Four very popular areas of the northern Waitakere Ranges were the focus for an easy jaunt by eighteen trampers - the Cascades, Waitakere Dam, Waitakere Tramline and Pukematakeo. From the Cascades carpark we set out about 9am first of all to see the Cascades. This almost completely hidden waterfall at the end of a deep and narrow gorge can only be viewed by scrambling over some rocks at the end of a ten-minute walk from the carpark. Even then only  a tiny part of it is visible - to see it all one would have to brave the cold water and swim to its base. We then carried on along the Anderson Track, crossing a bridge and passing a couple of large kauri trees before turning right and taking the track leading to Waitakere Dam. This started with a steep climb, up steps at first and then over roots of trees. After a well-earned rest at the top it took about ten minutes to reach the Waitakere Dam, our elevenses stop. There was some conversation about the serious water shortage of four years ago, when reservoir levels in Auckland’s water supply dams were less than a third of their capacity and severe water rationing was threatened, as we watched water trickle over the spillway from a full lake. On our way again, we dropped down to follow the Waitakere Tramline, an old railway visited numerous times by the Club over the years, at least twice on the train that runs on the line. We did not see the train this time, but were able to enjoy the bush, tunnel and the views both back to the dam and down the valley to the Cascades golf course. As we left the line to climb up to Scenic Drive we passed a large group of girls from Diocesan School doing a Duke of Edinburgh bronze award test - they were tramping through to the ATC hut on Anawhata Road, returning next day to the end of Christian road via Cutty Grass Track and Fairy Falls. A twenty minute roadbash brought us to the summit of Pukematakeo, our lunch stop. Once upon a time, back in the 1960’s, motorists driving to this spot from Scenic Drive would drive under a bridge on the way up, then over that bridge to get back to Scenic Drive; now both the up and down access roads join up just before the summit, leaving the bridge closed off and become dilapidated. We were able to admire a 360° view as we ate - the Waitakere Dam to the south, Auckland city to the east, the farms of southern Kaipara to the north and the Tasman Sea to the west. We returned to the cars via Pukematakeo Track, an easy half hour downhill through bush from the down access road to the Cascades access road five minutes walk from the carpark. We were out by 1:30pm. COST: $3