Today, I explored the gum forest from Ultimate Pool to Swingbridge Pool.
It was a beautiful morning and the forecast for Wainuiomata was for a sunny day. So time to explore the jungles of Wainuiomata with a mission to find the exact locations of huts that once existed in The Terrace, an area of Reservoir Valley located today within Wainuiomata Regional Park. However, due to initially being distracted from my main objective, I ended up completing two missions, one after the other. This is the account of the first part of the bush bash which was exploring the area between Gums Loop Walk on the meadow side and the Wainuiomata River. My next bush bash expedition covers my initial objective, however, I had to split that episode into two as well, due to the amount of content.
I started out with two coffees in my system and drove to Hine Road Recreation Area under a perfect blue sky. However, I noticed it had clouded over somewhat by the time I arrived. Undeterred by the thought of taking photos lacking vibrant colours, I approached the new extension of Gums Loop Walk, which is designed with wheelchair and pram access in mind. This new path is a loop walk that connects to Gums Loop Walk. You can walk through The Garden of Remembrance and head toward Gums Loop Walk, or start near the Wainuiomata River Bridge to Top Pool and walk the loop from there.
Once on Gums Loop Track proper, I crossed Nikau Creek and could see an old track almost straight ahead. However, I had walked that before so I continued through Gums Loop Meadow. It wasn’t long at all before I got distracted from my main objective. I noticed a small track leading toward the Wainuiomata River which was west of the main track to Ultimate Pool. I followed it and ended up downstream from Ultimate Pool, where I found an overgrown path along the riverbank, likely a remnant from when the area had fenced-off fields. I even saw remnants of a fence along the river bank and in my experience, there is usually a track that accompanies a fenceline. Approaching Ultimate Pool from this downstream perspective, I took a couple of photos, then approached the rear of Ultimate Pool and scaled up the bank to the track that connects to Gums Loop. Atop the bank, I took a photo of a fallen tree that landed on a warning sign that said something like ‘Unstable Bank’. That sign became a victim of its own message by the look of it.
From there I followed the Ultimate Pool Track back to Gums Loop Walk. However, I got distracted once again, when I realised I had never bush bashed east from here, so that is exactly what I did. 
I entered the bush again and then came across an unnamed creek that fed into the Wainuiomata River that was carved deep into the landscape. I crossed it with a single leap and then scrambling up the bank on the other side, I found myself back in a eucalypt forest. Deciding to head toward Wainuiomata River once more, I passed many fallen gum trees and eventually reached a bank that descended down into a plateau that runs along the river bank. Looking down at this plateau, it appeared that this was once a track.
This plateau looked to have been cut into the bank in places, supporting the idea that this was an old track. Perhaps a farm track or forestry track. The vegetation along the plateau was thin, suggesting it had been cut in the last 10 or 20 years. Perhaps this was cut or cleared in 2012 when loggers came into Gums Loop Meadow and forest and cut down some trees. In fact the track was so well preserved that looking at some of the photos later, I thought I was looking at Gums Loop Walk. I walked along this mostly overgrown track for quite some time and noticed some interesting features on the other side of the river, such as a man-made low wall of rocks and several nice looking plateau areas next to the river. I thought to myself that these spots would be worth exploring in the future.
Eventually, I could see Swingbridge Pool in the distance, a swimming hole near the swing bridge. I then walked above the swimming hole and back up to Gums Loop via a small track that connects this pool to the main trail. From here, it was onto my next mission, to locate the four huts that once existed in the area, called The Terrace…
