Historic walks for trampers
Wednesday Walkers
Last week, we made our switch from afternoon to morning walks and travelled along a great circle around the outer boundaries of Nukuhau.
We started and ended in the car park beside the area of land that, in the 19th century, housed the armed constabulary in the redoubt and the old courthouse.
Before this, the constabulary lived on the large pa that was on the ridge on the western side of the Waikato River near the land which is now occupied by Nukuhau.
So to an extent, our walk was historic in retracing the steps of our Māori and Pākehā forebears.
There is still the beautiful Te Kohanga Reo O Kimihia Marae on Morison Street in Nukuhau, which we passed by on our way.
This gave us a reminder of the long history of human occupation on this sacred land where the great lake meets the great river.
We, however, did not have to use ropes and pulleys to cross the river, as did the people of the early 19th century.
Instead, we made use of the Control Gates Bridge, which is a comparatively new structure being only 80 years old.
The southwestern reaches of Nukuhau, by contrast, are filled with new houses which are all individual in their modern architecture.
These houses line steep streets which rise up a hill eventually affording us a view back across Taupō with Mount Tauhara in the distance hiding its head in dark low clouds.
Wherever we go every week, there are always great views to be enjoyed;, it is one of the crowning blessings of living in our splendid historic town.
■ Wednesday Walker contacts: phone 073773065; email wednesdaywalkers@myyahoo.com.
Monday Walkers
After a weather-enforced rest last week, we had energy to burn.
Probably this was quite fortunate because the walk started with a very steep rutted metal “road” to an old quarry.
We huffed as we chatted, tried to avoid the deepest potholes, and scrambled over a tree that had fallen completely across our pathway.
Atop we could see for miles over the lake, and to Mount Tauhara and hills beyond.
Track conditions change quickly in the Kaimanawa Forest Park and we were soon edging single file along a short narrow ridge and into glorious beech forest.
Pore bracket fungi ranging in size from a 50-cent piece to a dinner plate and in an array of colours from white, yellow, orange, brown and black clung to decaying stumps.
Epiphytes sprouted from trees at all angles like Dr Seuss’s truffula lookalikes.
The track to Merrylees’ Clearing was a little obscure in places and there were minor windfall and a few trunks to clamber over.
Deer had formed their own narrow highways scrambling from the banks above to the water in the river below.
In these areas, the undergrowth was sparse and peppery horopito reigned supreme.
The clearing in the frost flat is now an open scrubby area bordering Poronui Station.
The Merrylees family lived here in the late 1940s until 1952 when they shifted to Waimihia.
Charley Merrylees supervised one of the batten-splitting gangs.
The people who lived and worked here had a hard and isolated existence with their horses and sometimes pet green parakeets for company.
Six Sika deer were released here in 1905 and some splitters spent some of their meagre leisure time hunting their plentiful offspring.
Fluctuating market for the red beech, roading and transport costs led to the demise of these operations in 1972.
We returned to an intersection in the track and made our way to a peaceful dell with a clear stream running through it.
Spirits and stomachs refreshed, we made our way back up the track.
The early afternoon sun lit up the orange midribs of the fleshy swordshaped ti toi leaves and highlighted the diverse shades of green ferns covering the banks.
Going down the quarry road was a breeze on the lungs if not on the knees, and even better we made it home before the thunder and lightning rang out over Taupō.
Next week we are climbing in lovely local bush. If you would like to join us on Monday, or for more information, please email walkersmondaytaupo@gmail.com