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Around Waitakere Reservoir

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Around Waitakere Reservoir

Details

We are going to Scenic Drive for day hike around Waitakere Reservoir via Waitakere Dam Walk, Fence Line, Ridge Road, and Cutty Grass tracks (including short car shuttle so not complete loop). Highlights include the reservoir, dam (which may be overflowing at this time of year), Waitakere Falls, tramping club huts, and a variety of native forest including large kauri trees. This is also an opportunity to experience some tracks we haven't hiked before.

Duration: 4½-5 hours hike including stops + travel
Distance: 10-11km.
Difficulty: 3 on our 1-5 scale for day hikes. About average difficulty and duration on walking paths and wide tramping tracks. Less hill climbing than average. Starts with descent on sealed road down to dam and ascent up well maintained Fence Line Track from reservoir to Simla (losing then regaining about 130m elevation), then gently undulating on wide Ridge Road & Cutty Grass tracks. No very steep sections. Probably easier than average when dry but wide clay based tramping tracks tend to be muddy and slippery in places at this time of year, providing some technical difficulty, so rounding this up to 3.

Weather Update (Sun 7:20am): Metservice forecast for Waitakere (http://www.metservice.com/towns-cities/auckland/waitakere) on Sunday is "Mostly fine, showers tonight. Freshening westerlies. (sun+cloud symbol)". Metvuw (http://www.metvuw.com/forecast/forecast.php?type=rain&region=nzni&noofdays=5) and Metservice (http://www.metservice.com/maps-radar/rain-forecast/rain-forecast-3-day) rain forecasts show little or no rain during the hike period ... This forest hike can be enjoyed rain or shine and is going ahead as planned regardless of weather.

Large Group Warning:
It looks like we are going to have a fairly large group. A large group can be lots of fun, and the wide tracks on this route can be more comfortable for a large group than most tracks. However, this can easily lead to delays that test people's patience if we aren't careful. Extra care is needed not to keep the rest of the group waiting before and during the hike. If you aren't keen on hiking with a large group, this may not be the best hike for you to attend.

Preparation:
Everyone who attends is encouraged to be well prepared for this hike. Before we meet, it will help if you:

Meeting Places:

Carpooling:

  • Carpooling will be arranged for everyone meeting at New World after we arrive there (transport permitting; you can read more details here (https://www.meetup.com/auckland-hiking/pages/Transport_and_Carpooling)).
  • If you need a ride from New World, there's no need to arrange this in advance - just answer RSVP question about this.
  • If you can offer rides or want a ride from a different location, you can mention this in Conversation below and contact each other to arrange.
  • Best if most people meet at New World first as most people who need a ride will be meeting there. The option to drive straight to Scenic Drive is only offered if New World is significantly out of your way (eg, if driving from west, or from north via Upper Harbour).
  • Each carpool passenger is expected to give $10 to driver.

Car Shuttle:

  • A small car shuttle will be arranged between both ends of the hike to save 2.6km walk on busy Scenic Drive.
  • Cutty Grass is smaller of the two carparks so plan is to leave minorty of cars there before start of hike with majority of cars at Waitakere Dam carpark.
  • Those not carpooling from New World are asked to participate in car shuttle and meet a bit earlier at Cutty Grass carpark first, then carpool from there to Waitakere Dam carpark, just before New World cars arrive.
  • After hike, all drivers can be transported back to Dam carpark and return to pick up passengers at Cutty Grass and optionally continue south to Elevation Cafe.

Time Guideline:

  • 09:15 - Good time to arrive at New World, meet & greet
  • 09:30 - Latest time to arrive at New World, arrange carpooling
  • 09:35 - Leave New World
  • 09:50 - Arrive at Cutty Grass carpark if driving straight there
  • 10:00 - Car shuttle leave Cutty Grass carpark
  • 10:10 - All at Waitakere Dam carpark by now, introductions
  • 10:30 - Start hike
  • 15:30 - Approx end hike, return car shuttle, optionally go to Elevation Cafe
  • 17:00 - Approx return to city.

Maps:

Hike Description:

  • Starting from Waitakere Dam carpark on Scenic Drive, go down Waitakere Dam Walk to dam, and check out large kauri on the way.
  • Just before dam, can turn right on Waitakere Tramline Track (if not closed) for short distance to view Waitakere Falls, and return.
  • At east side of dam, steps go down to base of dam and top of falls, and bridge leads to track up to west side of dam. Can explore.
  • At far (west) side of dam, turn left on Fence Line Track. This goes beside Reservoir for awhile before ascending to Simla.
  • Continue straight-left past Robinson Track on right.
  • At Simla Junction, turn left on Ridge Road Track (wide undulating track).
  • Continue straight-left on Ridge Road Track past Simla, RGB, and Browne tracks on the right. We can look out for short sidetracks on right that lead to huts (shown on topo map: Ongaruanuku (AUTC) hut about 250m after RGB junction; ATC hut is about 250m after Browne junction, and Alpine Sports Club hut is not far from this).
  • Turn left onto Cutty Grass Track (wide gently undulating track).
  • Continue straight-left on Cutty Grass Track past Ian Wells Track on right all the way to Scenic Drive, and return car shuttle.
  • In summary, hike directions are relatively simple: from start we follow left-most track at every junction to the end (except to explore some short sidetracks to the right around the dam and off Ridge Road Track to huts).

Bring:

  • lunch and drink and extra snack food
  • clothing suitable for winter
  • clean footwear suitable for tramping tracks.
  • rain protection
  • plastic bags for muddy footwear
  • extra clothing & footwear for after hike
  • first-aid items
  • cash ($10 if carpool passenger + optional extra for refreshments after hike)

Clean Footwear:

  • Everyone is asked to bring hike footwear that is clean of dirt for at least 2 reasons:
    -- To help prevent the spread of kauri dieback disease (we will also use any footwear cleaning stations provided, but starting with clean footwear is best);
    -- To help avoid dirtying someone else's car (if passenger).
  • Footwear is likely to be muddy by end of hike. Take care to avoid dirtying someone else's car by covering footwear with plastic bags and/or changing into clean footwear after hike.

Notes:
(1) We have visited Waitakere Dam several times before, most recently on 30 Jun 2012 (https://www.meetup.com/auckland-hiking/events/70386912/) including south part of Fence Line Track; also on 15 Aug 2010 (https://www.meetup.com/auckland-hiking/events/14338028/) and 17 May 2009 (https://www.meetup.com/auckland-hiking/events/10317278/). About 70% of this hike route is new for our group. This will be the first time we hike Waitakere Dam Walk, Ridge Road Track south of RGB junction, and Cutty Grass Track.
(2) 9:30am is latest time to arrive at New World and 10:00am is latest time to arrive at Cutty Grass Track if not meeting at New World. We aim to leave New World and start hike exactly on time, and are unlikely to wait for late people. Arriving early is good :-)
(3) While track junctions are generally well signposted, it is possible to become seriously lost if a wrong turn is taken. It is safer and generally more fun to hike together as a group. We aim to do this with stops at all track junctions for group to regather. However, there's no guarantee this will happen, so prepare for this hike as best you can in case you become separated.
(4) We'll walk at a moderate pace that is comfortable for average hikers, with stops at places of interest along the way, including one or two lunch stops.
(5) We can optionally go to Elevation Cafe for refreshments after the hike.

RSVP:
If you are interested to attend it will help if you:

  • Read the full details of this description carefully;
  • RSVP online soon;
  • Answer the RSVP questions (see below) when you RSVP;
  • "Change RSVP" later if you decide not to attend or any of your RSVP answers are no longer accurate;
    Thanks :-)

RSVP Questions:
The following questions appear for you to answer when you RSVP:
(1) At this stage, how certain/uncertain are you that you will attend? Does this depend on anything (eg, weather)?
(2) Where will you first meet: (A) Victoria Park New World (carpooling); (B) Cutty Grass carpark, Scenic Drive (for car shuttle); (C) prefer B but could meet at New World if needed (what area are you driving from)?
(3) What is your transport situation: (A) have no transport, need a ride; (B) have transport, can offer rides (how many passengers?); (C) have transport but prefer to get ride; (D) other (please specify)?
(4) We are planning to return to city by 5pm but may end up being a bit later. Do you need/prefer to return by a certain time?
Notes:

Are you interested to attend?

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