Trip Reports

Karamu Walkway   —   17 April 2005

Written by Christine

The Karamu Walkway ambles along the Kapamahunga Range that rises, above the Waikato, to the west. As most of the walking is in open farmland, the views are panoramic from this elevated position. It is a bit of a long drive from Auckland (oops — longer than what I had calculated) and the car shuttle can be a bit of a mission if you take the car rally on dusty bendy roads option (oops again), so the eleven of us did not set off up the Four Brothers reserve until 11ish. After a brief climb through pleasant regenerating bush we emerged onto pastures for our first views, with Kariori being the most prominent peak at this stage. Throughout the day we were to walk towards the Kakepuku and Pirongia volcanoes with the green Waikato stretching out to our left; in the distance the Kaimais and lower Coromandels, and in the foreground the mass of Maungatautari and, at times, the jumble of Hamilton’s buildings.

Some steepish undulations brought us to the Old Mountain Road and from here the remarkable limestone outcrops that characterise the walkway dominated our immediate landscape. Fossil hunting became the order of the day for the sharp-eyed and, yes, there were clearly shells embedded in the rocks.

Perched atop a rise we did the Happy Birthday and chocolate lunch thing. Then Peter was back to scouring the limestone formations for the elusive penguin bones. A shout of discovery from the Geologist brought most of us running back and after his initial evidence convinced few, the cute little penguin gracing a nearby rock face was quite a hit.

From the top of the final ridge a rain-enshrouded Pirongia loomed massively before us. Below was the swathe of forest through which we were to descend and behind us a landscape of serrated peaks. It was a delight to see a patch of rata as we made our way through the bush and then great festoons of kahikatea berries as we walked through the lower farmland. Fortified by liquorice allsorts, we crossed the rather oddly positioned and oversized suspension bridge to reach our cars before the rain. It was a wet and dark (oops again) arrival back in Glen Eden.

Thanks to everybody who shared my big FIVE O with me and especially to Chris and Margie for the sugar hits.