BC5643 Upper Harbour walking guide Find out more: visit aucklandcouncil.govt.nz or phone 09 301 0101 Christmas Beach, Herald Island Contents Introduction Introduction 3 From easy walks to tramps suitable for the more Albany Scenic Reserve 4-5 experienced, Upper Harbour’s reserves have something to offer every keen walker. The Upper Harbour Walking Burnside Reserve 6-7 Guide takes you around some of the area’s coastal and Fernhill Escarpment river walk 8-11 bush reserves, pointing out native forests, local beaches, Gills Scenic Reserve 12-15 facilities and picnic areas. Herald Island 16-17 Many of the walks in this booklet are suitable for families and some tracks are buggy friendly. Hooton and Gills Road reserves 18-20 Others are more suitable for experienced walkers, and Luckens Reserve 21-23 sturdy tramping boots are recommended. Be sure to take Paremoremo Scenic Reserve 24-25 sunblock, a hat and a bottle of water with you to get the Rosedale North Reserve 26-29 most enjoyment out of your walk. Sanders Reserve 30-33 Three Streams Reserve 34-37 Upper Harbour overview map 38-39 When enjoying our beautiful parks please be mindful that all Upper Harbour parks are smokefree. 2 3 Albany Scenic Reserve Wright Rd Caution: Large Kauri Please be aware this park Main Track is a DoC reserve and they have the ability to restrict Exit / Entrance access as and when they deem necessary to Car park mitigate the effects of kauri dieback disease. Stream Bridge Wright Rd Albany Scenic Albany Heights Rd Reserve Albany Heights Rd Lonely Track Rd This is a one way bush walk down into gully forest and back out Car parking again. The track passes through many different vegetation types Car parking is limitedGills Rd to the southern side of the intersection of including stands of Kauri, dense gully broadleaf and exposed Gills, Lonely Track and Albany Heights Roads. ridge mixed scrub. Keep an eye out for the large Kauri tree which Local amenities is alongside the track. It is likely 700 years old. There are no toilet facilities. Experience level: Beginner General Length: 45 minutes (each way) This track is maintained by the Department of Conservation. Be sure to wash your shoes with the fungicide provided to stop the spread Distance: 1.2km of Kauri dieback. If you are walking back along Albany Heights Road Terrain: Moderate, undulating. Well defined. to your car, please take care. Best travelled by: Foot Dog access: Buggy friendly? No Dogs must be on-leash and under control. 4 5 Burnside Reserve Loop B us Albany Expressway hl an d P ar e k D is rive R u R i m Greville Rd Fernhill Pukatea Ave Escarpment Bush Road Greville Rd Pigeonwood Lane hla Burnside Bus nd Park Driv Escarpment e e s o l C e Drive Tawa H r ou h e e lac Clemows Lane P a ls e c x E Miro Place Henry Rose Place Clemows Orchard uels Lan m e Sa Floyds Lane Kri stin Lane Red Shed Lane Burnside Loop D e n Bush Road Bush im P Additional options la c e Exit / Entrance Rosedale Road Pond Rosedale Park Picnic area (Summer Only) Rosedale Park This is an easy suburban walk. Car parking Experience level: Beginner Plenty of street parking is available throughout the area. Length: 25 minutes Local amenities There is a bakery and a café on Rosedale Road opposite Rosedale Park. Distance: 1.6km General Terrain: Easy, combination of flat grass and suburban No public toilets are available in the immediate vicinity of the Reserve. footpaths. The area is suitable for picnics in the summer. Best travelled by: Foot or cycle Dog access Buggy friendly? Yes Dogs may be off-leash if under control. 6 7 Fernhill Escarpment river walk The Landing Caution: Track subject to closure at council’s discretion. Albany Expressway Seasonal access only. User discretion advised. University Ave y a w h ig Massey H y n a University lb A Massey University Bush Road Burnside Reserve Fernhill Escarpment Albany Highway Vanderbill Parade Stanford St Northwood Ave Bush Road Marquette Ave m Yo Brigha u n g D r Syracuse Pl i P v rinc Vanderbill Parade eton Parade e Dartmouth Pl 8 9 Fernhill Escarpment river walk Top Track Experience level: Intermediate Length: 15 minutes Distance: 608 metres Terrain: Moderate. Well defined, but very poor surface. Not recommended for small children. Best travelled by: Foot Buggy friendly? No Note: This track is muddy when wet and deeply rutted Fernhill Escarpment from water channelling in many places. Mountain bikers will also use the track. East of the cell tower the track turns onto This is a bush walk through a stand of primarily Totara. The forest Massey University [private] land. is of very high ecological value. Some trees within this reserve likely pre-date Maori arrival in New Zealand. Please show the appropriate respect for this natural environment. Cell Tower Detour The whole track is 1.7km and approximately 40 minutes (one way). Experience level: Beginner The track is lightly gravelled and reasonably well defined in most Length: 10 minutes places. A river crossing is located at the concrete bridge. The closest Distance: 800 metres access point to the bridge is from the end of Vanderbilt Place. Terrain: Moderate to steep. Winds slowly but surely Loops can be created by joining the top track, cell tower detour upwards, in poorer condition than the river walk. or Northwood/Brookfield track. Best travelled by: Foot Caution – do not cross or congregate beside the river in rainfall events. Buggy friendly? No This river can flash flood and swell to three times its size within minutes. Use is at walkers own risk. Northwood/Brookfield Albany Highway to concrete bridge Experience level: Beginner Experience level: Beginner Length: 22 minutes Length: 15 minutes Distance: 1,150 metres Distance: 550 metres Terrain: Easy, middle section is concrete footpath. Terrain: Easy, slight undulations. Reasonably well defined. Best travelled by: Foot or cycle Best travelled by: Foot Buggy friendly? No Buggy friendly? No Car parking Plenty of street parking is available on the surrounding suburban streets. Concrete bridge to Bush Road Local amenities Experience level: Beginner There are no toilet facilities available. There is a children’s playground in the area and picnic facilities available. Length: 25 minutes General Distance: 1,130 metres To the west, you can link through to The Landing Reserve and on to Terrain: Easy, slight undulations. Reasonably well defined. Kell Park and the Albany Village. Best travelled by: Foot Dog access Buggy friendly? No Dogs must be on-leash and under control. Dogs are prohibited from all playground surfaces and equipment. 10 11 Gills Scenic Reserve Hateld Pl Quail Drive Gills Rd Quail Drive C Sa a ler ro no l L R i e s e e Pl e v P e A Point Ridge Ave oint Ridg G e Naples Way n o a W a y Trig Clearing Living Stream Rd Bridge Gills Scenic Reserve Large totara Waterfall Seat t Nikau Grove Gold S Carol Lee Loop Dairy Flat Highway Gills Rd Bridge to Carol Lee Pl Track Main Loop Waterfall Track Gills Rd Hooton Reserve Footpath Shops and Cafes Exit / Entrance Dairy Flat Highway Gills Rd Car park To Kell Park Picnic Area 12 13 Gills Scenic Reserve Carol Lee Loop Waterfall track This is a bush walk over roughly formed tracks. Most tracks are The waterfall marks the upper reaches of the tidal Lucas Creek. gravel and narrow. There is one un-bridged crossing of a small Below the waterfall is estuarine (fresh and salt water mixing). stream. Take a one minute detour to the trig and enjoy views over Above the waterfall is fresh water only. A park bench allows a rest Albany to the south. with a view at the waterfall. There are two exits from this track which lead to the clearing/picnic area. From there you can connect to the Experience level: Beginner main loop. Length: 15 minutes Experience level: Beginner Distance: 600 metres Length: 5 minutes Terrain: Easy to moderate, undulating. Distance: 130 metres Best travelled by: Foot – clad with running shoes or better. Terrain: Mildly undulating Buggy friendly? No Best travelled by: Foot – clad with running shoes or better. Gills Rd to Carol Lee Place Buggy friendly? Yes Experience level: Beginner Northwood/Brookfield Length: 15 minutes Distance: 860 metres Experience level: Beginner Terrain: Moderate to strenuous. Length: 22 minutes Steep through the Nikau grove. Distance: 1,150 metres Best travelled by: Foot – clad with running shoes or better. Terrain: Easy, middle section is concrete footpath. Buggy friendly? No Best travelled by: Foot or cycle See also ‘Carol Lee Loop’ and ‘Main Loop’ information. Buggy friendly? No Main loop Car parking Parking is very limited on weekdays with approximately two on-street Though the nikau grove is steep, it is worth the effort. You are carparks available east of Gills Road bridge. On weekends, more street rewarded with very large coastal broadleaf trees such as puriri and parking should be available west of the bridge. Take care when crossing the bright textured understory of overlapping nikau fronds. Take the vehicle bridge on foot. a one-minute detour and check out the canopy of the large totara Car parking is also available at Carol Lee Place and the end of tree and views beyond. There are also views across Albany from the Naples Way. trig. The track coming down from the trig on the eastern side of the reserve is slippery when wet, but there is often a small dry area of Local amenities gravelled track off to one side.