2025-10-01 < Weekly activities > 2025-10-15
Activity summary: Wednesday 2025 Oct 08 to Tuesday 2025 Oct 17
Wednesday
E Johnsonville, Old Coach Rd to Kaukau, down Bell's track to Ngaio led by Jean Morgan. 8M
On a very windy day with a few pockets of shelter we made our way across the tops from Johnsonville up the Old Coach Rd down Bell’s Track to Awarua St. As one member of the group missed her train connection we began with 8 members. However, she caught up with us by walking up Awarua St until she reached Kaukau where we had lunch and she walked down the hill back to Awarua St.
Before the 8 of us reached Kaukau two members left to return to their car as one member has back problems so the steps were a problem. We were then six members. Then the member who missed her connection met up with us so we were seven members. After lunch one member left to go down Simla Crescent and another returned the way we had come to reach her car so we were five members. Believe it or not we did manage to keep up with everyone and it was quite a pleasant walk which certainly blew the cobwebs away.
EM Whakanui loop led by Angela Vanderpoel. 15M
We enjoyed a great trip in good weather conditions. Time 5 hrs 5 mins (incl stops). Distance 10.5 km
From Hine Road in Wainuiomata, we walked up the Whakanui Track to the junction with the McKerrow track. Clear weather allowed us to enjoy the views down over Wainuiomata and towards Wellington when we stopped for morning tea. A cool breeze meant we didn’t stop for long, continuing on the Whakanui Track, until we met the East Whakanui Track.
Here we took an unmarked link track to our lunch spot in amongst the ferns and goblin forest. Having duly admired one of our member’s rather fetching 700g folding chair, we looped back to the McKerrow Junction and returned downhill to our start point. Pretty muddy in parts and some treefall across the track to negotiate but after all the rain of the preceding week it was wonderful to be able to get out for a decent leg stretch. Lovely track with good variety.
M Gollans Stream led by Jim Gibbons. 14M and 1NM
The weather forecast in the days leading up to Wednesday 8th was poor, but on the Tuesday the forecast improved and the number of participants doubled. On the day it was windy but that did not matter in the valley.
We started at Days Bay and went up the Kereru track to the ridgeline, then down a trapline into Gollans valley. Then downstream, past the ‘S’ bend and into the gorge, which was slow going with a party of 15. We continued downstream for a while then took an untracked spur up to middle ridge and on up to Hawtry. From there we were back on a track. The trip took 6 ½ hours, generally slow going as expected with a large party off track.
Jim Gibbons ( leader). Carolyn Jenkins, Leonore Hoki, JP Mautner, Helen Beaglehole, Joan Basher, Lois Buckrell, Paul Bruce, Alan Graham, Colin Hoare, Cathy Wylie, Marlyn Richards, Rob Handyside, Judy Alexander, Peter Panettresi.
SF Turere Stream: exploration from the bottom led by Mike Wespel-Rose
This started out as a SF trip going to Turere Stream and was changed to MF trip to Rae Ridge to Dennan then changed again to the hills above Ohiro Bay Quarry; All because of poor weather forecasts. Because of an uncrossable river and gales and showers forecast for higher parts of the route I cancelled this trip.
Instead, 4 of us started from the Quarry carpark at end of the road at Ōwhiro Bay. We went up the steep track on the right just after the road end and on the edge of the quarry. We were very pleased to find the gorse section had a very manageable route through. Then on via farm road to radar station. along the ridge to the southern Trig and down and up and down to Sinclair Head for an early lunch. Down the stream to the beach and back along the beach past Red Rocks to the car. About 5 hours. A LOVELY walk.
Saturday
M Otaki Forks to Sheridan Creek led by Bill Allcock
Trip cancelled due to bad weather. (Via another email) And just for your awareness (and for my confirmation of the call), I drove over the Ōtaki River bridge on SH1 at 1640 and it was raging bank to bank and frothing brown Not a nice day on the western side of the range here in Kapiti.
Total 41 members and 1 non members