2025-09-10 < Weekly activities > 2025-09-24
Activity summary: Wednesday 2025 Sept 17 to Tuesday 2025 Sept 23
Wednesday 17th
Ramble over Oku Park and Tawatawa Reserve led by Carole Haigh. 3M
Three senior members had a great day rambling around Tawatawa Reserve which is for untethered dogs. Gales blew and rain threatened but that didn’t stop them from admiring all the new planting and the joyful, unleashed dogs. With more time for rambling they know they have Oku Street Reserve and Shortland Park to enjoy but on perhaps less windy and rain threatening days.
E tramp in Upper Stokes Valley led by Michele Dickson. 6M
In windy conditions, six members met well up near Stokes Valley Road, first heading up Raukaua Street Track We found the track becoming a bit overgrown with Gahnia and twice had to take wide detours around groupings of manuka windfalls, all this slowing us more than usual. The track along the Naenae/Stokes Valley dividing ridge was in good condition. On reaching the ECNZ road, which now has much gorse encroached and is single track much of the way, we scurried along in the blustery wind to find the Kamahi Track turnoff for a slightly sheltered lunch. Descending on the Kamahi Street Track was quite pleasant. The endless wooden steps constructed two or three years ago now replacing the previously necessary creek travel section to reach Kamahi Street. A short road walk ended the trip.
EM tramp from Brooklyn - Waimapihi Reserve-Zealandia Perimeter led by Paul Bruce
On a mild but windy day, nine trampers meet 9.15am 17th September outside Salty Pidgin Café, and walked to Tanera Cres, along Laura Ave and up to a track to Waimapihi Reserve before coming back up a downhill mountain bike section to the perimeter fence. The regenerating bush sheltered us from the severe gale north westerly winds, so we continued along the mountain bike track for the section to the wind turbine where we stopped briefly for a chocolate treat. We then followed the perimeter fence to Wrights Hill lookout for lunch, and choose to have it under the viewing platform rather than above to avoid the gusty winds. Vic and others collected up a range of discarded items, including plastic bottle and aluminium cans. We bypassed the Zealandia café to return via the fence line and Highbury fling and Ashton Fitchett drive back down to Brooklyn by the shorter route. We encountered some rewarding bird calls including Kaka, Tui and tīeke. Time 5 and half hours. Estimated distance 18 km.
M tramp to Barneys Whare and beyond led by Chris Ward. 15M
Fifteen hardy trampers braved gale force winds to walk from the mouth of the Ōrongorongo river to the big shingle slide beyond Barneys Whare. Fortunately, we started with the wind behind us but it did threaten to get even stronger for the return journey. We firstly visited seals, viewed only from a distance. Beyond the viewing point we reached some shelter and a calm morning tea spot. We carried on past Barneys Whare to the big moving slip that poses such a problem for cyclists on the great ocean ride. Back to the Whare for lunch and then the walk out. Amazingly the wind was not as strong. Many remarked on the scenic splendour of the area and how nice it was to have some sustained flat walking for a change.
SF tramp to Kapakapanui led by Diana Munster. 3M
Due to consistently wet and extremely windy weather forecasts for this area, the SF Kapakapanui tramp scheduled Wednesday trip morphed into a track working party of 3 along the East Whakanui on Tuesday 16 th in fine warm sunny weather (~7hrs duration incl 4hrs walking 3+ hours track clearing).
Saturday 20th
SF tramp to Whakanui creek waterfall via Old Whakanui track led by Mike Voets. 3M
Three trampers keen for an adventure on a beautiful sunny day set off at 8 am from Hine Road Recreational Area car park in Wainuiomata. We headed up the Old Whakanui track, which starts with a steep ascent, but once on the spur, one gets rewarded with beautiful bush, with kidney ferns and mossy trees everywhere. After the high point of the day (711m), we descended down to the waterfall In the Whakanui creek from the Whakanui track on the west, which required moderate navigation skills, as the spur was slightly confusing at times. Not long after, we arrived at the top of the waterfall. The next hour we walked up the spur northeast of the waterfall and were met with impressive views of the East Whakanui saddle on the one side, and Mt Matthews on the other. We walked back to the carpark via the East Whakanui and Whakanui tracks, and arrived back at 3 pm, totalling 11.5 km.
Sunday 21st
EM tramp over the Butcher Cattle Ridge tracks led by Liz Martin (actually Otari Reserve). 5M
Five club members had an early Sunday morning discussion about the wisdom of doing the Butcher/Cattle Ridge circuit in view of the severe gale warning in force. (Three potential trip members had already pulled out.)
It was decided, instead, to explore the lower tracks of Otari. On arrival at Karori Cemetery, they didn't spend too much time there as the winds were so strong. Back in the bush, the Nature Trail was explored, and a good spot for lunch was found in a sheltered gully.
Highlights of the trip were: Shackleton's crew member, Harry McNeish's grave complete with its sculpture of Chippy the cat, Peter Fraser's memorial, a significant group of greyhounds with their walkers and more eels than I have ever seen in the Kaiwharawhara Stream.
Total 44 members