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Reports......Rata
Ridge Track
Date: 26 July 2009
Leader: Jenny Wilton
At the Roseland’s car park it was clear that the promise of
ice-cream on the lighter tramp was a draw card as only 8 of us
grouped to do the medium and a much larger group elected the
Coromandel trip.
We drove to Hunua on a bight but frosty morning to start our tramp
at Upper Mangatawhiri Campsite. When we descended in to the valley
it was full of fog which gave eerie feel – Hounds of the Baskaville
type scene. As we put on our shoes we were approached by a teacher
of Manurewa high school who had seventh form students out for a 3
day tramp and had spent the night at the camping ground and student
forgetting his sleeping bag – a fast learning curve. I felt it was
an adventurous class trip idea, when I went to school the best we
did was a trip to the Auckland museum – well done Manurewa High.
We walked for an hour up Lilburne Road Track, wide, gravel road with
a steady uphill. My first impression of the difference between light
tramps and Medium tramps is – Medium we use our lungs for breathing
– in the light ones I have always spent my lung power for talking.
After morning tea we ventured on the Rata Ridge track, after sitting
down several times (not by choice) I became a little better at my
foot placement as we descended down towards Konini Stream.
Lunch was at the Mangatangi Forks – beautiful river stones and
bubbling water in sunshine - a post card picture place. Then back on
to the top of the Rata Ridge loop towards Piggotts campsite. Passing
the fork for the long Mangatangi Ridge track.
Thankful for a clean loo and afternoon tea by the camps hut. Then a
nice gentle tramp back down to the cars on the wide gravel Lilburne
track which gave us a view of the 2nd to largest earth dam – a sight
we had missed in the fog of the morning. Five hours walking in
total.
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