A few short walks down under

Some short walks in New Zealand

Health warning - this post was written later than the date above!

21 November 2012
Trig Track and Wilkinson Track Kapiti Island

The enchanted island is a nature reserve and can only be accessed with a permit.  It has been forcibly cleared of predators such as rats, possum and stoats, to restore native fauna and flora.  There are various walks and activities at the two places where the public is allowed.
We had to take a boat from Paraparaumu on the west coast of North Island.

We landed at Rangatira, halfway along the eastern shore of Kapiti Island.

After our introductory pep talk about the wildlife and conservation, we decided to take the Trig Track up towards the highest point on the island, Tuteremoana (521 m)

Trig Track

• 2km steady uphill climb, considerably steeper than Wilkinson Track, with narrow, uneven sections.

• Requires a medium to high level of fitness.

 It was indeed steep, and hard work.

Looking back down the Trig Track towards Harry, and our guide, who showed us several native birds

We paused at a bird feeding station, which is essential for the hihi, or stitchbirds.   Some of the bigger birds can out-compete them for food.  From there it was another few minutes to the junction with the Wilkinson Track, a twenty minute walk to the summit lookout.   Lunch in hot sunshine.

Tuteremoana summit lookout

View from the summit lookout

We took the Wilkinson Track downhill - a gentler choice for the descent. It wasn't wet.

Wilkinson Track

• Well-formed 3.8km track with a steady uphill climb.

• Gentler gradient than the Trig Track.

• You’ll pass a picnic area and hihi feeding station a third of the way up.

• Sections of this track can be slippery in wet weather. Take care and wear suitable footwear.

Some historical information:

Historic sites
At the start of the Wilkinson and Trig Tracks is a historic whare, the oldest building on the island and the oldest associated with nature conservation in the country. It is thought to originate from the early 1860s when it was built as the homestead for the McLean family who farmed the island at the time. It was later home to caretakers on the island including Richard Henry, the world’s first state-sponsored conservation officer. It is now a base for scientists, trappers, students and numerous dignitaries and visitors.
Near the landing area you’ll find whaling trypots—artefacts from the island’s whaling history. 

The three shaded sections are from the information on the NZ Department of Conservation website about Kapiti Island.

22 November 2012
North End of Kapiti Island - Okupe Loop Walk

Okupe Loop Walk

• 4.8 km/1.5 h return. Winds up a fairly gentle ridge through regenerating bush leading along the ridge top to the north-western lookout.
• The track is accessed from the visitor shelter by following the track around the edge of the Okupe Lagoon.
• Requires a low to medium level of fitness. 
• Suitable for all terrain prams around entire length.

We walked along this before leaving Kapiti Island later on the second day, after our overnight stay, and kiwi walk.

The Okupe Loop track was gentle, compared to the Trig Track.

Near the Northwestern Lookout

great view

26 November 2012
Pelorus Bridge - Circle Walk

There's a campsite and a café at Pelorus Bridge Sceninc Reserve, and the café sells leaflets about  several walking tracks. We arrive quite late one afternoon, and decide to try the short Circle Walk.  

We have to cross the road bridge before starting on the track.

From here it's a pleasant, not too strenuous wander across a footbridge over the Rai, and then through woodland with views of the Pelorus river.

Afterwards we take another short track to the rocks and a swimming hole. 

You can see the road bridge clearly - one lane only!

28 Nov 2012

A couple of miles along the Queen Charlotte Track from the start at Anakiwa

The Queen Charlotte Walkway is a long distance path, and you need to buy a permit to walk any distance.  Much of it is well away from road access, and some people arrange to be picked up by boat at strategic points. The alternative is to arrange accommodation along the way.  We met some people who had walked it, when we took at ride on the Pelorus Mail Boat from Havelock, and they said it was not difficult, provided you were prepared and reasonably fit.
We didn't have time to organise a long walk, but did tackle a very short section at the beginning - no permit needed for this bit.  It made a pleasant evening stroll.
Our route

The path begins by the water at Anakiwa, and climbs up through woodland, then down towards Davies Bay. We hung around the bay for a while watching a wader, and also a New Zealand kingfisher - bigger than ours and nowhere near as shy.

spot the birdie

The hill shapes are typical of New Zealand.

December 1 2012 - Cullen point, near Havelock.

This was a very short walk - about half an hour or so, up to the top of Cullen Point, with a view over the Pelorus sound.

Faraway

I have not disappeared from the face of the earth, but entries could be sporadic until January!  A combo of  being down under , jet lag and less consistent intent than usual.  Bear with, bear with . . .we have seen the pesky ibis, the cat bird and the honey-eater.  The duck billed platypus swims at Yungaburra.


Harry's blog of our trip
Harry's blog

And mine :
http://auntiekath.blogspot.co.uk

A short walk in Mossman Gorge, Qld.

We took the bus from the visitor centre and walked along the marked circuit through the rainforest.

The visitor centre car park was very full

From a break in the trees you can see the mountain

a swimming hole in the Mossman river

Empingham - Tickencote - Gt Casterton - Pickworth - Clipsham

Led by me, with Barry and Gordon. Fine with a chilly wind. Muddy underfoot in places.  Just over 11 miles in all, including the ritual progress along the avenue.

This covers most of the same ground as the walk on 31 August 2012.

We left one car at the Yew Tree Avenue, and drove to Empingham to the start of the walk. We parked on the road near the church, and then walked along the main street east through the village.  Just after the last buildings and Mill Lane we took a footpath to the right, leading uphill through Chapel Spinney.  
The path came out of the trees into and continued along the top edge of several fields.  Empingham was now a cluster of houses and the church behind us.   We passed a spinney on the right, and continued to follow the path. According to the map there should be a turn to the right downhill across a field, but we didn't see it, and in any case avoided the sticky mud by carrying on to the farm track, where we turned right and walked down a short distance to pick up the path. It crossed the field to the next yellow post just before a farm house.
The path emerged on to a small road, and then across a couple of fields, going roughly north east, before swinging round more to the east behind Tickencote Hall, with the mill pond visible through the trees.
We crossed another road and entered the ram's field.

Today he wasn't asleep, but posed no problem. Of course, I talked to him nicely.

We called in to St Peter's Church to admire the chancel arch and vaulting, before making our way through the village and along the road past the OK Diner and to Great Casterton.

We took Pickworth Road, past the school and up hill out of Great Casterton. After about a mile along this quiet road we tirned left along a muddy track between two hedges - just opposite Mounts Lodge Farm.  We walked alongside a very big field, and then turned right along another track with hedges on each side. The footpath sign post was on the ground here.  We had a break, slightly sheltered from the wind.

From here the path continues north towards Pickworth, passing some woodland and the site of Woodhead Castle (invisible from where we were). With one short diversion to the right we kept on walking.

At Pickworth we turned left, leaving the church on our right, and passing the archway - now behind a gate, and John Clare's lime-kiln, which is also clearly on private land, and fenced off.

Pickworth Church

We went past the first signed path to the right, and took the second one, where the road bends left.  The wide track turns into a path after half a mile or so and turns right across a field to Little Sutie, a section of woodland joined to Pickworth Great Wood. We walked thorugh the tress and then followed the edge of the woodland as far as the path across Clipsham Quarry. Up the other side and following Rutland Round signs, the path eventually took us down hill across a slippery wooden bridge and uphill again into Clipsham.  From here we walked along the Castle Bytham road and back to the yew trees. 

Map and details

Chelveston, Stanwick - circular

Led by Barry, with Gordon and Eddie and me. Weather dry but grey - some muddy fields. Almost 8 miles in all.
We started from the Red Lion in Chelveston, and walked for a short distance towards Higham Ferrers.  The footpath was on the right hand side of the road and took us through a field, and down to Water Lane.  
We crossed this road a little way uphill of a ford, and followed the path west through a ploughed field, and then turned left after crossing the stream via a footbridge,  alongside some trees, to follow the edges of a couple of fields with horses. The path followed the course of the stream as far as Stanwick Road, which we crossed.  Still close to this stream we carried on to the A45.  The stream goes underneath the road through a culvert. No such luck for people though.  Luckily it's dual carriageway, and with a little patience we crossed over.

We continued north west at the edge of woodland around the gravel pits until we emerged on to the old main road (A6).  From here the viaduct carrying the current trunk road is visible.  We turned right and followed the road round , over the old railway track and almost to the roundabout near the present Kettering Town football ground.  Just before Diamond Road, we turned right on to the marked Nene Way, and followed the path along Marsh Lane as far as the lock on the Nene Navigation. Around here is the Irthlingborough activity centre - and today it was full of activites - mountain biking, climbing and canoeing.  We continued to follow the Nene Way, past a footbridge, with 'No Entry' signs and on to the next footbridge.

From the footbridge the Nene looked uninviting today

 Here we left the Nene Way, and turned right over the bridge towards another play area with a zip wire, and a bench where we sat for our break.

Time for a break?

We turned right after the footbridge, and followed the path towards the visitor centre, though one small diversion was irresistible.

When we met the disused railway track, we turned right to Stanwick Lakes Visitor Centre, and out via the road to the roundabout on the A45 and the road to Stanwick.
We decided to walk through the village, rather than take a path right next to the main road.
At the church we went straight on, past the school then turned left when we reached the Chelveston Road.  After a couple of hundred yards, just before a small cemetery, we took a footpath to the right,  leading south along a farm road.  When the road swung right we went straight on, then turned left when we met another signed footpath.  This hugged the edge of the field.  At the corner there were two huge pipes, and we turned right and went as far as the next field corner, where we turned left into the next field 
A small deviation from the mapped route here - not helped by the waymarker, which indicated slightly across the field.  We'd have done better following the field edge for a short distance before heading diagonally and slightly uphill to a gap in the hedge, and the footpath sign.

From here it wasn't far to the pub, where we went wild with 3 J2Os, a lemonade and a game of pool, before returning home.

Map and details

Gumley circular

Led by Barry - with Gordon, Maureen and me. Fine and sunny, very wet underfoot in places. Very rolling - great views. 7.6 miles.  

Covering some of the ground of this walk on 21 Nov 2011, but this time we could see the views.
Some overlap with this walk on 8 October 2012   as well.

We set off from Gumley, and took the footpath opposite the telephone box.  This path heads south-west.  Just before Gumley Lodge we turned  west crossing several fields before arriving at a small road close to Laughton.  We crossed the road and followed the footpath into the village.  A token sit on the bench - to check the map - and then through the village and past the church.

Laughton church and 'cob'  wall

Crook House (cruck house?)

We followed the path to the west after the church, downhill towards Mowsley, over a brook, and up hill, across a lane and into the village by the church and the old school.

Mowsley church

At a bend in the road we took a path between buildings, and when it reached a field we took the right hand footpath. This led downhill, crossed another field and a stream.  and headed north along field boundaries, clearly marked.  We found a sheltered spot, with trees,  where the ground was not too boggy and had our first break of the day. 

The track led more or less north until we reached a junction near Saddington Lodge Farm.  Here we turned right and headed north east towards Saddington village.

They took the longer route - I went direct. Luckily the boots proved fairly watertight.

In Saddington we went past the church, the riding school and the pub.

View of Saddington Reservoir from the pub

A little further along we turned right along the Leicestershire Round path - 1 and 3/4 miles to Gumley. Through the long thin field where there is usually one horse, then over the three bridges and up the hill where cows were grazing today.

At the top the views of the reservoir were excellent with no crops to block them.

Saddington Reservoir

Not the memorial seat . . .

The flat high level path is one of my favourites in the area.  We continued to the memorial seat to Mary Hodgkin -the  ideal spot for a second break.

Views to the north east - maybe Church Langton? And Charnwood hills in the distance.

From the seat at the high point of the path we carried on along the Leicestershire Round path, across Debdale Lane and into Gumley past the church. 
A shortish walk, but quite hard going - hills and mud underfoot.


Map and details