Waitakere: Good as Goldie

Legend has it that a taniwha lived in the pool below Mokoroa Falls. Photo / Travis Wiens

Danielle Wright falls for a beautiful bush reserve in the Waitakere Ranges.

On the way to Goldie Bush we pass farmland, honesty boxes selling eggs, lambs bouncing around well-maintained gardens and neat rows of plants, as well as a trekking business called The Karma Llamas.

Minutes away, surf is crashing against black sand at Bethells Beach, but without views of the waves we could just as well be in the Kaipara, not minutes from the coastline.

David Goldie, a former mayor and father of the famous artist Charles Goldie, gifted the land to the council. It seems out of character - David was nicknamed "King of the Skinflints", after he was instrumental in closing nine hotels.

Although the Waitakere Ranges cover more than 16,000ha and there are 250km of tracks to choose from, if two are alike I haven't found them in a lifetime of walking here.

The Mokoroa Falls Track is hushed, where others are full of birdsong. It's kept as nature intended, where others are more man-made. Some are teeming with trampers but on this one you're almost alone.

Trees form a cosy canopy as we wander along. It's beautiful. Distracted by the scenery, I fall into a hole near the edge of the track, badly scraping my leg, which makes my family laugh. Feeling a bit of a fool, I trudge on, glad to see another tramper up the track with a matching wound. We smile at each other knowingly.

Super-sized spider webs fascinate our children, who are in their element in a natural environment, racing ahead pretending to be Wild West bushmen riding horses.

There's nothing like the great outdoors to bring out a child's imagination or a bit of wildlife to stop them in their tracks. They spot a lonely fantail in the trees and it seems pretty glad to see us as it chatters away. Strangely it's the only bird we see during the walk.

We reach a lookout and the view down to the bottom of the Mokoroa Falls is well worth the cuts and bruises. Then we find a steep stairway to climb down into the deep gully.

The waterfall tumbles over 20-million-year-old volcanic rock which once had a kauri dam at the top. It's also said the legendary Taniwha Te Mokoroa lived in the pool at the base.

The kids make a leaf boat for a green bug they find and send it on its way downstream before we head back to the car.

Without the curiosity of what's around the corner, the walk back seems long and without much variation. There are other tracks to make it well worth coming back. Next time, though, I'll watch where I'm going.

Mokoroa Falls Track

The Mokoroa Falls Track in Goldie Bush is 45km - about an hour - from downtown Auckland. We entered the track at the end of Horseman Rd, but you can also enter at Constable Rd, Waitakere.

You can also head a little bit further to the popular Bethells Beach Cafe with its famous West Coast burger, Allpress coffee, smoothies and juices. You'll find it by the carpark but call first for opening times as they can vary. Phone (09) 810 9387 or check out facebook.com/TheBethellsCafe.