Taupō's Monday walkers prepare to leave after completing the The Great Lake Trail from Waihaha to Waihora.
On Monday we walked a 15km section of the Great Lake Trail from Waihaha to Waihora then took a scenic boat trip back to Kinloch.
What a great way to celebrate the arrival of meteorological summer.
We carefully picked our way down the humps and lumps of the metal and grassed track to the signposted entrance of the shared biking and walking trail.
There, we traded the brilliant sunshine for the shady shelter of regenerating bush.
The track was wide and soft underfoot due to all the leaf fall.
It was not long before we heard the harsh shriek of the koekoeā (Pacific long-tailed cuckoo).
Perhaps these summer-migrant cuckoos were responsible for the discarded small white eggshell we found on the ground, or the unhatched olive green egg which could have been laid by a pīpīwharauroa (Shining bronze cuckoo).
We heard the thud of a kererū (wood pigeon) in flight and a toutouwai (South Island Robin) singing.
Bravely edging this well-used cycle track were tiny delicate orchids – some white with pink tinges, a beautiful purple sun orchid and bearded orchids which had just passed flowering.
Wafts of the scent of hangehange (privet) and another sweet perfume came across the track intermittently. Brick-red, tightly coiled flowers of the rewarewa added colour to the leaf litter and no doubt provided nectar for the native bees we saw flying into a hollow in a rock face later on the track.
The Echo Rock fooled us, its surface causing a false perception of the direction the sound of a running stream was coming from.
From open areas we could marvel over the calmness and what a great expanse of water Lake Taupō is.
High on the bluffs, the track remained wide and well-compacted.
Bike Taupō completed this section of the trail in 2014, but this required hard work, ingenuity and even the use of explosives in places where the volcanic rock was particularly dense and hard.
Wooden seating and tables are branded with the names of individuals, local identities and companies who contributed to the trail’s construction.
Signage reflected their humour.
A bright yellow duck was impaled to a fallen pine tree hanging low across the track and a warning about rockfall suggested “no stopping” and that walkers “don’t bugger around”.
There were so many distractions to sense and see that it was just as well the whole trail was well-bridged and evenly surfaced and we did not have to worry about our footing.
We reached the landing beside the Kotukutuka Stream and, after a welcome hot drink, were soon boarding a barge and boat to visit two waterfalls, spot a trout and gaze up at the huge bluffs we had just walked across the of, before being transported in style to Kinloch.
This is a great journey for walkers – there are hills and valleys and zigzags, but it is an easy walk with so much to see.
We are fortunate to have opportunities to enjoy the outdoors so close to home.
Next week’s walk is short and easy, exploring a riverside area. If you would like to join us on a Monday, or for more information, please email walkersmondaytaupo@gmail.com.
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It took about 18 months for the victim to no longer feel afraid about going out.