I wasn’t entirely sure where I was headed today. All I knew was that the weather was stunning, and I desperately needed a break from working at my computer. Craving a shift from cyberspace to nature, I decided to let spontaneity take charge. As I drove towards Wainuiomata, I chose to plan my day on the go. My first destination was a concrete platform near Skerretts Creek, a spot I had visited during Bush Bash 30. My goal was to clean the platform thoroughly using buckets of water and a wire broom, hoping to uncover markings or signatures that might reveal its builder and the time of its construction. Beyond that, I’d see how much time remained for other explorations.
When I arrived at the platform, I got to work, scrubbing and brushing until it was clean. The surface turned out to be concrete made with what appeared to be river stones, but there were no markings or signatures as I’d hoped. The mystery of its origin remained intact.
Having finished with the concrete platform, I turned my attention to a rail track-like beam partially embedded in the creek bed and jutting out slightly from the steep bank. It may have become uncovered over the years as the bank eroded. Could it be a relic from the past? I dug it out to reveal a heavy, 10-foot-long (or so) metal beam that was likely used in construction or a post for a fence or retaining wall. Hauling it out of the creek and up onto the bank turned out to be a a good weight training exercise.
Afterwards, I returned to the platform for another scrub, and it was then that another horseshoe appeared next to the concrete platform, bringing the total to two, with the first having been found during Bush Bash 30. The presence of these horseshoes is puzzling. Since housing development in this area in the mid to late 1960s, the steep banks behind Sinclair Cemetery and the Sunny Grove properties, where the creek runs, would have made this area inaccessible to horses. Perhaps the horseshoes were discarded from above, or maybe they date back to when the area was farmland, long before Skerretts Creek was redirected and the land reshaped by developers. It’s possible that remnants of the area’s earlier history still lie buried beneath the soil, hidden when the land was flattened and modified. Before that, it looks like the land had a more gradual descent into the creek which might have enabled horses to graze in this area.
Anyhow, it was time to leave the site and despite my efforts, the purpose and origin of the concrete platform still remained a mystery. It could be connected to Sinclair Cemetery, the farmland era after logging, or even during the construction phase of Sunny Grove. However, the horseshoes suggest a timeframe predating the land modification that took place to enable housing.
With some time still left in the day, I decided on another adventure. To explore the Wainuiomata Stream near Moores Valley Road. I had been inspired by an account from John Le Cren, a retired Chief Photographer for New Zealand Railways, who recalled finding discarded wooden bogeys from timber wagons in the 1960s while clearing brushwood in the area. He believed they belonged to wagons used by the old Sinclair Mill.
After grabbing lunch, I followed the Wainuiomata Stream to the area where the mill was thought to have been located in the 1800s. Although I didn’t find any remnants, I also didn’t conduct an exhaustive search. Following the hillside, I reached a plateau below that seemed like a plausible location for the bogeys, given the steepness of the surrounding terrain. The walk itself was enjoyable, offering scenic views of the creek and numerous old tracks with some well-trodden, others overgrown firebreaks.
Unfortunately, my adventure ended with a mishap. On my way down the hill, I tumbled headfirst, but luckily escaped injury. Moments later, I wasn’t as fortunate as a low-hanging branch scraped my head, leaving me with a decent-sized scratch / cut. By the time I returned to my car, I felt a mix of accomplishment and exhaustion, ready to call it a day.
One final stop: I took a photo from The Rock at Richard Prouse Park to document the work happening there.
