Walking the The HillaryTrail -

amongst coastal forests, birdsong, salt spray, under the star and alone

By John Dickson

The Hillary Trail across Auckland’s Waitakere Ranges was on my ‘to be walked’ list for a few years. I had explored some of the popular day walks out that way including Karamatura, Mt. Donald McLean and Muir tracks. I had also walked back and forwards from Piha to Karekare a few times as well.

The Auckland Council website used to say of ‘the Hilary’ - “a spectacular tramping trip through native forest and wild coast line of the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park.” It was officially one of New Zealand’s ‘Great Walks’. This is the mana whenua of Te Kawerau a Maki iwi.

Of course more recently kauri die back has changed that, and the more recent message is: “Closure of Hillary Trail - As we are currently implementing the Waitākere Ranges Track plan, the Hillary Trail is no longer being advertised as a multi-day walk. We will update this page once the plans are finalised.”

Then came February 2023 and Cyclone Gabrielle. This extreme weather inundated large areas of the country, destroyed many homes and assets (including within the Waitakere Ranges communities), and did who knows what to the recently upgraded tracks. Some people lost their lives and others their livelihoods. Very sad times indeed.

But none of this was concerning me when I set out on a perfect summer’s

Christmas Eve 2022, from the settlement of Te Henga Bethels.

I had decided to walk north to south, using only the officially Open Track sections. My idea was to hitchhike around the few closed sections.

The planning phase involved multiple trawls through on-line information to see what was still accessible. I also made three phone calls and made a visit to Arataki Visitor Centre.

That said, the facts were difficult to establish. On-line official information, area sign-boards and verbal conversations seldom concurred. Track closure information regarding the Waitakere’s seemed just a little unclear to this tramper.

Below: A waterfall on the trail.

Hence my reason for setting out with a 20kg pack containing camping kit and five days food, and walk north to Raetahinga Point (incidentally my pick as the very best ‘whole of coast’ vista on the trail) then turn around and follow a track south.

I learned later that the Department of Conservation managed section from Muriwai to Te Henga was actually ‘open’ after all. I could have started there!

Anyway, I circled back, crossed some expansive inland dunes and walked alongside Lake Wainamu, a shallow but attractive lake bounded by a popular day walkers track. Next surprise was the signage informing me the Houghton Track was closed. My intended path to Anawhata was blocked. I took a consolatory dip in the lake, put up my tent, drank a warm can of beer and crashed for the night. No Midnight Mass for me that Christmas Eve. I heard the ruru call, but no angelic choir.

Leaving no trace, I was up early and on the Bethels roadside by 9am with my thumb out. Hopeful of some ‘Christmas cheer!’ from the few passing motorists.

Two rides and less than two hours later - amazingly - I’d traversed much of Scenic Drive and was descending into the impressive and remote Anawhata Bay.

I hitched a thousand miles in the 1970s and 80s. My tip - when hitchhiking always locate yourself in a place where motorists can easily appraise you as they approach; stay well off the verge, catch their eye and smile; and ensure there is plenty of room for a car to safely and easily pull over.

If you have a surfboard - which this time I didn’t - hide it in the long grass!

After a swim in the beautiful clear, fresh Anawhata Stream, I knocked up a Christmas lunch, had another dip in the ocean, then headed back to the campsite. I had booked a few nights at the various official campsites en route using the Auckland Council website, which I’m familiar with and find easy to use. Their campsites are

Ouch! Sore feet while walking?

Hikers Wool is 100% New Zealand wool. Cushion your feet to prevent pain, rubbing and blisters. Buy online visit www.hikerswool.co.nz

Walking the The HillaryTrail - amongst coastal forests, birdsong, salt spray, under the star and alone

suitably back-country basic, and they are reasonably priced.

A wee bit of uphill and some road walking, then Whites Track running to North Piha. Mainly downhill. Easy living.

Here I started to encounter the odd runner or day hiker. The canopy shade was ideal as temperatures were up in the 20s.

Most of the tracks in the entire Hilary Trail (sic) are engineered - lots of boxed steps and suitable graded gravel. Guard rails, and in a few places chains to steady you on one or two steep ascents. Obviously a lot of attention has been paid to drainage.

It is certainly a bit more ‘commercial’ than the bush tracks I frequent around my home in Ōpōtiki. But these are tracks designed to serve walkers from a large metropolitan area. The investment - including some impressive bridges and elevated walkways at the Whatipu end of the trail - seems appropriate.

Part of the logic is to encourage people to stay on the few remaining official tracks, make them very easy to follow (no particular map or compass skills are required), and give the kauri a fighting chance of survival. Let’s all hope it plays out well.

Another surprise awaited me at Piha. Past experience told me there is always ample room for a one person tent at the camping ground. I had not bothered booking. Be aware they have a ‘five night minimum’.

Again I had to sling my tent up in the nearby bush. Lots of mosquitos. Leave no trace! Regardless, I had a very pleasant Boxing Day chilling out amongst the crowds at Piha. Some very good food and drink options there.

One feature of the Hilary Trail is the number of pristine free flowing streams and waterfalls (which obviously present some major risks when a deluge comes).

Plenty of swimming holes, and very easy to access either drinkable water, or water to boil depending on upstream situations.

Unless you are a highly experienced ocean swimmer, which I am, I suggest only swim within the flags at one of the patrolled beaches. It is a very wild coast, and in my opinion one of the most attractive in New Zealand for that reason. But it can be unpredictable and dangerous out in the waves.

Another and more dramatic feature are the towering cliffs and sculptural remnants of the huge Waitakere Volcano circa 15 million years ago.

Hitchhiking up the narrow winding Piha Road was a cheat - I simply approached an amenable truck driver at the store.

Next the Mercer Bay and Ahu Ahu tracks, lots of expansive views of coast and the Tasman Sea. I passed through special Karekare (there are a couple of great camping options there - or were) and set out along the beach towards the deservedly famed Pararaha Valley.

This is the two hour, black sand ‘Saharan’ adventure. Fishermen, a large group of superbly kitted out Chinese Kiwi day walkers, beach-goers, surfers, locals walking their dogs.

Day 4 was the only relatively busy section. Here you encounter overhead international aircraft as well.

On my feet? Ten year old Hi-Tec boots. Blyde River Canyon. North Downs Way. Lake Waikareiti. Them boots have done some walking. But one finally de-soled on the beach between Karekare and Pararaha Valley.

I don’t think the multiple die-back ‘spray and scrub’ stations (which I religiously adhered to) caused that issue. In my opinion this trail is quite a testing walk. Lots of up and down. You need proper, well worn in footwear.

Anyway, who needs tread on your left boot. As the Foreign Legion might

Your favourite walk could win you a free subscription

We are looking for readers’ favourite New Zealand walks. Many of us go out regularly walking on a route which we class as our favourite, for a number of reasons. Perhaps because for it’s scenery, it’s safe, it’s challenging, it’s flat, it’s hilly, it’s varied, or for whatever reason.

We would like you to tell us in your own words what is you favourite walk and why. Email us a story from say 250 up to 1200 words including a photo or photos.

We will now give you a FREE subscription (six months or more, depending on the article), or extension to Walking New Zealand magazine for walks published.

If say, ‘march on!’ Those old boots eventually did the job until the end of the walk. I have now switched to a pair of Hoka Torrent 3 shoes. Let’s see! I do not use walking poles.

Day 5 was the most testing section. I struck camp at the gorgeous Pararaha Valley Campsite (three campers on site that particular night) and eight hours later reached a busy Karamatura Campsite in historic Huia, via Puriri Ridge, Mt. Donald McLean, and Muir tracks.

For me, pretty brutal at 25C, even under lots of canopy. I will let somebody else work out the elevations of that day. Rewards followed - a swim in the creek, an ice-cream, two softdrinks and a lie down.

Thank God for the caravan vendor, as the fabled Huia Store inexplicably closes for summer holidays! A vision of Huia Store’s famed burger and chips had fuelled my last four hours of tramping, at least.

I casually called Arataki Park Head- quarters, just to, you know, confirm that - next day - I could indeed, as I’d been told, close this mission off and traverse Huia, Hamilton, and Pipeline tracks to reach their HQ. “Er, no, sorry - it’s closed as well now….” Bugger.

So next morning I had my thumb out again, and a kind hearted chef heading to work (in Muriwai of all places) dropped me at nearby Titirangi. From there an easy bus ride to New Lynn, and a short stroll to my son’s place and my car.

A brilliant way to escape the Christmas madness, out amongst the coastal forests, surrounded in birdsong and salt spray, under the stars, and for most of the time - completely alone. John Dickson is interested in most things old, blogs at derelictopotiki. blogspot.com, and can be contacted at dicksonevaluation@gmail.com.

Have a smile!

Walking shoes in these days are more and more technologically advanced. I went in this store and they told me this new model of running shoes can even predict the weather! I asked how and the salesperson told me: “Leave your shoes outside the window for a little while: if they are wet it’s raining, if they are dry it’s sunny, if you cannot see them it’s foggy”.

Above: Baches and old buildings at Te Henga Bethels.