Trip Reports

Introductory: Hamlins Hill   —   15th September 2002

Written by Jackie

“Where is Hamlins Hill?” said Denise when she phoned before putting the WADTC notice in the local paper’s West Guide. “It’s that green hill on the right side along the Southern Motorway, just before the Tip Top building” I said, “where you can take the exit off to Mt Wellington Highway.” We decided to describe this walk as Pikes Point Walkway to Hamlins Hill, Onehunga.

Hamlins Hill was once the Westfield Meat Works holding paddocks for stock. In an article I read more than a year ago, it was partly Crown land and partly Auckland City Council’s. Now it is Mutukaroa Regional Park, of about 46 ha, with great views over a variety of industrial areas, urban dwellings, motorways, and the Manukau Harbour. It will blow all the cobwebs away and freeze you on a bad day, but is a beautiful place to ramble and enjoy the skylarks on a good day. Hard working citizens have planted around 20,000 trees on the motorway-facing slopes.

From where we parked the cars in Waikaraka Cemetery, we followed the walkway along the edge of the Mangere Inlet to the edge of Hugo Johnson Drive, and a very late morning tea in the gazebo in Southdown Reserve. A short walk along the Drive and on the other size, is an entrance to several industrial properties, where there is an alleyway to an overbridge to the Rail Station and over the lines to Southdown Lane. The alleyway is not easy to see, and we briefly lost four of our tail end there. From Southdown Lane, south along the Great South Road is the main entrance to Mutukaroa Regional Park.

Once through a couple of farm gates we walked the short farm road, and over the hill toward the city to the end of a paddock of friendly young heifers, then back along the fenceline just above the Southern Motorway, over the gate (this one was locked) and into the oldest planted area, where the manuka was in full flower. We had lunch in an open grassy area, some on the one very smart park seat.

The wind was a bit chilly, so we didn't linger too long, but picked up the track and went up the hill through the bush — now taller than us, to a pedestrian gate near the farm road. Into another paddock and along the ridge toward the Mt Wellington area, then in the opposite direction to the two water reservoirs above the Great South Road, which is probably the highest point. From there we wended our way downhill, a bit squishy underfoot in places, to the Sylvia Park Road exit/entrance and back past the big power pylon and various factory buildings to Southdown Lane. This time all twenty-four were present and correct (that included an American guest) when we got through the alleyway to retrace our steps along Pikes Point Walkway back to the cars shortly before 3 pm.