Twenty-one people had an interesting afternoon exploring Devonport’s two volcanic cones North Head and Mt Victoria in two separate walks. We started our first walk at the carpark halfway up North Head, and followed the route of the DOC self-guided walk that brings out North Head’s military history. North Head’s history as a defence goes back to pre-European times as a Maori pa. In the late 19th century North Head was set up as a defence fort against a possible invasion by Russia, and subsequently played the same role in both World Wars. In the 1950s it became a base for compulsory military training for young men. Despite all that, New Zealand was never attacked. The self-guided walk began at the North Battery, designed to defend Rangitoto Channel, then began to drop down to follow the coast beneath the cliffs of North Head. This made a pleasant walk first of all with views of Rangitoto then going right around to look into the Waitemata Harbour and Auckland city. The track was built during World War II to service the searchlights. We couldn’t get right around to Torpedo Bay; Torpedo Bay Wharf was in a restricted military area. Instead the track climbed up through a tunnel built by prisoners in 1892 to house a searchlight.

At the minefield observation post above the tunnel Leo told us how he remembered as a teenager during World War II that the harbour was full of American navy ships dropping soldiers off for shore leave or hospital treatment. We then walked through the old engine room and up to the South Battery which defended Waitemata Harbour where we had a look at the disappearing gun.

After a short rest stop we carried on around the North Head summit then climbed up onto it.  Up till a year or so ago the summit area was closed off to the public, having been used as a training base for the navy. Now it is the headquarters of DOC’s Auckland Conservancy. From there we dropped down to the carpark to drive to the start of the road up Mt Victoria. We took a mown track that climbed up the north side of Mt Victoria to the summit. We were able to look back to North Head, where we had just been, and also look north to Bayswater and Ngataringa Bay where the Club had walked in May. From there we dropped down the south side to follow a track that follows the foot of the north side of the mountain and domain boundary back to where we left the cars. From there it was a short walk to the movie theatre cafe for a welcome coffee or icecream. COST: $2