocks.
We found a spring among the rocks - presumably outflow from Lake Pupuke, as mentioned in the leaflet. |
| .... and another gap. The next one is very undemanding. | |||||||||
| Auckland | Waitakere | Zigzag track | Up and back. | 2006 | October | 8 | Waitakere map ( 2002 ) #69; Waitakere walks; Waitakere Walks ( new ) | HWR:581714 | Pleasant enough. Steadily uphill. There's an annoying stretch of road before the path begins; as the reserve seems to extend right down to the beach, and there seems to be plenty of room, that seems odd.
The WW( old ) booklet mentions the path ( without a name - page 57 ), but suggests that the geography has changed; the current path starts quite a way up the road, and doesn't follow the stream for quite a while. The quality seems to have improved, though; the old description includes "relatively narrow ... very slippery and muddy when wet". The WW( new ) booklet calls it the "Titirangi Beach walking track" ( page 59 ), "once better known as the Zig Zag Track", and confirms that the path was "restored" in 1978. It's Zigzag again on the map. |
| Next week we felt a bit ( but not much ) stronger ... | |||||||||
| Auckland | Waitakere | Donald McLean track | Car park to Bob Gordon track ( SE end ). | 2006 | October | 14 | Waitakere map ( 2002 ) #72; Waitakere map ( kilometres ). | HWR:472642 | Broad path, easy walking, some muddy bits. Peaceful bush. The older map describes it as "in places ... deeply rutted and extremely muddy most of the year"; we covered most of it, and it wasn't as bad as that. |
| Bob Gordon track | 2006 | October | 14 | Waitakere map ( 2002 ) #73; Waitakere map ( miles ). | Gentle grades at the ends, steeply down and up across the Seagull Stream in the middle. Mostly easy, but some quite muddy bits. The rather ancient "miles" map suggests that the stream crossing is the site of an old logging camp; we didn't notice any signs of it, but we didn't go looking for any. | ||||
| Donald McLean track | Bob Gordon track ( NW end ) to car park. | 2006 | October | 14 | Waitakere map ( 2002 ) #72. | See above. | |||
| Auckland | Waiatarua Reserve | Round the lake | 2006 | October | 21 | Auckland city's walkways. | N42:337561 | Remarkable; much better than we expected. The surrounding city is not obtrusive. Easy.
Dry path round wetlands, woody bits, etc. Several paths; we went more or less round the outside track. Quite extensive wetlands, two or three paths to observation points within. Many birds. | |
| Auckland | Kepa Bush Reserve | Main loop | Kepa Road entrance to SouthEast corner | 2006 | November | 25 | Walking Auckland. | N42:349593 | Gravel path ( somewhat overdone ); downhill, fairly steep in places. Pleasant bush. |
| Side track ( informal, but quite clear ) ( and back ) | SouthEast corner of main track ( end of the new gravel when we were there ), follows a stream. | 2006 | November | 25 | Mostly earth, wooden bridges over streams. Roughly follows up the Purewa Creek. Pleasant and peaceful ( occasional trains ). We didn't reach an obvious end. | ||||
| Main loop | SouthEast corner round the loop back to Kepa Road entrance. | 2006 | November | 25 | Gravel, less well made than the earlier bit, but less garish. Pleasant bush; first viewpoint over cemetery; second viewpoint overgrown. | ||||
| Auckland | Mangemangeroa Reserve ( 108, Somerville Road, Howick ) | Main loop | Right round. ( There's another, smaller, loop, and a further track continues downstream, but we didn't have time. ) | 2006 | December | 26 | We found it mentioned in "Manukau Matters", issue 11, 3 December 2006. There's a map at the car park. | N42:450524 | Short walk. Pleasant, but rural views rapidly being built up.
Formed track, gravelled but muddy in places. Some quite steep bits, usually with steps. |
Alan Creak,
2007 January.