New Zealand Walks: Mangatoi Walkers tackle the Coromandel walks
Recently some members of The Mangatoi Walkers spent several days based at Coromandel doing a different walk each day. The first day we walked the famed coastal walkway about which much has been written.
Next day we climbed the Matamataharakeke Track which starts at Waikawau. It started as a gentle climb following a surprisingly clear stream after the recent rain.
We must have crossed the stream about a dozen times,Managtoi Walkers tackle the Coromandel walks but it was not an issue. The track then started to rise sharply and by the summit we were all breathing very heavily.
A fork in the track took us to a paddock with a cairn in it overlooking Waikawau Beach, our starting point, and further out to Great Barrier and Great Mercury Islands. Such a lovely view.
We descended down Ridge Track which was
much shorter but very steep and had some gravelly steps to negotiate. It was very well maintained. We opted to use the flood emergency track at the bottom to exit this very enjoyable walk.
The next day we did the Kaipawa Trig from Kennedy Bay Road to Whangapoua Road. The track is only about 6 kms long but the terrain is extremely undulating from the Kennedy Bay end and did need great care after the heavy rain.
The views were stunning overlooking both Coromandel on one side and Waikawau on the other. We travelled through beautiful regenerating bush initially but after the trig the track was much dryer and exposed. It was a real delight when the trig came into sight and that is where we met two others of our team who had started from the Whangapoua end.
We did encounter a nasty huge windfall on our descent which required a team effort to circumnavigate. The day finished nicely with a swim at New Chums Beach before returning to base at Coromandel.