This article was first published in the Tararua Tramper Volume 95, no 11, December 2023
Karori Park - Johnston Hill Easy
18 October 2023
We set off on the Karori Park exercise track, resisting the temptation to try out the various pieces of equipment en route, and stopped briefly to identify the Chad Buckle Memorial seat. Access is across the stream by way of boulder stepping-stones - a fun thing to do especially for the kids. Then over the bridge up through the pines, with kaka screeching overhead. Surprisingly the track wasn’t too muddy, despite the previous day’s heavy rain.
We made a short detour to look for the Gavin Dash Memorial. (Gavin was a student, unhappily murdered, whose body was eventually found dumped in the pine plantation). We found it, in a lonely solemn place.
Refreshed by a stop for morning tea on a cleared bank covered with new growth, we continued, passing alongside a large tank reservoir decorated with delightful artwork. Worked into the theme were various camouflaged items of flora and fauna - a fun puzzle for young and old. Beside the Skyline Walkway we’d noticed there were large areas where land had been cleared and young plants established. Eventually we came across a worker who told us she was involved in a pest eradication programme and new planting initiatives. She invited us to get involved.
Lunch time. We were now on the Farm Road section of the Skyline Track. Shade was a prime requirement as Barbara’s sunhat had disappeared. Problem solved, we squashed up against the boundary fence line. Then it was onwards to Johnston Hill. A mob of cattle shared our path. Although they looked fearsome, they treated us with disdain, chewing their cuds and generally ignoring us. Glorious views from Johnston Hill right down to the harbour. (CH)
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- Party members
- Carole Haigh (leader and scribe), David Campbell, Margaret Foden, Kath Kerr, Liz Martin, Barbara Ogilvie, Kerry Popplewell