| Auckland Baptist Tramping Club |
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TUTAMOE TRUNDLE Mt Tutamoe 9-10 Nov |
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Saturday There were 8 of us who met at the trail head for the Mt Tutamoe tramp, all arriving on time for a 10:30am start. Mark and Murray came from Auckland, a journey of 215 km, while Roger and Heather made their way from Langs Beach. Penny, Ali, Phil, and Bev travelled from Whangarei. The first hour was a pleasant ascent through a pine forest on a two-lane track road, which provided a great opportunity to catch up with others in the group. Once in the bush, the track followed a ridge through dense lowland hardwood and podocarp forest, featuring trees like tawa, kowhai, maire, miro, and rimu. After a steady climb of about 40 minutes, the track became very steep in the last 50m before the summit, requiring us to climb over rocks and roots. The tramp was a good gauge of one's fitness, involving mud and uphill scrambles along with heavy breathing. After approximately 1½ hours, we emerged at the summit, which provided stunning 360-degree views. To the north, we could see Maunganui Bluff; to the south, Dargaville and the Kaipara Harbour; and to the east, the Whangarei Heads. We were fortunate to have clear skies during our lunch at the summit, which stands at 1,354 feet (770 meters) above sea level. The descent required careful attention due to the steepness of the track, but we all returned safely to the cars after completing the 9 km round trip. From there, we travelled to Penny's place in Parua Bay, a 64 km journey, where we stayed overnight. After refreshing showers, we went out for dinner at a local eatery and met up with Gary and Margaret. Penny proved to be a great host, offering a house with wonderful views. Following dinner, we indulged in our traditional practice of watching the All Blacks beat Ireland while enjoying a dessert of strawberries and ice cream, a good time relaxing. Sunday We rose early to have breakfast and then walked to Motukiore Island in Parua Bay, accessible only at low tide. The track led us through mangroves and mud, taking about an hour. We returned to Penny's place for snacks and refreshment before packing up and heading back to Auckland, a drive of 176 km that took approximately 2½ hours. COST: travel $50, food $10 |
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