Tramps Around Town

This past weekend we did the Routeburn Track, which is a 3-day, 2-night tramp on the South Island near Queenstown. This post is not about that (but there will be one soon I promise!).  This post is about some of the day hikes we did around Auckland to train for Routeburn.

My goal was to do one walk per weekend during March. I managed to get in two walks and a kayak trip, which I ended up regretting slightly.  And not just because Routeburn was so hard, but because there is so much to see around here!

The first weekend in March we joined up with some friends to check out the Lake Wainamu Loop Track near Bethell's Beach. It ended up being one of those perfect, golden summer days. Walking barefoot through a stream and then hiking around a lake to a series of waterfalls made me feel like I was 8 years old again (in the best way possible).

We spent a few hours hiking and then headed to the beach. After about an hour there we were all so hungry from the exertion that we drove over to the nearby brew pub for some "fush and chups" and beer paddles.

The Lake Wainamu Loop Track

Huge sand dunes along the track - Rob and L felt the need to dash up the dunes, but may have regretted trying it barefoot once they realised how hot the sand was. You need hobbit feet for that kind of thing.

Walking around the lake. We weren't the only ones who felt like kids that day - top left is a group of people with their makeshift downhill slip-and-slide (didn't use dish soap - rookie mistake!) and underneath that is someone jumping into the lake from a tree.

We stopped at a waterfall for lunch, and then quickly discovered that it was actually a series of waterfalls. I think there ended up being about 4 of them. We were going to go for a swim until we saw a GIGANTIC eel in the first pool.  Also the water was frigid. Bottom right - nature baby!

After our hike we headed to a nearby beach to cool off. Rob and L gave body surfing a go while KS and I splashed in the shallows.  Baby J was having the time of his life crawling through the tidepools.

We managed to get one more hike in during mid-March - this time even closer to home. The North Shore Coastal Walk in Auckland is 23km and ends in our little village. However, I was just breaking in some new hiking boots and we got a late start, so we just did a small portion of it. We started in Browns Bay, walked for an hour or so, and then turned around and walked back.  It was blazing hot out (the NZ sun is INTENSE) - I got a bit of a burn despite slathering myself with sunscreen.

Just with our previous walk, we rewarded ourselves with an hour of hanging out on the beach and then dinner/drinks at the local brewpub.  Not a bad incentive for hiking!  I'd love to do the entire walk eventually - just not on a day as hot as this one was. Maybe there will be a nice day this winter for it!

The bottom right picture is of me grocery shopping after our hike - and yes, I'm barefoot!  I didn't want to put my heavy boots on after I'd taken then off, and people go barefoot everywhere here, including to the grocery store. I've been barefoot grocery shopping 2-3 times now, and every time I do it I feel like I'm getting away with something grand!