Auckland Walk: city views

Mount Hobson Short Walk is a 0.8 km 20 minute there and back track just a short walk from the Remuera shopping centre and is one of Auckland’s most well-preserved volcanic cones

From the walk there are many scenic views and is good for all fitness levels. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, and nature trips.

Formed some 25,000 years ago, Mt Hobson is 143 m high and the expansive, panoramic view of Auckland from the summit is well worth the walk. Enter the pathway to . the summit from Remuera Road. In

Above: One of the panoramic views from the track. Rangitoto is seen over the city in the background. Springtime the lower field along the path is filled with jonquils, commemorating the Remuera boys who lost their lives in WWII. Further up, terraces and kumara pits are still evident from the Maori occupation of Mt Hobson in pre-European days. From the summit you can enjoy an uninterrupted 360 degree views of Auckland City, the Waitemata Harbour and Rangitoto Island. Kids will enjoy this walk too, as Mt Hobson is also a working farm with cattle grazing nearby.

Below left: The start of the walk from Remuera Road.

It is good quick walk for visitors as well as locals to see panoramic views of the city without needing to hike for a long time.

Fact file

The initial ascent (from the entrance way at the bend in Pere Street) is very steep and

not a formed path, so for those with knee issues should begin at the top of Pere Street.

There is limited parking on Pere Street, more on Remuera Road, but easily walked to from

Above right: Looking towards Newmarket. Right: Mt Hobson is a working cattle farm. Below left: Flowers in bloom add colur. Below right: The track is popular with runners.

the Newmarket train station. There are well maintained seats strategically placed along the way for enjoying the view.

Distance: 0.8 km: Elevation Gain: 54 m: Route Type: There and back

History

Mount Hobson (Remuwera in Māori) is a 143 m high volcanic cone in the Auckland Volcanic Field in Auckland, New Zealand.

Located in the Remuera suburb, to the east of the Newmarket commercial suburb, it has been extensively modified by human use, first by Māori for use as a Pā (fortification) and later by use as quarry and pasture land before finally having a water reservoir installed in its cone

Above and below photos: The walk is popular with Remuera folk as it is only .8km, suitable for alll fitness types and so close to the town.

to supply the surrounding area.

An additional, partially buried, water reservoir was built on the low southern side of the mountain in 1955. Mt Hobson is named after Captain William Hobson who was the first Governor of New Zealand and co-author of the Treaty of Waitangi.

What can we expect travellers have less necessity to and how will travel socially distance themselves as be different when we their playground is nature rather find ourselves on the than the crushing crowds and other side of Covid-19? queues at busy

A well-publicised paper from stores, popular Imperial College London has tourist spots described the pandemic as a n d re s o r t s . “a unique crisis prompting Lucky for them, government reaction to the destinations less threat posed to their health touristed are services”, It also goes on to say their domain. that “governments may need to After living turn lockdown measures on and off in order to keep demands By Jill Grant Jill is an Auckland based journalist through a global pandemic, the on health care systems at a and photographer traveller will manageable level.” w a n t m o r e

Domestic travel with no reassurance. Number one would border controls will be the first be a vaccine which is bound to sector to return. New Zealand’s happen some time in the future. accommodation and service However, new technology is providers, accustomed to catering being trialed by Etihad Airways to the now-absent inbound market, in conjunction with an Australian would do well to consider offering company to help identify travellers ‘resident rates’ to lure local Kiwis with medical conditions. Potentially and get some traffic through their it tracks ear, temperature, heart rate doors. Neighbouring countries like and respiratory rate of any person Australia may be next to join our at an airport touch point such ‘bubble’ when both countries get as a check-in facility, bag drop, on top of the virus. immigration gate etc… The system

If 2020 sees many confined will automatically suspend those to home, spending a lot of time services if a passenger’s vital signs indoors, 2021 could be the opposite indicate suspected symptons of with people getting active, cycling illness. On hand will be qualified and walking. Outdoor active staff or teleconferencing to make further assessments and manage travellers as appropriate.

It will be socially unacceptable to travel with a cold or signs of illness. Coughing or sneezing at an airport or on a plane will be frowned upon. Traveller packs of sanitisers, wipes and face masks will be the norm.

With three quarters of the world’s airlines’ livery parked, seats on flights will be at a premium until they recommence schedules to pre-2020 levels.

The human element helped many travelers through the minefield of cancelling and postponing travel arrangements. The crisis has shown how important the role of a personal travel agent to talk to and engage with is at a time when airlines and government intervention changed the rules adopting credit vouchers instead of refunds.

You may expect a travel insurance policy to cover all contingencies before and during travel however none include cover for an epidemic and pandemic.

Whether we will experience another crisis like this in our lifetime is arguable, however the re-emergence of travel for all its’ purposes will happen, just differently.

When driving through W a i p u k u r a u i n Central Hawke’s Bay on your way north or south, there is the Lindsay Bush Scenic Reserve walk, a short walk in the area, that can break the journey. An average or moderately fit person should have no trouble doing it.

Lindsay Bush Scenic Reserve (also known as the Tukutuki Reserve), is only five minutes out of town.

To get there, take the Hastings road (SH2) north, and immediately after crossing the bridge over the Tukituki River, turn left into Lindsay Road. Keep going until you arrive at a t-junction, turn left into Scenic Road, and follow this until you arrive at an entrance way by a stop-bank. Turn right on the stopbank and the car park is just 200m further on, on the left.

Entrance to the reserve is through the farm gate at the car park, where there are some picnic

Above: The track is well formed.

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tables and seats. Two toilets are provided about 50m into the reserve on the left.

Access can also be had to the Tukituki River via the track that continues past the car park. The main track through the reserve is the Titoki Track, and there is another track off to the left about halfway through, the Totara Loop track (signposted).

The bush in the reserve is made up mostly from kahikatea, titoki, tawa and a few scattered matai and totara.

On the eastern side of the reserve is a magnificent stand of cabbage trees (Cordyline Australis), well worth a second look. Many of the kahikatea trees are quite impressive, and are estimated to be between 250 and 500 years old.

Lindsay Bush is small, just 9.2ha, but is a treasure trove of flora and fauna – a tiny remnant of the lowland podocarp forests that used to cover most of the inland plains and valleys of Central and Southern Hawke’s Bay.

The reserve is owned by the Central Hawke’s Bay District Council, and is looked after and maintained by the CHB Branch of Forest & Bird.

Above: A grass section of the trail. Right: Signs say it all.

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Tucked away on Opunake Road approximately 6kms from Stratford, Taranaki is a delightful and pleasant walk through farmland and natural bush and following the Waingonoro River is the Cardiff Centennial Walkway.

It gives access to points of local historical significance and was developed by members of

Above: Mt Taranaki from a rural area of the walk. Below left: The track alongside the weir.

the Cardiff branch of Federated Farmers to coincide with the centennial of the Cardiff School and district in May 1986.

Adequate supplies of water for the nearby Cardiff Co Operative Dairy Factory sunk after the factory was built in 1891. Ultimately supplies were established by a well from water from the Waingongoro River and by a bore, thus making the area one of the first dairy factory water supplies in New Zealand. The factory closed in 1951.

This walkway is an attractive and tranquil river bank stroll, changing direction and elevation while also providing variety as there are steep

Above right: Entrance to walkway from road. Below left: Two sets of steps on the bush track.

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steps and slopes and river flats. by, all by hand, tears and sweat. The path is well maintained This part of the walk also feathrough the bush with some tures a recently constructed steep gradients following the exciting rustic swing bridge. natural contour. At this point of the walk

One minute you are in a where the old machinery is beautiful bush surrounding signposted you can either take beside the peaceful sound of the loop track back to the carthe flowing gurgling river only park (signposted) or climb the to discover that you have then steep stairs and take a short stepped out into a rural setting detour to the lookout platform walking across a paddock with in a large paddock which has fantastic views of Mt Taranaki. views of the surrounding coun

Visit the sites of the two tryside and the 55m natural weirs situated by the river gas pipeline. (signposted) built to run a A short stroll back to the double ram system which fork where you diverted to the pumped water to the Cardiff lookout you can take the loop Co Operative Dairy Factory. It track back to the carpark. This is exciting and nostalgic to be track has different scenery and able to explore remnants from is a pleasant walk. Along the days gone by and is a reminder way is a recently constructed of just how hard the men of steep sturdy wooden staircase that era worked to build and up to the top level of a bank fit machinery from days gone which after following a short

Above: Remains of the double ram system.

track you will exit back onto the road further along from where you entered. The signage when crossing the rural areas leaves a lot to be desired but look for the small green squares with a yellow “W” on the fence posts on the right, which indicates Walkway.

This is a very pleasant and interesting walk following the river and experiencing different and changing scenery. The stairs are very steep due to the terrain and there are wooden platform seats along the way but due to being in the bush have mould on them and when we did the walk they were damp.

It would be advisable to perhaps take something waterproof to sit on if you wish to take a break.

The loop walk is 3kms and takes about one hour 30 minutes.

The carpark is situated on Opunake Road and consists of a grass area off the road in front of the walkway sign. www.walkingnewzealand.co.nz Above left: The Swing bridge. Above right: Look for the “W” signage on the fences.

There is a picnic table with seats there and also a short walk down to the river from the carpark but goes nowhere else.

The letters on the map “A” is the entrance to the walk.

“B” is the two old weirs. “C” is the lookout platform. “D” is the natural gas pipeline and “E” is the swing bridge. The walk is dog friendly. I would rate the walk medium.

Take Celia Road from the main road that goes through Stratford which also has a signboard stating that it is the road to Dawson Falls, and driving straight through it then becomes Opunake Road.

The Centennial walkway is on the right just past the Cardiff Road turnoff.

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On what was to be the hottest day ever recorded in Napier, February 2, 2020 a group of six Heretaunga Tramping Club members had an early start from Havelock North.

Our destination was the Lawrence Road End trails in the Kaweka Forest Park about an hour’s drive up the Taihape Road, west of Napier.

Peter and Colin decided to take the six hour option and go down the Tutaekuri River Gorge.

Above: Daniel on the Tutaekuri swing bridge. Photo by J. Love Left: Frogs in a shrinking eddy on the Donald River, Photo by D. Haddock Right: Enjoying a swim on a hot day. Photo by D. Haddock 34 Walking New Zealand, issue no 268 - 2020

Above: Anne, Daniel and Glenda on the trail toward Loktow Road. Photo by J. Love

The other four, Glenda, Anne, Janice and Daniel, opted to go towards the Lotkow Road end and then down the Donald River which flows southeast eventually reaching the Tutaekuri River.

After we walked down the steep metal Lawrence Road, there was the dramatic swing bridge crossing the Tutaekuri River. After crossing the bridge, you take the track upwards towards the Mackintosh Track which drops steeply at first and then steadily to the Donald River. “Follow the Donald River downstream for an hour, to where it joins the Tutaekuri River, about five minutes upriver from the Lawrence swing bridge. The walk along the Donald River is unmarked, but access along manuka terraces is not difficult.” (DOC brochure)

The wind was raging on the ridges as we started but it always seemed to be above us especially when we were walking along the river.

Glenda was right, it was a www.walkingnewzealand.co.nz great day to be criss-crossing the Donald which we did over 15 times. Spotting the first of many inviting deep pools, it was in ‘boots and all’ drifting down the current back to the start and drifting down again. What a refreshing way to beat the heat.

It was hard to keep Glenda out of any of the pools after that, and you had to admit it was a great way to cool down especially before the long drag back up to the cars at the Lawrence Road end. The crystal clear, fastflowing water did the trick for any ailments.

Coming across a small eddy, we saw a tadpole convention in the shallow water. Amongst the teeming tadpoles were a few small green frogs on the fringe and cameras were whipped out to record the moment.

The sides of the canyons were covered in plants as they soared straight up to the tree-line. At the Donald/Tutaekuri River junction, we travelled up river to see if we could spot Colin and Peter trying to prove they were just as quick as last time they did this trip 30 years

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Above left: Daniel on the Tutaekuri swing bridge. Photo by J. Love Above right: Glenda, Janice and Anne cooling off in the Donald River. Photo by D. Haddock

Photo by D. Haddock

Left: Sign for the swing bridge.

ago. The only people we saw in our five and half hour sojourn were a father and son carrying fishing poles. They had spent the night being blown out by the wicked winds near the ridges and had dropped down to escape.

We turned around towards the swing bridge and over towards the bottom of Lawrence Road. It was a fair climb back up the road to the parked cars. Janice found another gear and motored up the road with Daniel.

Good weather, amazing scenery, strenuous at times/cruisy at others, great photos from Anne, brilliant company: just another day at the HTC office.

m 2 years (24 issues) $159.00 You SAVE 22% off cover price m 1 year (12 issues) $84.50 You SAVE 17% off cover price Subscribe today - just freephone 0800-925-546 NO POSTAGE NEEDED Just place in an envelope and post to: Freepost 78863, Walking New Zealand Ltd, P O Box 1922, ............................................................................................................................................... Name ............................................................................................................................................... Address ................................................................................................................................................ Town/City Phone m 6 months (6 issues) $51.00 Palmerston North 4410 m Payment enclosed m Visa m Mastercard DIGITAL m 1 year (12 issues) $29.00 or fax 06-358-6864 or email details to: walkingnz@xtra.co.nz Name on card ............................................................... Amt $ ................... Card No ............................................................................. Exp ...................