Over the last year or so I've been taking you on a scenic tour of the beaches and bush of the Waitakere Ranges (and there's more to come!) that we've explored through a series of day trips in the car. Another way to see them, which we might just attempt one day once the boys have matured into the fine strapping lads they're becoming, is at ground level through a tramp on the Hillary Trail.
Named for Sir Edmund (Yeah, nah, I reckon I can climb that, mate) and a 'personal Everest' for many, the Hillary Trail is a 70-km (43-mile) woodland trail through the Waitaks. And I mean all the way through, starting just outside Titirangi and ending at Muriwai. And consider the elevations we're talking about:
Obviously this is too much for anyone but some sort of maniac to complete in one day. The usual idea is to put on your backpack and to make a four-day excursion of it, camping overnight at the three rustic campgrounds (also known as 'fields') along the way. The official Trail guide sums up the experience thusly:
"It is likely to rain for at least part of your trip. Many tracks will be steep, rutted, 'rooty' and slippery, and you may be up to your ankles in mud. There are unbridged stream crossings which may include water above the knee. You can experience a variety of surfaces, including gravel and steps, and you will also have to walk for short periods on public roads, some of them busy. The fitter you are, the more you will enjoy the experience. The days are long. You will be climbing up and down hills and walking up to 27 km in a day. You will have to carry a heavy pack with your tent, sleeping bag, extra clothing, and four days' worth of food [and water]."
Awesome, right?
I was impressed to find that a path I took at one of the beaches was not just a trail, but part of the Trail.
At first, I admit that I smugly thought to myself, 'Pish-posh, this is neither rugged nor imposing. Granted, there's a bit of mud, but a boardwalk is hardly an adventure.'
But that only ran for about ten feet before plopping me back down into the wet clay. Then a picker-bush, the likes of which I've never seen before, accosted me most rudely and I spent a good five minutes delicately extricating myself.
And after that the whole trail squelched down into the Swamps of Sadness...
...and I was forced to admit that I was punching above my weight and I turned back. But from now on I can always proudly say that I walked the Hillary Trail! Yep, a good hundred meters of it.
Before wisdom won out over valor, however, I attempted to circumvent the quagmire by taking to a side-trail that went off into the bush. Where I found something interesting:
The crate contains spray bottles of a bleach solution and a wire brush. You're supposed to scrub the dirt off the bottoms of your shoes and then disinfect them with the spray. The reason for this is that you could be carrying a certain type of fungus on your shoes, and if you track it in to where the Kauri pine trees live, you'll infect them with 'Dieback', dooming them to a sad, slow death akin to Dutch Elm Disease.
I was also warned not to eat the possum bait nor, apparently, the possums themselves...
and to leave the traps alone while I'm at it.
Named for Sir Edmund (Yeah, nah, I reckon I can climb that, mate) and a 'personal Everest' for many, the Hillary Trail is a 70-km (43-mile) woodland trail through the Waitaks. And I mean all the way through, starting just outside Titirangi and ending at Muriwai. And consider the elevations we're talking about:
Obviously this is too much for anyone but some sort of maniac to complete in one day. The usual idea is to put on your backpack and to make a four-day excursion of it, camping overnight at the three rustic campgrounds (also known as 'fields') along the way. The official Trail guide sums up the experience thusly:
"It is likely to rain for at least part of your trip. Many tracks will be steep, rutted, 'rooty' and slippery, and you may be up to your ankles in mud. There are unbridged stream crossings which may include water above the knee. You can experience a variety of surfaces, including gravel and steps, and you will also have to walk for short periods on public roads, some of them busy. The fitter you are, the more you will enjoy the experience. The days are long. You will be climbing up and down hills and walking up to 27 km in a day. You will have to carry a heavy pack with your tent, sleeping bag, extra clothing, and four days' worth of food [and water]."
Awesome, right?
I was impressed to find that a path I took at one of the beaches was not just a trail, but part of the Trail.
At first, I admit that I smugly thought to myself, 'Pish-posh, this is neither rugged nor imposing. Granted, there's a bit of mud, but a boardwalk is hardly an adventure.'
But that only ran for about ten feet before plopping me back down into the wet clay. Then a picker-bush, the likes of which I've never seen before, accosted me most rudely and I spent a good five minutes delicately extricating myself.
And after that the whole trail squelched down into the Swamps of Sadness...
...and I was forced to admit that I was punching above my weight and I turned back. But from now on I can always proudly say that I walked the Hillary Trail! Yep, a good hundred meters of it.
Before wisdom won out over valor, however, I attempted to circumvent the quagmire by taking to a side-trail that went off into the bush. Where I found something interesting:
The crate contains spray bottles of a bleach solution and a wire brush. You're supposed to scrub the dirt off the bottoms of your shoes and then disinfect them with the spray. The reason for this is that you could be carrying a certain type of fungus on your shoes, and if you track it in to where the Kauri pine trees live, you'll infect them with 'Dieback', dooming them to a sad, slow death akin to Dutch Elm Disease.
I was also warned not to eat the possum bait nor, apparently, the possums themselves...
and to leave the traps alone while I'm at it.
2 comments:
According to your description, this is a trail to be taken very serioulsly - but could be done by above-average souls such as you and your family!
I'm impressed that the Kiwi's take so much effort to protect the Kauri Pines and I do hope it is making a difference. Also, thanks for the link to your 2010 blog entry about the possum. It's too bad that the trapped animal is doomed to become slippers.
I recognize the header picture from one that Jeanne posted on fb earlier this year! Flax leaf weaving has probably become a profitable skill for some enterprising Kiwis!
Wow! A lot of info there but very interesting, thanks, Allie! Love you!!
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