23 trampers did the Montana Heritage Trail, a circuit beginning at the Cascades Car Park and taking in
the Waitakere Dam and Reservoir. As we gathered in our circle for intros a quick hail shower passed over.
We set out at 9:23am to do this in a clockwise direction, beginning with a kauri dieback cleaning station
and footbridge over the Cascade Stream. The whole Montana Heritage Trail has been done up to a high standard
- boardwalks, staircases and gravel benched tracks, to prevent the spread of kauri dieback, and all the
bush outside these tracks are rahui (access ban) for the same reason. Then came a long uphill grunt including
a large succession of wooden staircases, a really good workout. We had our morning tea break at the track
junction near the Waitakere Dam, and some of us wandered on to the dam to have a look at the spillway
and the start of the Waitakere Tramline track which is now within the rahui. From there we carried on
across a grass-covered side weir, and saw a solitary paradise shelduck perched on the fence. There was
more uphill as we continued along the Fenceline Track and on to Long Road Track.
We had our lunch
break further along the track, and Geoff Tremain gave the devotions. He recalled his experience with
Outward Bound in his 20s, particularly a day of rock climbing that terrified him. Despite initial fears
and rumours about accidents during the course, he realized that safety measures were in place, such as
harnesses and a belay system, which would prevent serious injury from falls. Geoff described how, after
the first shock of falling, he learned to relax while hanging and even found opportunities to continue
climbing. This experience became a metaphor for facing fears. He emphasised how trusting in God can help
people confront their fears, quoting Philippians 4:13, which says, "I can do all things through Christ
who strengthens me. " This verse serves to explain that Paul, who wrote it while in prison, meant to
express contentment in all circumstances because of his faith in God. Geoff reflects on the lesson learned
from climbing: falling is not fatal when there is a safety system in place. He related this to faith,
suggesting that being connected to God provides a similar safety net in life. To conclude, the speaker
shared a verse from Isaiah 43, which reassures believers that God is always with them, promising safety
and protection through difficult times. This verse encapsulates the idea of being safe in God's hands
and is a reminder that God's promises are relevant to His followers today.
We carried on down
the Upper Kauri Track, again a series of gravel track, boardwalks, and staircases. In one place we could
see the remains of the original track, a smaller boardwalk in the bush. At the bottom the track joined
the track we had begun with, before crossing the stream and finishing with the dieback footwash. We were
back at the carpark about 2pm, having completed a good 10.4km workout.
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