Thursday 25th
January 2001
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The eleventh day of our trip sees us travelling from Miranda Hot Springs through to Parakai Springs Aquatic Park, located near Helensville, to the north-west of Auckland.
The first part of the day will see us travelling in convoy north along the coast of the Firth of Thames and then through the Hunua Ranges. The Hunua Ranges is one of the two main water catchment areas for the city of Auckland, with reservoirs holding 68,000 million litres, giving a safe mean yield of 309 million litres per day. We will then all have lunch together at the Hunua Falls.
After lunch everyone is free to make their way to Parakai either individually or in their teams. After setting up camp and having an early dinner, we will all meet again at the camp gates at 5:30pm for the evening’s entertainment.
In the evening we are doing something completely different. All participants will be given a crossword, a set of clues and a map of Woodhill Forest with the clue locations on it. The aim is for the teams to use the map and clues to solve as much of the crossword as they can before the finishing time of 11:00pm. Much fun will be had by all, driving around in the forest after dark looking for the clues.
Trip Report – Thursday 25 January 2001
DAY 11 – TEAM G
Left Miranda Holiday Park at 9:00am at the breakneck speed of 45 kph, heading towards Hunua Falls. Travelling to convoy rules (keep the vehicle behind in sight, particularly at turnoffs), it was an impressive sight as 60 plus vehicles trailed along the road. Trip Leader Alan Donaldson told us there was no rush today - to receive immediate grumbles “you mean was could have had longer in bed?”
We travelled along the coast, Firth of Thames on our right and the Coromandel ranges obscured by cloud. Passed through Kaiaua, saw a flock of shags at the water’s edge. On the CB – “morning Sean, want a shag?” “Sorry George, you’re not my type”. We drove through some light drizzly rain – the first on this challenge. Drove through the Te Morehu Scenic reserve, winding tarseal through Native bush, lots of pungas, then through the Kawakawa Bay Settlement. Next up the Ness Valley and stopped on the Moumoukau Hill Orad to meet the ranger who was taking us through the Hunua ranges. We stopped shortly in to the forest to check out a noise in Grant and Jill’s vehicle, proved hard to diagnose and didn’t go away.
Had lunch at the Hunua Falls, then our Team headed into Auckland following Jeff Simpson’s GPS system (ie Gowan) to take us through the Clevedon Valley (via Clevedon Scenic Reserve parking area whoops!) through Whitford Village, Manukau, saw the Sky Tower and None Tree Hill then through Panmure, Glen Innes, St Heliers, towards Rangitoto Island and past the Gruedu (?) Soleil Tents. Took Tamaki Drive around the waterfront to the Americas Cup Village where we stopped to see the boats and to watch the “Stars and Stripes” trial boats coming home after a sea trial and being winched out of the water. Then headed out of town on the State Highway to Helensville, and Parakai, arriving around 5:00pm.
Our teams’s usual effort – first to start and last to finish. Drivers briefing at 7:00pm and then we headed off into Woodhill State Forest to do a crossword puzzle. Our trip sheets explained there were markers with the clues for a crossword puzzle at various points in the forest – all we had to do was to find them. Easier said than done. Especially as some of the markers seem to have dematerialised. But we all had a great time on the night run, all the same.
The map below shows the route followed the Challenge vehicles today.
Map portions used with permission of Wises
The North Island Four Wheel Drive Challenge has been put together by a small dedicated group of 4WD enthusiasts (all experienced club members) on a non-profit cost-recovery basis.
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