He said, “Why has the skin been taken off the land?”
Paths have been set up through the jumble of roots and branches and there are still quite extensive stands of trees here and there. Also, there has been a good deal of replanting.
There was a pleasant contrast when we crossed back over the main road and headed down towards the Waikato River.
We followed a path high above the stream, a view of which would every now and then open up where in rich greeny blues the clear water gently swirled northwards.
We went all the way down to the hot water beach, which is not really worthy of the labels ‘hot’ or ‘beach’, being not much larger than your average postage stamp, but nevertheless, the warm water does bubble up between your toes which is a pleasurable sensation.
Wednesday Walker contacts: ph 073773065; email wednesdaywalkers@myyahoo.com.
Monday Walkers
On Monday, we had a great time walking in the Galatea area.
The settlement was named after HMS Galatea, a British ship that in 1869 brought the then Duke of Edinburgh, son of Queen Victoria, to visit New Zealand.
Our first foray was a short one. All passengers scanned the roadside en route to Murapara for the elusive entrance to the Kaingaroa Rock Carvings.
The odometer told us we were nearby, but even so it took sharp eyes to spot the non-descript wooden steps leading to a trail through bush and onto a large overhanging rock shelter.
There on the wall, partially obscured by moss and lichen, were carvings of canoes, zig-zag and ladder figures and faces. What a surprise.
Some canoes had spirals etched into them.
Apparently, they were discovered during Kaingaroa forestry work.
Their history is still conjecture, with some suggesting they represent the Great Fleet, but they are well protected by metal fencing.
Sadly, the information board was also protected by the same railing and was illegible.
Tucked alongside the western border of what, between 1954 and 2014 was the Urewera National Park and now is the legal entity of Te Urewera is the Galatea Foothills track, our next destination.
We left the Horomanga River area, crossed a dew-wet paddock and wooden stile and were soon in a wonderful kānuka forest.
Tree ferns and kawakawa, some with heart-shaped leaves latticed by caterpillar action, provided colour and texture to our surroundings.
Birds made their presence known, with pīwakawaka flittering fearlessly near but never close enough to settle on our hands.
Either this track is kererῡ heaven, or one bird was determined to follow our progress for the whole walk.
Part of the trail follows a fence line of farmland.
Quite a contrast to the bush but with views of Mt Tarawera, Edgecumbe and possibly Ngongataha.
The track follows the Te Whaiti Fault and the land that was once a basin is now fertile after being filled with volcanic ash and soil coming down from the hills.
A fenced-off deer trap was a reminder that in 1907 eight Java Rusa deer, natives of Indonesia, were released here and have, remarkably, acclimatised to the conditions.
These wary animals graze in the open and retreat to the forest at night.
The track has several stream crossings; today, most were better described as streambeds as there was no water to cross.
We peered up one valley at the huge boulders and imagined the flow that shifted them into position.
The dryness also meant some of the banks we climbed up had very loose surfaces, but the track is in very good condition and was well decorated with orange directional arrows.
It is a running track for some, so we won’t confess how long it took to walk but we probably stopped to enjoy the scenery and definitely for lunch, so we do have an excuse.
The final hurdle before resting our boots was the plank. Slightly wider and more robust than our last visit, but still narrow and suspended over water.
Who knew there were so many balancing styles?
We can report none resulted in a splash in the shallow water.
This is a lovely track with plenty to interest a walker but please be aware neither ends were signposted.
To join us or for more information please email walkersmondaytaupo@gmail.com or follow us on Facebook at “Taupo Monday Walkers”.
