We wanted to do an overnight tramp so drove back out to the Waitakeres to Whatipu. We explored this amazing coastline and the caves before heading up the coast inland through the grass and swamp. The track was very testing but this has got to be one of my favourite scenic coasts in the country.
We camped up for the night short of our campsite but we didnt care as it was such a mint spot on the edge of the dunes. Next morning it turned into a real adventure when we bush bashed over the range to avoid the swamp water but ended up swimming through Pararaha stream anyway. Once back into the Pararaha valley we walked up the Muir Track through native broadleaf forest and then back to Whatipu via the Gibbons track.
DAY 1
Cornwallis penisula - looking at at Whatipu beach and the Manukau heads
Track out to the end of the penisula
A big memorial at the end of the penisula
From Manukau Heads Whatipu looking out to Cornwallis
Whatipu Beach. Paratutae Island is to the left where the wreck of HMS Orpheus lies where 167 people lost their lives in 1863
Hundreds of white fronted terns on Whatipu beach
We explored the Whatipu caves. The Maori used these for shelter.
There were loads of caverns all along the cliff face.
One of the larger caves
Looking back along the sand dunes, grassland and swamp where we had walked today
The almost none existent tracks disappeared as we bashed through gorse, tall grass, reeds, cutty grass, and flax.
Really swampy area where we found ourselves deep in mud and water
It was pretty slow going compared to what we expected and we fell short of the Pararaha valley campsite where we planned to stay the night. Thus we set up camp just before the Pararaha point with this amazing sunset across the West Coast
DAY 2
Camp spot
After only finding deep swamp water around Pararaha Point we decided to back track and bush bash over the range into Pararaha valley to avoid getting wet.
It was hard going steep terrain with cutty grass and gorse everywhere. Once in the valley there was only one way onto the main track and that was to swim
We floated our packs across the stream in plastic bags before
Back on the track at Pararaha Valley
We finally made it to the Pararaha Valley campsite
A steep climb along the Muir track up to the ridge
There were some great views of the coast along Gibbons track
Looking north along the coast where we had walked yesterday
The final descent back down to Whatipu
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