A Throwback to My First Bush Bash, almost the same location and conditions.
I had a rough idea of where I was heading today, but as I made my way toward the Gums Loop Walk, I glanced up the hillside and noticed what looked like an old track. The slope was steep, and the ground was wet and slippery. Fortunately, the area was thick with regenerating bush. So while it was difficult to push through, it helped with footing and prevented me from sliding down the hill.
Eventually, I reached what I thought was a track, but it was nothing. A little further up, I saw what again looked like a possible track, but that too led nowhere. At that point, I figured I might as well keep climbing. I remembered an old photo from the 1880s taken after the area had been logged, showing a fence line running along the hillside near the bottom. I thought it could be possible that something was left on the hillside from the old logging days or maybe I would find remnants of that old fence. Not likely I know and as predicted, I found nothing of interest. What I did find, however, was an old rotting pine tree. From a distance, it looked recently felled, but when I put my hand in the fallen trunk to stabilise myself, my hand nearly sank right through. The inside had turned to wet sawdust, barely held together by the thick outer bark which interestingly enough was as in as good condition when the tree was alive. In spots where the bark had peeled away, it felt like I could punch straight through. So why mention this tree? Because it was once a prominent lone pine that stood out above the gorse-covered hill. I remembered it from childhood. Growing up nearby in the 1960s and 70s, that tree was a familiar sight. Funny to think all these years later, that it is still there.
As I climbed higher, the slope steepened and the gorse thickened. Thorns joined the mix, making the climb even more challenging. This was now officially the worst kind of bush bash: thick prickly scrub, steep incline, and slippery ground. It reminded me a lot of my very first bush bash, which had been in this same area, although that was during summer when the ground was dry. Now, 50 bush bashes later, I found myself back near the original site, doing a strikingly similar trek, but slightly more to the north and east.
I continued upward and reached the top of a ridge spine that itself ran higher toward the main ridge above Sunny Grove and Nikau Valley. I had a decision to make: follow the spine to the ridgetop, or descend into a nearby open gully over the spine. I had previously explored that gully from below, so this time I decided to drop into it from above. I had already climbed the ridge above three times before, and the gully looked far more inviting. It didn’t disappoint. A gentle creek meandered through the open bush, making for easy walking and a welcome contrast to the ordeal I had just come through. It was a relatively short walk all up, but I was sweating under the winter sun. I followed the pleasant gully down to Sunny Grove Track and paused to consider whether I should attempt another short bash elsewhere.
In the end, I decided to call it a day. I hadn’t stumbled across any lost civilisations or even an old fence, but I did plan to visit family in Wainuiomata. That also gave me the chance to watch my son play football. Some of his matches are streamed live on FIFA+, and it was just as well I tuned in. He scored his first goal in a national competition and assisted another five minutes later. (Goal and assist is here.)
All in all, a great day. A bit of exercise, a bit of adventure, and some armchair excitement to top it all off.
