A Wild Bush Bash in Harry Todd Recreation Reserve
I began near the start of Hine Road in Wainuiomata, where the Harry Todd Track enters the Harry Todd Recreation Reserve. From there, I followed the track as it wound steadily uphill through the reserve. Along the ascent, several route options presented themselves, including turn offs toward Willis Grove and a lookout above Hine Road. As I climbed higher, I could hear the sound of an engine in the distance. This eventually led me onto a wide track suitable for four wheel drive vehicles, called Mount Crowther Track. At a high point along this track, I came across a working generator supplying power to a transmitter station, with two aerials positioned nearby.
I continued south along the wide track toward McKerrow Ridge. Just before the track began to descend, I decided to bush bash down the steep hillside to the east. At this elevation, beech trees dominated the forest, making navigation relatively straightforward despite the steepness. The slope alternated between brief level sections and sharp drops. On both sides were narrow, steep gullies thick with vegetation, including dense ferns. I chose to stay along the central, less steep part of the hillside, aware that this would likely result in a sharper descent near the bottom. As expected, the final section was steep, but the presence of numerous small trees provided reliable handholds to prevent slipping.
Eventually, I reached the gully floor, where a small creek flowed through a stand of nikau palms and large tree ferns, interspersed with the occasional mature podocarp. As I followed the creek downstream, I tried to determine where I would emerge. I initially suspected I might come out behind a property on Hine Road, but the size of the gully did not match anything I recognised from that vantage point. I then considered whether it might be the large gully encircled by the Mount Crowther Track near Sunny Grove. Another possibility was that I had descended into the upper reaches of Skerretts Creek, as the terrain bore some resemblance.
The landscape soon became familiar, and the uncertainty was resolved when I spotted an old hut I had previously discovered during Bush Bash 5. This confirmed that I was indeed in the gully circumnavigated by the Mount Crowther Track. From the hut, it was a straightforward climb up the hillside to rejoin the track. I then followed it through toward Sunny Grove and took a look at the Black House site. From there I walked down Sunny Grove, then looked at the reserve from Willis Grove in order to plan a future trek into the reserve, then returned to my car.
Later that evening, after visiting family, I left around 9 pm and noticed that Curry India was still open. Having not eaten dinner, I stopped and ordered a chilli chicken, which turned out to be an excellent meal. It was fully dark by the time I returned to my car and headed home.
