Relatively short Multiday Trip to Tama Lakes, Waihohonu Hut and Oturere hut and back out to Desert Road. Was going to go around to Mangetepopo Hut and complete the Northern Circuit though an updated 11:00 a.m. Weather report upon reaching Oturere Hut, the Ranger advised us not to proceed due to dangerously high wind gusts.
Click photo below to access the gallery…
Mount Ruapehu
Hut Rangers, Doug and Horse, who we met on the trail, were fantastic.
A dip in the Springs near Waihohonu Hut provided some much needed refresh and temporarily removed the pain of my Left foot.
The Road up to the Lighthouse becomes very windy half way up the Awhitu Peninsula. Beware new speed camera about 400m out (north along Awhitu Road) from Waiuku.
It was observed that a seemingly substantial percentage of the real estate was being marketed for sale, particularly the further north you went (e.g Big Bay). However the reason why this was the case remains unknown.
Short walks this afternoon to Mount Taupiri and Pukemokemoke, click picture below to access the photo gallery at NUI.NZ.
Kauri Trees at Pukemokemoke Reserve
The Taupiri Mountain Bushwalk was approved for by Maori Elder, Turnate Mahuta, and cared for by Local residents along with the Taupiri Young Farmers Club. Pukemokemoke Reserve is under the care of the David Johnstone Pukemokemoke Bush Trust in conjuction with Friends of the Pukemokemoke.
Both Bush Walks (to the summits and return) are about 1-2 hours each.
Elevation gain for Taupiri Mountain is approximately 270 while the elevation gain for Pukemokemoke is approximately 150.
Attended the Flight Centre Travel Expo briefly in the morning just to have a quick look. While it perhaps didn’t really inspire me to go traveling more than I currently do, it did put in perspective just how much people were willing to pay for convenience by buying a pre-arranged tour, even with the 15% Flight Centre Expo discount applied. Seems 180-450 per day per person is the norm and that is excluding flights.
Inside a Tour coach (Flight Centre Travel Expo)
While people will no doubt have differing views, based on one’s circumstances (You’re time poor, you have a family to look after, etc). I feel that planning a holiday yourself and researching in detail where to go, what to do, etc,is a large part of the Holiday experience.
I think it was the same deal with my Victoria, Australia trip to both the Grampians [Photos] and 12 Apostles [Photos]. Looked at tours available then in the end, decided to book a rental car myself and book accommodation myself for a much cheaper overall rate.
For those in a position to do so, self arranged holidays provided some advantages…
Not being rushed and hearded around. Take it at your leisure. Increased chances for better photo opportunities.
More flexibility to see what you want, do want you want.
Even for a solo traveler, booking your own transport and accommodation worked out cheaper than taking a pre-packaged tour.
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Quick little shots Miscellaneous shots from Cornwall park after having attended the Flight Centre Travel Expo. Was hoping to see some blossoms, but it didn’t quite eventuate as planned. It was also the middle of the day where most people would be visiting the park so didn’t quite get any descent photo opportunities that weren’t essentially just crowds of people…
Sunday 24th September 2017 – A walk up to Kohukohunui, Photos posted to NUI.NZ.
We first attempted to access Kohukohunui via Moumoukai Hill Road [Topo link], but we discovered upon reaching the road end car park, the place is now pasted in signs with “No Public Access permitted”.
We then drove on around the seabird coast to Waharau [Topo link] and started our ascent from there taking the most direct route towards “Kohukohunui” via Waharau Ridge Track connecting on to Mangatangi Ridge Track. We stopping at Thousand Acre Campsite shelter for Lunch (and stopped there again on the way back). Due to time and daylight constraints we returned back the same way.
Click picture below to Access the Photo Gallery.
Track Junction towards Kohukohunui Trig at the Eastern end of Mangatangi Ridge Track
Other notes, considerations and points of possible interest…
Difficulty Grade: Medium (Approximately 6 on a difficulty scale out of 10). Some moderately steep sections + some mud.
The side track to Kohukohunui Trig states 10 minutes (pictured above). In reality, this is closer to 20 minutes
Track condtion of Waharau Trig track is generally good with a handful of slightly muddy patches.
Conditions were very muddy for the last 1.5 km to Kohukohunui Trig.
Waharau Car park closes at 7:00 p.m. during the Winter season (During non day light saving times) and 9:00 p.m during the Summer season (During day light saving times)
Thousand Acre campsite has a fairly newly built shelter with one long drop toilet.
It was also today I learned that Raro cordial mix gives me bugger all energy and has little effect at helping me get up hills. Apparently a row from Whitakers Chocolate bar gives you eight to ten times more Calories to burn.
Rough Basic outline: Starting from Moumoukai Car park. Walk up Lilburne Road (past Upper Mangatawhiri Dam), Turn right onto Pukapuka Track. Walk up to Mangatangi Trig, Then walk down Mangatangi Trig Track and return back to car via network of gravel road.
If necessary, can cut this short by going down A.R.A Road.
Alternative shorter southern loop plan: Go up A.R.A Road, down Mangatangi Trig Track and back to car park via the network of roads.
Estimated Time: 8-10 Hours (Depending on pace, including allowances for stops)
Rough Basic Plan: Drive up Moumoukai Hill Road. (Parking near the end of the road). From the car park walk up Mine Road through to Mind Road Track, turn left with Intersection of Upper Mangatawhiri Track toward Kohukohunui Trig, return back via Kohukohunui Track
Estimated time: 8 to 11 hours (Depending on pace, including stops)
A spontaneous trip to do some little walks up north in and around Orewa and Waiwera. Photos uploaded to NUI.NZ. Click image below to go to the photo album.
They say Facebook causes depression. For me, it’s probably not the “Comparing yourself with others” / F.O.M.O (Fear of Missing out) trigger that I keep seeing exhorted in the media (in the lightest way possible, that aspect of Facebook has probably had the opposite effect),
What has instead perhaps “dampened my mood” is seeing the world’s masses getting deeply hooked and dare I say addicted to the platform owned by a corporate juggernaut (which we are collectively responsible for becoming a juggernaut, by virtue of joining the platform and getting our friends to join courtesy of the “network effect”) intent on eating up the entire Internet and irreversibly integrating itself into many people’s lives.
I really struggle to see this as a good thing for us collectively in the longer run. I question our decision to rely on a sole proprietary platform for keeping in touch with friends and family. I continually freak out about how much power over our lives we are collectively handing over to be concentrated into the hands of a single for-profit entity such as Facebook, especially so given their past and present behavior. Have people forgotten about “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely”?
I’ve referred to Facebook as “Face-borg” for this reason. It is really the Web’s version of Startrek’s Borg collective, relentlessly assimilating everything in it’s path.
Short 450m climb up to Karangahake Trig and back down the same way. The Settled forecast did not eventuate this time (mostly ended up with White) so will be one I have to come back again to do with a larger group and probably part of a weekend trip.
Click picture to view gallery (on NUI.NZ)…
Karangahake Gorge on a wet Day
Track conditions on Mt Karangahake Walk Track were very wet and slippery. Be very cautious particularly while descending down the track.
Recommend paying the extra for a guide for your first visit to the Sanctuary just to get an insight on where the wild life is hiding. The Sanctuary has yearly access options available which Is an option I would take up myself should I live in the Wellington Area. Aside from the main visiting area, the Sanctuary has quite a network of walking tracks [PDF].
NZ Shareholder’s Association conference on the following day was packed and fully subscribed. A number of speakers presented including…
Simon Mouter – Managing Director Spark Ltd
Cameron Bagrie – ANZ Bank Chief Economist
Mark Peterson – CEO NZX Ltd
Norah Barlow – Director, Estia Healthcare
Hartley Atkinson – CEO AFT Pharmaceuticals
Richard Keys – CEO Abano Healthcare Ltd
Margaret Bearsley/ Andrew Hudson – CEO/GC Takeovers Panel
…Recordings will be posted to the NZ Shareholders website for paid up NZSA Members.
Jetstar has so far been good to me (as is Air New Zealand with other trips). No Delays this trip. Maybe one advantage Jetstar has over Air NZ is that they offer meals with the Flexi ticket option at least for their Auckland to Wellington Leg (though I’m sure the extra 2nd meal I got on the way down wasn’t meant to happen and probably came about when I encountered a bug with their online booking system trying to select meals and seats)
Main highlights included Dukono (in North Maluku), Komodo, and Kelimutu. Running from about 29th July 2017 to 6th August 2017 on a rather packed schedule with about 12 different flights in total cris-crossing over the Eastern side of Indonesia.
View looking back down towards the campsite from near the crater of Gunung Dukono
Places stayed at (Will hyperlink these when I get over my Indonesian cold)…
Swiss-Bel Hotel Tuban
Julianna Hotel, Tobelo
A night in tents / bivvies on Gunung Dukono itself
Grand Dafam Hotel, Ternate
Sunset Hill Hotel, Labuan Bajo, Flores
Overnight on a boat anchored out at a bay with flying foxes.
Antoneri Lodge, Koanara, Kelimutu
Assorted Notes and observations… (Still to be filled out as of 2017-09-06)…
A large portion of the Indonesian private vehicle Fleet are Toyota “Avanza” and “Kijang” Multi-purpose vehicles. The older Kijang has a larger 2.0 litre motor with it’s smaller successor, the Avanza, having a smaller 1.5 litre motor.
The driving style over much of Indonesia is typical of many Asian national (except Singapore / Hong Kong) with a more aggressive driving style and which will often strike fear into Westerners who are not used to it.
The roads in the more remote parts of Indonesia that we visited where suprisingly good with many key routes sealed. Have to admit, was thinking the island of Halmahera to be mostly of gravel / dirt roads.
Everyone in the group took Anti-Malarials as we had entered into areas which were deemed as high risk.
After landing back in Auckland, Embarked on the Waterview, Tunnel Walk, kindly hosted by the NZTA. Could walk about 900m in via the Northnound tunnel then crossing over to the southbound tunnel to walk back. (Though have to admit, was thinking we could walk straight through to the other end)
Waterview Tunnel Southern entrance
Beware, Fixed Speed cameras at each end and variable speed limit up to a Maximum of 80km/h.
23rd to 26th June 2017 – Post Work formalities Road trip to the Grampians and The !2 Apostles (Now really only 7) along the Great Ocean Road before flying back home to Auckland.
The site of the 12 Apostles
After the Software Technical symposium concluded on Friday Afternoon, grabbed a rental car and drove to Halls Gap next to the Grampians National Park, staying at Comfort Inn Halls Gap. Continue reading “Grampians and Twelve Apostles Trip Notes”→
Return to the Whangarei area to catch up with a few friends. A short overnight walk to Peach Cove Hut via the shorter and direct Peach Cove Track, returning via Te Whara Track and staying up at the peak to take in the views of the Whangarei Area. Later on a short flat walk around Whangarei’s town basin. Pictures posted here.
View of the Whangarei Heads area from highest point on Te Whara Track.
