Warblings Out West

Warbles from the Editor.

I look forward to receiving notifications or West Auckland District

reports from trip leaders, photographers and Tramping Club anyone who has taken part in the activities of the Club. Cut-off date the 10th of the month please.

Contributions thankfully received from: June 2015 Peter Tuohy, Lynne Flood, Ralph Lyon, Bruce Fletcher, John Miller, Jill Engle, Louis Allerby, Pam Goldie, Trish Hopkins, Christine Major, Joy Prebble. Newsletter no. 420 Mike Denyer.

Photo by Peter (while sitting on the sideboard), of the whole group enjoying a relaxed cuppa before the return walk to Scandrett.

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Club calendar of Activities Contents Sunday tramps and what to bring:

Meeting place and car-pooling takes place, unless otherwise stated, from Glen Mall, Glen Eden at the Post shop. Please be there before 8.30am to meet the Leader and give your contact phone number for the intentions form. Calendar of

Transport cost to members for local West Auckland trips $5 to $10. Further afield activities destinations the cost will be suggested on the calendar. President’s Non Members pay an extra $5 to cover administration costs. report If you intend to meet the leader at the track you need to contact the Leader the night before the tramp. Trip reports Reasonable fitness and comfortable walking (weather appropriate) attire, plus your food and drink for the day are essential. Letters to the Editor

The Committee June 14 Mahurangi West 8:30 am at Glen Eden COST: $10 members, $15 non members

CONTACT: Ralph Lyon, 09 426-0327 if meeting at Mahurangi.

For this tramp we will cover some interesting ground that you will not have visited before. We will need to cross an ankle deep stream early in the day and again later in the day, so bring a small towel with you and be prepared to cross the stream either with bear feet or in light footwear and change back into your tramping boots once you have crossed the stream. Estimated duration of the day’s tramp approximately 5 hours.

Anyone willing to do Glenmall paperwork, please contact the leader.

June 15 Club Night

June 15 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm Kelston Community Centre Main Hall COST: $2

Jim Morrow of the Auckland Tramping Club will tell us of his enthralling successful ascent.

Located on the Nepal – Tibet border, Cho Oyo is the 6th highest peak in the world and is the massive mountain seen from Gokyo for those who have trekked in Nepal. (photo by JillD)

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June 21 tramp Bethells/Te Henga Walkway Meet Glen Eden 8:30 am

COST: $7 members, $12 non members CONTACT: Trish Hopkins 021 127 3862

Starting from the bridge at Bethells we will go along the coast and back. Should be dry under foot. Blow away those cobwebs!

June 26 - Social Event at Dolphin Theatre 8pm; Onehunga. $22 (no concessions) at : 12 Spring Street Onehunga We have 20 seats booked for Friday 26th June. "Looking" "An hilarious adult comedy about lovable losers looking for love in all the wrong places"

Book your ticket by paying cheques to Joy Prebble 1/16 Waari Ave Sunnyvale 0612 or by internet to WADTC account 12 3034 0697604 00

Please phone Joy Prebble 813-5330 to book. Your seat will be confirmed on receipt of payment.

Last day for payment Friday 19th June

June 28 Easy walk and picnic at Atiu Peninsula 8.30 at Glen Eden $10 members or $15non members

Or Car pool from Westgate car park 9.00am under the Pylons as an extra option-

Leader; Jill Dingle 0212945700 or 832-3459

Start our walk at 10am- We will enjoy the big sky of the Kaipara taking the trails of the regional park a former private farm. Easy walking and a steam- pudding to share at our picnic lunch. Some may like to call in at the Kaukapakapa pub/café on the way home.

See website for directions: regionalparks.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/atiucreekregionalpark

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July 5 9.30am Long Bay Leader: Bruce Fletcher Ph 5226982 Fare: $8 members, $13 non members Not long after the shortest day, we will have a not so long day at Long Bay, but it will still be a pleasant day all the same! Either meet at Glenmall as usual or meet leader at Long Bay Car park at 10.15. A relatively easy day to Okura esturary and back 3-4 hours return. If anyone can help out with doing the paperwork at Glenmall, please contact Bruce. Note the later start time of 9.30.

12 July 8.30am Clarks Beach Leader: John Miller Ph 6220436 Fare: $20 members, $25 non members John will be taking us on a new trip along the Clarks Beach area on the south side of the mighty Manukau Harbour. Very flat walking. Call leader if intending to go straight to start point.

19 July 8.30am Tree planting Shakespear Park

Fare: $10 members, $15 non members July 19 Daphne Roberts will be the leader for Tree Planting Day 19 July Ph 021 129 4333

Time to give a little back to the environment that gives us so much pleasure. And who said there was no such thing as a free lunch! Since the formation of the Park in 1975, annual planting has greatly extended the original areas of native bush. Steeper gully areas have been fenced off and the current planting plan aims to fill gradually these, this year focusing on areas between Pink Beach and the Campground. Planting is from 10am to 1pm, and followed by a free BBQ & a walk if desired. Gloves and spades are provided but feel free to bring your own.

July 20 Club Night 7.30pm At Kelston Community Centre, Committee Room . Ray & Barbara Walters (ex Tiritiri Matangi caretakers) will give us a fascinating talk on Ray's 50+ year working for the NZ Lighthouse Service. Come along and hear this amazing speaker's tales of isolated living with no power, limited technology and 5 kids to raise! The Walters are keen on catching up with old friends that may know them from their Tiritiri days.

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25-26 July 4.30pm Sat or 9.30am Sunday at Alpine Sports Club hut Anawhata overnighter Leader: Louis Allerby Ph 8279047 A Louis and Louis "My kitchen rules" cook off! Louis A will cook up a winter warmer roast dinner that we will share around the cosy fire of the Alpine Sports hut in the Waitakeres. Louis S will whip up and produce a gastronomic dessert. You get to enjoy and judge! Easy hut to get to (just off Anawhata road) with secure parking. You are also welcome to just join us for breakfast on Sunday morning or the walk on Sunday along Quarry, Maungaroa Ridge tracks down to Piha. Bring your own breakfast. NOTE: No Glen Eden meeting. Register with Louis A and proceed straight to Apline Sports Hut on the Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning. Hut fee $20 + a few dollars toward the cost of food. Mulled wine anyone?

For catering purposes, Louis Allerby will need those intending to partake of the roast dinner at Alpine Sports Hut to contact him by Friday 24 July.

August 2 TBA

August 9 TBA

August Club Night August 17 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm WHERE: Kelston Community Centre, Committee Room, Awaroa Road Glendene COST: $2 CLUB NIGHTS Come along and hear from Alison Stanes what is happening at the fantastic Tawharanui Regional Park.

The President’s report

Hello Members

You will find the Committee’s new roles detailed in this newsletter. We really appreciate their willingness to assist.

Our new Locator Beacon will be purchased shortly. We are grateful for the investigation by Christine Major and Paul Thurston to guide our selection, also Colin Spencer’s offer to use his Burnsco Marine contact.

Tom Wood will store the unit for the Club. If you wish to collect it from him you must provide details of when, where and who will be tramping. Either Paul Thurston or Peter Tuohy must also be given this information as they are also emergency contacts.

Official Club Trips have first preference to use the Locator Beacon. Members can borrow it for a personal trip if it is not otherwise booked.

Many thanks to Bryan and Karen Sellars who have donated a beautiful book “Tramping - A History” to the Club. It will be available for Members to borrow when it has been covered.

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I will be overseas from 25th June until 21st July. Important Club communication should be made to Louis Allerby, Vice President who I know is very capable and will take care of business. Jill Engle

Trip reports

Jackies Peak-26 April – Pam Goldie’s report (Sorry I did not include this in last month’s issue. Jill D)

The day was warm and sunny and nine members and four visitors came on our adventure and climbed to the top of Te Komoki ( Jackies Peak) 148 metres for morning tea and close up view over the Manukau Harbour. It is said that a Maori Princess, Marama married one of the first settlers in the area. We then all went on to discover what the surprise was. It was a trip to Whatipu and up the Omanawanui Track to the lookout where we stopped and looked out over the harbour and enjoyed our lunch and this beautiful sunny day. On the way down to the beach we made a detour to another lookout over Whatipu beach. There were two young ladies enjoying a picnic and I thought what an amazing picnic spot. We then strolled along to the Caves and back and that completed the day.

The outing was made special by all the members and guests. Thank you so much to everyone. Pam

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Motukaraka Island at Beachlands – Leader John Miller

Despite an away cycle trip and a wet weather forecast, six trampers turned up for Motukaraka Island led by John Miller. This island is also known as ‘flat top island’ and is sacred to local iwi. Thankyou to Pam Goldie for doing the meet up in Glen Eden. Present were John, Lynne, Pam, Jill E, Val and Shirley Bulog. Low tide was 11.30 so we had plenty time to get out to the Island. There is only one access to the flat top of the island and that is up steps facing the beach. Once up the top we followed various tracks with varying success, amidst a lot of honeysuckle and noxious weeds and we did a bit of scrambling and crawling to get through undergrowth. We came down again by the same steps and walked around the Island. We stopped on the coast and sat on large boulders and looked across at the mainland. Pam was tempted to a swim but I am pleased to say, common sense prevailed. We then drove to Omana Regional Park and did the perimeter walk in mild and warm weather. We stopped at the Lime Tree Cafe and bought bags of delicious local mandarins. This was an easy and very pleasant day.

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Raglan Weekend. 1 May to 3 May 2015. Leader John Miller

We travelled down to Raglan on Friday and settled into Solscape Backpackers, just out of town. Solscape is an interesting place and our beds were in modified railway carriages known as cabooses. One unnamed couple managed to lock themselves out of their caboose, requiring the night manager to drive out from town to let them in.

A bit of rain overnight but the day was fine with high cloud. We drove out to the start of the tramp, by the sea with Karioi reaching up 756m with its eruption 2.4 million years in the past. It took about three hours to reach the summit. The track was quite dry. One steep bit had chains to help the ascent. Some blue mushrooms, (with “three azulene pigments”) made all other mushrooms seem a bit dull. We lunched at the top and returned down the same route we had come up.

Back at Solscape we rested and then went out for dinner at the Harbour View Hotel in Raglan. Showing a bit of a lack of individuality we all ordered the same meal, a John Dory dish. All nine meals arrived minus one. Brian sat and waited while we ate, and waited some more. Eventually his meal arrived.

Sunday saw us at the wharf looking at the shops there and snacking at the fish restaurant. No tramping that day.

Annette E, Brian K, Bronwyn S, Colin S, John M, Lynne F, Paul W, Sue R and Trish H were on this trip.

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Hump Ridge Track, Copland Track to Welcome Flat Hut. 3 April to 11 April 2015

This trip was originally going to be the Hollyford Track. We changed our plans at the last minute due to forecast bad weather. The substitutes turned out to be excellent and it was a great trip.

The party, Jim Daley, John Miller, Lynne Flood and Pam Goldie, met at Mangere Bridge early on Easter Friday and caught a plane down to Queenstown. There we hired a car and drove down to Tuatapere in Southland. The next morning we drove to the start of the and set off. The first part was easy; along the coast on a flat track past cribs and groups of hunters. The track then went through some lovely fern filled bush and got steeper, much steeper. We had thought that the Hump Ridge would be quite easy but it turned out not to be so. It took about nine hours and 22 kms to get to the Okaka Hut.

The hut was quite flash and had lighting, hot showers and porridge for breakfast. The hut warden gave an interesting and amusing talk and said that the hut was totally full that night, the first time since it was built. “Hotties” were available for hire. It was very cold outside with a strong wind. The showers, which had to be booked and paid for, were four minutes long but lovely and hot.

The morning dawned fine and sunny. We had breakfast and headed off. The views were spectacular. The track headed down to sea level but the last few kilometres to the next hut along an old railway took an age to complete. The spectacular Percy Burn Viaduct was considered unsafe and was boarded up. A hunter who regularly crosses it anyway, admitted that it was a bit hairy.

Port Craig Hut was a bit like the Okaka Hut but on the flat by the sea rather than on sloping ground up high. Pam had raced on ahead and secured us a room. Later she accidentally cleaned two other pairs of boots before cleaning her own. Showers here were similarly four minutes.

The next day was seven hours back to the carpark and retraced some of the first day’s ground. We got into the car and drove to Queenstown where we booked into a very interesting holiday park.

Jim decided not to come with us on the next track so John, Lynne and Pam drove up through Wanaka and over the Haast Pass to Haast where we booked into a motel near the beach. The beach was stony and the sea was wild and dangerous. At Haast a woman backed into our car with a sickening crunching sound. Amazingly our car was little damaged. Hers was a lot worse. The woman, a foodie from Glenorchy, admitted responsibility and was fully insured.

We drove early the next morning towards the Copland Track near Fox Glacier. It was overcast and drizzly and we saw nobody at all and no cars for about an hour. At the track start was a large “Track is Closed” sign but the finer print said that it was reopening that day. We tramped up to the Welcome Flat Hut, a large structure filled mainly with overseas backpackers. Next to the hut are hot pools and we sat in them in a state of bliss.

The next day we tramped out and stayed in Fox Glacier before returning to Queenstown and reuniting with Jim in Bumbles Backpackers.

Saturday was our last day. We drove to Cromwell and walked a track that went up into the dry brown hills overlooking the town. It was so dry that even the wild thyme looked dead. The day was warm and sunny and the lake blue. It was a lovely end to a great trip.

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Mahurangi Weekend 16 & 17th May 2015 Leader Ralph Lyon

Happily another cancellation of this trip was avoided as by Saturday the weather had settle down to a fairly calm and sunny day. Our party of eleven soon warmed up as it was straight into the first of the two hill climbs on the route to the baches. Once over this first hill it was a coastal walk before another stiff climb up into the park where as a side trip we explored a recently added peninsula with some impressively large trees and good views towards our destination.

By this time, after our early breakfasts, finding a patch of sun out of the cool breeze for a lunch stop became a priority. After enjoying our lunch in a grassy glade we returned to the main route and were soon at the point where the occupants of the two baches went their separate ways after agreeing to meet again at 2.30pm. 7

For the afternoons walk we skirted around the edge of Lagoon Bay to have a look at the old woolshed and the adjacent camping ground then climbed nearly to the highest point in the park before dropping back along the ridge and carrying on to take in the views from above the southern end of Big Bay. We descended steeply to Big Bay where the occupants of Vine House had the opportunity to see the this bach and three occupants of this bach rejoined the two who had found the location so restful they had decided to relax there instead of joining the afternoon walkers.

The occupants of both baches dined very well that night on their combined contributions and by all accounts the occupants of Vine House had an entertaining evening with extracts from a large volume of jokes.

On Sunday after our housework tidying the baches we met up for a relaxed morning tea at Vine House before setting off on the return trip. A minor shower of rain had the coats out for a while but otherwise it was a trouble free return trip with a lunch stop along the way. At Martins Bay we deposited the rubbish we had collected along the coast in a bin and were back at our cars by early afternoon. A stop at Daphne’s for a cuppa and cake rounded off the trip very pleasantly and Daphne was pleased to see that her budgerigars had put themselves back in their cage after sharing the room with her cat. Those on this trip were Jill D, Christine M, Pam G, Daphne R, Sandra E, Kathy McD, Peter T, Louis A, Paul W, Lyndell and Ralph L. Pam took the honour of being the only one to take an early morning swim. ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Karekare and Pararaha Loop

24 May 2015

Leader: Christine Major

Saturday was as wet as it gets, and heavy showers and strong winds were predicted for Sunday but fortunately the promise of an atmospheric bit of exercise enticed Lynne, John (M) and Trish (H) to front up at Glen Eden. Because of weather concerns including the potential flooding of the lower Pararaha Stream we decided to do a smaller loop than the planned long day and headed out to Karekare.

The weather was remarkably dry as we climbed Zion Hill and Zion Ridge tracks – just one brief splat of rain – hardly worth putting a coat on for. Turning onto Buck Taylor we met a young man with a European accent who showed us photos of the drowned Pararaha valley from which he was retreating. Fortified by morning tea we continued on savouring the up-coming adventure. In no time we had descended into the Pararaha and yes - the track signs were just above water level. Having the only walking pole I led testing the depth and indicating the edges of the boardwalk with the others in a huddle behind. Pretty much boot height but getting a little deeper in the final stretch. That was the easy part. As we finished the short section to the big sand dune and then followed what we could of the track north through the lower dunes to the tunnel we found ourselves in deeper water, over my knees on more than one occasion.

We lunched at the tunnel picnic table catching some sunshine then meandered on. A cliff top waterfall was transformed into a cloud of smoke by wind above us but we were only swept by sandy blasts (from behind luckily) as we rounded the final headland making our way towards Pohutukawa Grove. The worst rain we saw all day fell as we sat in the Deco Eatery in Titirangi.

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Queen’s Birthday Cycling Weekend-Bay of Islands; 29 May to June 1 – Leader Bruce Fletcher

Saturday-The Twin Coast Trail is an 80km cycling trail that has never been completed. It is supposed to run from Horeke west of Okaihau to Opua largely following old rail bed. The 28km return section between Kaikohe and Okaihau initially climbs till a tunnel is reached, flattens out slightly then climbs again to Lake Omapere and flattens out again finally till Okaihau is reached. At this point it was time for an early lunch accompanied by the only rain shower of the day. The return trip was quite fast due to some good downhill grades. It is a very scenic section and well worth the effort. Unfortunately, on our return we discovered that Karen & Bryan’s car had been broken into meaning that they had to make an early and draughty return to Auckland with a broken window. Sue’s car had also been entered by 8 jemmying the window with no real damage. This is not a good advert for the area in attempts to increase recreational tourism. Five of the group decided to also cover the 14km return section which runs south of Kaikohe to Mangakahia Rd. It is largely downhill which means a small uphill slog at the end of the day.

We dined at the Paihia Ex Serviceman’s Club on Saturday night which provides excellent meals.

The Otira-Okaihau section of the north rail line closed down by 1983. Deregulation of the road transport industry was its death knell. It had a daily railcar service up to 1968 and freight services till the end. The Otira-Opua section suffered a similar fate coupled with the port receiving little use.

Sunday- The promised rain turned up at 8.30 on Sunday. We all decided to delay any activity till after lunch which was most fortunate in some ways as Maureen & I received an e-mail from her sister to say she had broken her arm, so we decided to return to Auckland. I understand that there was an afternoon cycle ride from Opua to Kawakawa and back. This is a very beautiful section following the estuary. The 4km link from Taumarere to Kawakawa is by vintage train or road.

Comment-It is unfortunate that the section between Mangakahia Rd and Otira is still incomplete due to land disputes. Our experience in the is that cycle trails are creating a large number of employment opportunities and contributing to regional development. This particular trail has the advantage of being able to be cycled all year round and once finished would be able to put in place all the infrastructure to support it.

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On a recent weekend cycle trip a prominent member of the club arrived in Kaikohe and he learnt to his astonishment on opening the boot that he had left his front wheel behind in Auckland. The said member was too embarrassed to give an interview, the bicycle was in no frame of mind to give one, but a spokesman issued the following statement-:

Having suffered the indignity of sitting in the boot of a car for 24 hours minus a wheel, the cycle then had to suffer a further indignity of being taken to a local bike hire firm and be fitted with a wheel from another bicycle which the said member had been able to acquire for half the rate of a normal cycle hire. As this indignity had to be endured for nearly 3 days, a number of anti-rejection drugs had to be administered as this was the cycle equivalent of a limb or organ transplant. After the third day the temporary “transplant” was disposed of the cycle was eventually reunited with its missing “limb”. The member commented that in future when leaving on a Friday night he would anchor the wheel to his bed the night before on the side on which he got out of it, thus ensuring that he knocked it over next morning on getting out of bed and would immediately put the bicycle and the wheel in his car, thus ensuring no repeat of this unfortunate incident.

Peter’s further report on the weekend:

Sunday welcomed us with heavy rain, so we stayed inside our cosy accommodation not envious of the participants of the Piahia half marathon. By lunch time the rain had gone and we set of on a very scenic cycle ride from Opua to Taumarere through tunnels and over bridges. We timed it right (by chance) to meet with the steam train and caught a lift to Kawakawa. Seems strange riding a train down the main street of a town surrounded by cars. After a quick loo stop at the famous Hundertwasser toilets we cycled by road 5km back to rejoin the cycleway to Opua.

As we had all enjoyed the meal at the Piahia RSA the previous night, we returned their again on the Sunday night. Delicious food at very reasonable prices.

Monday: Most opted to head home, but Peter & Louis took another ride, this time around the Kerikeri area (even delivering a passport along the way. How's that for service!). With needing to return "one hired front bike wheel" to Kaikohe and visiting Peter's old flatmates at Helena Bay we didn't get back to Auckland until 8pm. Great weekend. Thanks Bruce & Maureen.Hope Sue enjoyed her 1st weekend away with the club, we certainly enjoyed having you along.www.nzcycletrail.com/twin-coast-cycle-trail.

Peter (one wheel short of a bike!) 9

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Ohakune trip..

Mike Denyer is planning on renting a house for a week from 20 June at Ohakune and welcomes others who which to join him to enjoy the winter wonderland.

If interested contact Mike on 817-5811 or [email protected]

The new Committee of 2015 and the assistants to operations( last x4 on the list)

Jill Engle President 626 4325 [email protected]

Wendy Bassett Secretary 832 2869 [email protected]

Trish Hopkins TreasurerFMC mag 835 4405 [email protected] distributor

Louis Allerby Vice President 827 9047 [email protected]

Louis Segedin Trip Coordinators 817 6478 [email protected] Peter Tuohy 828 3274 [email protected]

Colin Spencer Marketing and 838 5706 [email protected] New Members

Shirley Bulog Club night speakers 810 9303 [email protected]

Malcolm Wednesday walks 627 4495 [email protected] Robinson Membership Database

Chris Green Newsletter printing 838 5888 [email protected]

Joy Prebble Social Convenors 813 5330 [email protected] Shirley Bulog 810 9303 [email protected]

Joy Prebble Supper Host 813 5330 [email protected]

Tom Wood Locator Beacon holder 815 5795 [email protected] Mark Vazey Gear Steward 8271552 [email protected] Miriam Harwood Overdue parties 8189314 [email protected] Jill Dingle Newsletter Editor 8323459 [email protected]

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