Auckland Baptist Tramping Club

As we met at the carpark beside the Huia Settlers Museum at 9am a shower passed over, making us don our raincoats that we would not need to use again on the tramp, and also making us transfer to a nearby shelter shed for our normal intros and karakia. But this was not just the usual intro time - many of us were taken back to our days in scouts and guides as leader Laurie handed out short pieces of string and showed us how to tie the first of several knots we would learn that day, the bowline. In the 1960s a tenderfoot scout would have to tie a bowline as one of several tests to qualify to wear the scout uniform. Laurie then invited us not only to tell our names but also the last tramp they had done. One of us also mentioned their first tramp back in the 1960s as a boy scout before taking their piece of string to put around their neck to imitate a scout scarf. We set out across the reserve to the coast and walked around it before heading inland to rejoin the road. The “sand” on the beach was a mixture of small shells. A grunt up an open paddock then into the bush brought us to the abseil platform overlooking the Karamatura farm. The figure of eight knot was our second knot of the day. We returned to the bottom of the hill before tackling the Fletcher Track that climbed steeply up the south side of the Karamatura Valley. Near the top some of us missed the track and clambered a very tricky section before realising the track went off to the left, but they did not have to come back down it. The ridge top near a lookout was a good place for our elevenses stop. We could see out over the Huia area. From there we carried on Fletcher Track following the ridge to join up with the Huia Ridge Track. In contrast to the uneven surface of the Fletcher Track the Huia Ridge Track to the summit of Mt Donald McLean was broad and easy. There were two viewing platforms on top of Mt Donald McLean. The eastern one had a good view of Manukau Harbour with Auckland city, the Sky Tower and Rangitoto Island in the distance; the western one overlooked Whatipu and the Manukau Heads. Although the weather was now fine and sunny, it was far too hazy to see Mt Taranaki in the distance. As we ate our lunch at the summit Laurie carried on the theme of ropes for our devotions, holding the rope he had used for showing us the knots. He said that ropes were useful for binding, letting down, and lifting. Laurie said that sin binds and hinders us on our life journey, and we need to ask God to forgive us and help us, quoting Isaiah 5:18 Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit, and wickedness as with cart ropes. He then read out Psalm 41 and concluded by saying that when we call out to God while struggling, He will deliver us, as brought out in that Psalm. Peter O prayed for a club member who was already making a good recovery from a mild stroke he suffered a week before. Back on our feet again, we went down Bob Gordon Track to the site of a driving dam from the old timber days. We grunted up to the Huia Ridge Track for our final knotsacising stop. It was a steady descent down the Karamatura Valley, the track being uneven and steep in places. At the bottom we had a quick look at the falls before carrying on out to the carpark. It was 4pm as we took off our tramping boots, and enjoyed tea, coffee and biscuits at the Ute Cafe as we reflected over our interesting day of knots, grunts, devotions, friend catchups and footsteps.

COST: $8