The group met at 10 Bracken Ave to car pool and headed off shortly after 8-00am. We had a brief toilet
stop near Maramarua (there are no toilets on the track). Then headed off to the very end of North Road
where the track starts. The turnoff is just past the SH2 and SH27 junction – I mention this as there
are two North Roads on SH 27! We kept an eye on the weather forecasts in the week leading up to the tramp,
aware that it gets pretty wild on the range. However we ended up with a lull between two wet days and
had a pleasant and sunny day for the walk. There was a wild wind at the look-outs but beautifully calm
in the trees.
The team was well matched in walking speeds and the 13 of us mostly kept together
allowing good conversations, opportunities to point out things of interest and group photo opportunities.
The start of the walk was a steep climb through pine trees but this quickly morphed into natives
for the rest of the trip (aside from a short exposed section on the edge of farm land). We heard kereru,
grey warblers, magpies and tui but they were harder to spot.
The walk way is excellently marked
with an orange tag always visible – the leader only strayed once due to a 90 degree bend. This is referred
to as "lost corner" by a blogger who did the trip and also missed the turn. Recent rain made the ground
muddy in places but the main hazard was supple jack that has not been tamed for some time.
We
walked to the second lookout where we had lunch, devotions and photographs of members trying to fly.
Ted shared that Jesus gave a number of "sound bite" statements that have hours worth of thinking in
them. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and
with all your mind" is one of those. However we often think of it as telling us to love God. More likely
it is telling us how to love God. Sacrificing to and appeasing gods was common at the time but having
two way love with your God was not the norm.
The return trip had a couple of breather stops
then we left planning to meet at the first open café. The first three were closed so it was a quick but
dry trip home.
COST: travel from The Bracken $14
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