Taupō's Monday Walkers did their fair share of navigating in the Mamakus this week.
Wednesday Walkers
Last week, we did a circuit around the streets, alleyways and parks of the northern part of Taupō.
The conditions were not too windy, warm or cold; had Goldilocks joined us on our walk, she would have been really chuffed.
It is true that the streets of town are not as picturesque as one of our many bush walks, but there were still charming things to look upon and of course great company to be enjoyed.
At Crown Park, there was a real delight. There has been built, beside Te Kohanga Reo O Atawhai School, a wonderful BMX track for toddlers on their tiny bikes.
It is such a delight to see the concentration on their faces as the children rush around the course with such steady confidence and excitement. The little legs go spinning around on the pedals as they surge up and down the rippled track and swing around the sharp corners.
There seems to be something completely natural about the fun they are having, it is as though this, precisely this, is what they were designed to do.
Kids at that age learn physical tasks so incredibly fast.
The field surrounding the hospital had very long grass which we had to plough through, this was quite fun.
All the recent rain has set everything growing and no matter how old you get, there are always the memories of childhood, one of which for many people is running through meadows bursting with spring - not that we did any running.
Whenever we do walks like this, we always discover new alleyways between the labyrinth of streets and parks.
Luckily, our trusty leader knew where we were; most of us didn’t.
Wednesday Walker Contacts: ph 073773065; email wednesdaywalkers@myyahoo.com.
Monday Walkers
On Rāhina we had a wonderful day walking in the Mamakus.
Today, we followed the DoC-maintained Woods Mill Track which still hides the remnants of one such mill.
The entrance to the easy, but boggy track, is inconspicuously labelled and initially bordered by buttercup and Gertie’s curse, or the invasive montbretia grass.
Soon, we were paddling along a muddy track in beautiful regenerating bush. Crown, ladder, and kidney ferns were all showing off their different leaf structures and the tall tree ferns from which Mamaku draws its name were thriving.
In peculiar open areas, no trees were growing and in these clearings we spotted pieces of wheels, a bogie, and other hauling machinery rusting in the grass.
Sidewalls of the old tramways were encrusted with moist, glistening mosses.
The track was more passable where old wooden sleepers had been left to rot and provide a firmer footing.
Bullocks once dragged the logs along these tracks and prior to locos, horses hauled the logs to the mills.
Hazards then included squashed dandelions making downhill tracks slippery and the control of loads difficult.
Present-day hazards included fallen tree trunks and windfall.
Bypass strategies included straddling the offending obstacle or attempting either the ‘over or under’ manoeuvre; over for the tall walkers and under for those vertically challenged.
We were fortunate to see a flowering native bamboo orchid entwined around the trunk of a tree.
We heard pīpīwharauroa or shining cuckoo screeching its disapproval at our presence and the kotare’s beep, beep call.
Near the end of our walk, there were slippery clay sections, and we negotiated the steep downward stretch to the Waiomou Stream very carefully.
After a battle with supplejack and tangled greenery further along the ridge we gained a glimpse of the Waiomou lower falls before retracing our route.
Next week we are planning a much longer walk with great lake views.
If you would like to join us on Monday, or for more information, please email walkersmondaytaupo@gmail.com
Stay up to date with the Waikato Herald
Get the latest Waikato headlines straight to your inbox Monday to Saturday. Register for free today - click here and choose Local News.