2026-02-18 < Weekly activities >
Activity summary: Wednesday 2026 Feb 25 to Tuesday 2026 Mar 3
Wednesday
Easy: Zealandia led by Liz Martin. 9M
Nine members had a merry time at Zealandia on a blue bird day. Many tracks were still closed due to storm damage, so the original itinerary couldn't be followed and a shorter trip was undertaken. However the birds were in fine form, and the Group agreed they had never before seen quite so many tuataras out sunning themselves.
Easy Medium: Island Bay - Houghton Bay circuit led by Janice Tijsen. 9M
Nine trampers left Reef St at 10 am. Walked up to Oku St reserve and admired the Cook Strait views. Walked down to Happy Valley Rd and then walked alongside the Owhiro Valley stream, beside the school. We then walked up Frobisher St to Tawatawa reserve. We found a shady spot to have morning tea. We then walked down through the Manawa Karioi reserve and across to Dee St., which is on Island Bay’s eastern side. We walked up through bush reserve behind Dee St and wound our way up to Buckley Rd. We had lunch at Sinclair Park again finding shade on an increasingly hot day. We walked down through a bush track nestling Houghton Valley School and onto View Rd. We them walked up to Te Raekaihau Point which is the headland of Houghton Bay. The views were worth the trek. Three people peeled off on an earlier track to Princess Bay and one person took an earlier shortcut to her nearby home. Five people finished the walk at 2.30pm at Reef St by walking from another track down to Princess Bay and walking around the coast.
Medium: A Wellington Circuit led by Ann Walker. 12M
Scout Den-Wrights Hill-near Hawkins Hill-Tip Track - Tawatawa Reserve track-City to Sea-Ohiro Road-Transient Track-Fenceline-Scout Den. The group departed the Scout Den at the top of Campbell St Karori at 8.15am. We climbed up to the Wrights Hill lookout 358m, and followed around the western side of the Sanctuary fence to its southernmost point where it joins the road. Then south along the track parallel to the road, to shortly before Hawkins Hill, after which we followed the track just below the road. We continued along the Tip track, enjoying morning tea on a wonderful vantage point in perfect weather. On arriving at the road and tip entrance, we turned north up Happy Valley Road to the Tawatawa Reserve entrance [Owhiro Bay], climbing up to the carved statue [pouwhenua] at the summit, erected in 1981, weighing 2 tonne and serving as a landmark commemorating the history of the area. We continued along a bush track onto Mornington Golf Course and enjoyed lunch in very welcome shade at the Farnham Street playground, prior to continuing across Macalister Park and continuing along the City to Sea track. We walked past Central Park and continued up to Ohiro Rd, Brooklyn and at Mortimer Tce turnoff, the group [now minus 3 members] traversed back to Karori using the Transient Track and Highbury Fling, arriving at the Zealandia fenceline and George Denton Park. We continued briefly along Highbury Road just beyond the bus turnaround area, then into bush, progressing down the Zealandia fenceline to Waiapu Road. The group dropped into the stream just below Zealandia and climbed back up the other side to rejoin the fenceline track, returning to the Scout Den. 25 kms, with a total elevation gain of about 900m
Medium +: Tunnel Gully - Climie area led by Diana Munster. 15M
We all met at Upper Tunnel Gully Carpark around 8.30am in lovely fine weather. Refuelled by morning tea no#1, we headed along Tanes Track for 5 minutes to a seat. Here we went “off-track” to the east, up a spur, stopping for morning tea #2 at 10am (somewhere near point 614m). We then followed the ridge south to point 857m where we had an early lunch then on to join the Mt Climie Road just before the 1st repeater (831m). The actual summit (862m) is at the 2nd repeater about 20 mins further along the road. But as we had all been there before, lethargy and the temptation of ice creams on route home outweighed any thoughts of peak bagging for most of us. So after stopping for a view and refreshments (dried pineapple and dragon fruit- thankyou Tracey), we descended the road leading back to the carpark. Ten of us did a small deviation about 100m above the carpark. We took a route taking us to Tanes track and carpark. Here we experienced a small navigational moment, the muddiest part of the trip, and 1 pair of sunglasses went missing in tunnelling under an obstacle. For all this we thought it much nicer than the road. We were all back at the carpark around 3pm.
Medium Fit: Poads Rd. - Square Knob led by Jenny Mason. 3M
From Poads Rd we crossed the Ohau by the old water intake and followed an overgrown trail that led the three of us upriver and then up on to the ridge above. Here we picked up the benched track that we followed to Square Knob. From here there's a very good footpad leading down the ridge that divides the North Ohau from the Ohau. We crossed this track two weeks ago and I wanted to know where it went. We followed it down to a flattish spot at 680 m, where it just petered out!! So, we backtracked a little and descended to the Ohau along the taped spur that we had followed two weeks ago. Then we had a swim and walked out.
Weekend
Lodge workparty 27th Feb. to 1st March: Tararua Lodge led by Jenna Thoms.
Unfortunately, the trip didn't go ahead. The weather was forecast for rain both days so we had to cancel. Hopefully Vivienne's trip can go ahead weekend of 20th March.
Saturday 28th
Medium Fit: Whakatīkei Stream led by Marie Henderson. 2M and 1NM
Three of us did the Whakatīkei trip on Saturday. Two members and one from wtmc. We had access generously granted to cross private land which added interest to the route in. We changed how we got to the river as the morning felt a bit autumnal for early river swims. The early spur down had just the right level of interest. Including some impressive tree fall from recent wind. We were lucky as it was all easy to get round. Whakatīkei river is a little gem. It is a lovely river amble on the flats section. The last section narrows and has a few swims (but fun as at 1pm the sun was out). GWRC (my guess) provide a lovely ladder at their monitoring station to make the exit fun and obvious. The blackberries, along the way, were delicious. It's a lovely trip with a very good mix of variety and options to have a lovely summer river trip.
Total 51 members and 1 non member