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A RUNNERS ROUTE GUIDE TO THE HILLARY TRAIL Arataki to Muriwai Prepared by Shaun Collins Please send any updates/suggestions to [email protected] It would seem that the marker posts that show the route of the Hillary Trail (“HT”) are in hot demand. As fast as the Council tries to replace missing marker posts, they disappear again. So this guide is meant provide a “failsafe” description of the HT route so you do not need to rely on specific HT marker posts. Sorry, it’s not 100% guaranteed as some people just can’t be helped but I reckon 96.3% guaranteed. I’d rather people had fun and enjoyed the trail rather than had navigational nightmares that add distance and worry to an already big mission! There are two ways to do the HT – South to North starting at Arartaki and finishing at Muriwai or the opposite North to South starting at Muriwai and finishing at Arataki. Debate still rages as to which is better and both have pros and cons. I think it’s agreed that the North to South direction has net more climb and finishes with some of the bigger hills and the dreaded Hamilton track. I don’t think anyone has done a fair comparative run of both routes in a similar state of fitness and track conditions but I think it comes down to personal preference. The official route is intended to go South to North so this guide will start with that. THE GUIDE TO THIS GUIDE This guide includes simplified maps which have been doctored from a Terralink map of the Waitakere Ranges. I have tried to clear away unnecessary details so you have just what is needed. Saying that you could do the trail just with the comments ignoring the maps if you wanted. There is a condensed version of the guide on the website at http://www.lacticturkey.co.nz/HillaryTrailHonoursBoardGuide.htm which has just simple essential instructions and is a lot smaller document. Please ensure you use all of the Council provided Kauri Dieback shoe wash stations you come across on the trail. We are all responsible for helping minimize the spread of this nasty disease. The map has some symbols: Number in a yellow circle = this point corresponds with the numbered text comments in this document W in a purple square = Water point Blue W = natural water point. Usually a stream that been used by others with no ill effects, but use at your own risk T in an orange square = Toilets S in a green square = common support position for support crew to set up so you can grab food and water etc LETS GET STARTED Arataki Visitors Centre is the official start and there is a nice big HT board sign with map and info at the start of the trail right next to the carpark (Western end of the carpark near public toilet block). The visitors centre now a few carparks designated as HT Long Term parking if you are leaving your car here. The gate to the visitors centre opens at 6am or if you are starting earlier some people have been ringing the visitors centre to get the gate opened early. I’m in discussions with the council people to see if we can make the gate open at 5am, then they won’t get so many calls. Page | 1 Prepared by Shaun Collins Version 2 ‐ July 2012 A RUNNERS ROUTE GUIDE TO THE HILLARY TRAIL Arataki to Muriwai 1. Start the stopwatch from the HT infrmation sign and head north along Slip Track. 2. You climb a small hill in bush and come to a clearing at the top. 3. To the left is a really stunning viewing platform which is worth a 1 minute detour to view the southern end of the Waitakere Ranges and the Manukau harbour. 4. You then continue along Slip track (North West‐ish), and it quickly decends with quite a few hairpin bends in the track. 5. Snaking down to the historical tramline which you cross (directly straight ahead) and continue downward along the Slip Track. 6. Slip Track then decends steeply until the first junction which lots of people seem to miss. Once the track flattens out you’ll come to a junction with Pipeline track (on the right). This can be quite indistinct if you are not looking for it but its on the right as the track flattens and gets a bit more gravelly. If you hit another intersection with a gravel road and a massive water pipe then you have gone too far and need to backtrack a couple of hundred metres. 7. Pipeline Track is more narrow and a couple of hundred metre along it you have to clamber down a small gully, cross a cool little stream and back up. 8. At the end of Pipeline Track you come to an intersection with a gravel road (Lower Nihotupu Dam Road). Turn right. Page | 2 Prepared by Shaun Collins Version 2 ‐ July 2012 A RUNNERS ROUTE GUIDE TO THE HILLARY TRAIL Arataki to Muriwai 9. This gravel road winds uphill soon after you join it and comes to a dead end. Hamilton Track starts from here (on the right, at the end of the road). 10. Hamilton track is legendary for its mud. Regular HT runners talk about the mud monster. Mud levels depend on the weather before your mission, but it hasn’t dried out for a long time. Council are due to start working on this track to bring it up to “standard”. Early on in the Hamilton Track there are some nice waterfalls that you run past and these have been used for water with no ill effect (use at your own risk). 11. Eventually you come to a four way intersection with Summit Track going sort of North/South and Hamilton Track going East/West‐ish. The HT goes straight through West‐ish along Hamilton Track. 12. The mud continues here in Hamilton Track fashion. You pop out onto a grassy 4WD track/firebreak all of a sudden. This is called Crusher Pipe Track. Turn left. 13. In about 100m you hit a gravel road (Smiths Road). Turn right. Page | 3 Prepared by Shaun Collins Version 2 ‐ July 2012 A RUNNERS ROUTE GUIDE TO THE HILLARY TRAIL Arataki to Muriwai 14. You will cross the dam on a bridge and then climb a bit to join a bigger gravel road (Huia Dam Road). Turn left. 15. Follow Huia Dam Road all the way past the Lower Huia Dam, down the face of the dam on a sealed road now, heading to Huia Beach. There are some toilets on the left of the road, just over 100m after the bottom of the dam. Page | 4 Prepared by Shaun Collins Version 2 ‐ July 2012 A RUNNERS ROUTE GUIDE TO THE HILLARY TRAIL Arataki to Muriwai 16. You will come to a road junction Huia Dam road and Huia Road. 17. If the tide is low you go straight ahead at this junction along a grassy track and some concrete stairs down to the beach. Then you follow the coastline (right‐ish) towards a stream that comes out into the harbour in the distance. 18. Cross the stream. 19. There are some stairs in the concrete wall about 50m after the stream if you are following the coastline. 20. Continue inland following the thick trees that surround that stream you crossed and you will arrive at the carpark for the Huia Settlers Museum. This is a good spot for a support crew stop. From here cross the road and go up the driveway to the Karamatura carpark (crossing the road on a right‐ish diagonal). There is a water tap at this carpark. The tap is on the back side of the wooden railing on the right side of car park as you look away from the driveway you just come along ‐ under a "No Fires" sign. From the carpark head up the hill following the signs for the Karamatura track and you will soon start following the Karamatura Stream heading up the valley. Jump to step 26. 21. If the tide is high then at the intersection of Huia Dam Road and Huia Road, turn right and follow Huia Road up the hill. 22. Once past the hill top keep a look out for the driveway on the right for the Karamatura Farm 23. Follow this gravel driveway up the hill to the top where the farm buildings are and then head into the paddock. 24. You will see a few HT markers which are usually pretty safe so should be there and they take you down to the campsite next to the Karamatura Stream. 25. Cross the stream. o If you need water there is a tap if you turn left here and get to the Karamatura carpark. As you arrive at the carpark the tap is on the back side of the wooden railing on the left side of car park ‐ under a "No Fires" sign. From the carpark head up the hill following the signs for the Karamatura track and you will soon start following the Karamatura Stream heading up the valley. o If you don’t need water then turn right after crossing the stream, on a small track which takes you up a little hill to join the main Karamatura track which at this stage is a wee gravel track. Turn right. 26. Follow the Karamatura Track which follows alongside the stream up the valley.

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