9 January 2006

The Long Road Track
(part 2: Lower Kauri Track Turnoff to Upper Kauri Track Turnoff)

page 2

A little further along is an old farm gate and a couple of posts, a reminder that around 100 years ago or thereabouts this land was cleared for farming. The bush has all re-generated since then.

If you look carefully at the picture above you will see what looks like a miniature tree fern. This is Blechnum fraseri, or Maukurangi. There is still some debate about whether this fern is properly placed in the genus, Blechnum. Watch this space.

Just along here the palm leaf ferns (Blechnum novae-zelandiae, Kiokio)
are quite spectacular.

These fronds can grow to as long as 3 metres.

Here we are, at the Upper Kauri Track Junction.

Time for a packs-off and some lunch. A thermos of boiling water saves a little time and the hot tea in the surrounding drizzle and mist is very welcome indeed.

You did bring some for me didn't you?

You can see how thick the mist has become.

Fatman time to here is just over an hour and a half. The trip back is about 15 minutes faster.

Parts of the track carry a thick dusting of kanuka petals. If anything ever gives NZ a white Christmas, this is one of the best candidates.

Elsewhere, the clay track surface is a rich, reddy, almost purple shade, which is hard to do justice to on the pc. Years ago, on the Piha Rd, I found some similar to this and experimented with it as an underglaze dip on my coffee mugs. It wasn't bad, but that style of glaze was beginning to go out of fashion, so we moved on.

We pass the Lower Kauri Track junction, and Alice is starting to slow down a little.

You wouldn't consider carrying me???

We wouldn't mind being back in the van ourselves, right now. On a longer tramp we'd have broken out the polyprop vests to conserve warmth, but instead we just take a swig of water and quicken our pace a little.

I still get grabbed by a young mingimingi bursting with pale jade new growth.

It's just such a lush combination of generous space and ferns.

Soon enough we're out in the open again and the mist, now, is all around us.

As soon as we hit the gravel, Alice starts showing signs of alarm. Suddenly I click. She's waiting for the electric shock. We do our best to reassure her, and continue carefully down the steep gravel road. Towels and a change of clothes and fresh thermos are waiting for us.

Alice looks on in amazement at some people passing by on their way in to the track. What on earth can possess them in this weather?

Back home to dry everything off and see what we'd learned from the exercise. My camera bag isn't quite as dry as I'd have wished. Probably a couple of absorbent soft cloths to keep the lens filter dry and clean.

Miranda in a recent wardrobe tidy discovered about a couple of dozen ladies handkerchiefs she'd forgotten about, still with their original fabric dressing, but by dint of repeated washings has them just about perfect for this job.

Polyprops need to be accessible in a hurry if there's a possibility they'll be needed. (Ditto knee supports) The Kathmandu pack covers do an excellent job, but the same would apply to them as to our Rainbird coats. These are very light weight, windproof, and on the tracks we cover, do everything necessary. Goretex is certainly better when you're crashing through scrub, or on narrow paths lined with matagouri, but it weighs a ton in comparison. For serious trampers in rough terrain.

Our Merrell boots are comfortable and warm even when sodden. We pack them with newspaper overnight and they get a day in the sun to dry out, and a fresh coat of leather dressing.

Cheers. Nice to have you along with us on a rainy day.