Trip Reports

Similar to Cannon Point and Boulder hill in as much as not too taxing a walk. Good views on clear day and a tiny trig at the top to snap a photo with.

After bagging Mt Herbert i set my sights on Mt Bradley not exactly sure how to get to the top, or even if I could. Decided that I allowed for plenty of time to give it a good go anyway so pushed on past the shelter and followed the track. From the harbour side all you can see is the bluffs which does not give it a very baggable look, but from looking at the topo map it looked like if there was going to be any chance of getting to the top then i would have to follow the track past the back of Mt Bradley and cross my fingers. Just before you almost get past Mt Bradley all of a sudden a river of grass snakes through the gorse and offers a path to the top (Note this is off the main track and there is no obvious sign that a side track starts there, it just happened to be the only bit of the hill where the gorse was not an impenetrable wall). Faint signs of a track (animal, human?) leads up to the flat top and then another faint track leads to the summit proper. No trig here either, but I decided that a biggish boulder would suffice as my marker (to be safe my GPS made sure I did find the highest point). From here its just a straight reverse to Mt Herbert (bypass the summit) and back down to the harbour, Forget the beach and lower section of the track and follow the second paved road (not the first one you cross!, the one after that) to grab a cool drink from the cafe before grabbing a ferry back.

Planned this one 2 weeks out so I was very dismayed when the "weather bomb" decided to try and ruin things, but Canterbury turned it on for me and I had a near perfect day for the peaks. Drove to Lyttleton from CHC and parked up before walking the rest of the way to the Ferry (cross the pedestrian crossing next to the bridge and just follow the painted footsteps). About $12 will get you a return trip over to Diamond harbour with Black Cat cruises (TAKE CASH!!!!, they do not have eftpos, there is a reminder painted on the footpath and its on their website so no excuses really). Ferry sailings also occur about 10 mins so you don't wait long. From the ferry landing it is a short walk up a paved road and then you can choose to take a short route past the water or alternatively you can keep going up the road and just join the track where the beach section finishes. Be careful if choosing the beach section as the turnoff that leads to the summit is not super obvious. The first part of the track is through bush and a little bit overgrown, but eventually it leads to farm paddocks and from here it is mostly easy gradients peppered here and there with a little puffer to gain some altitude. Plenty of fences to cross, but stiles are provided. For the most part you cannot see the summit until you are practically on it and be warned the last quarter or so of the track is when you start to puff a bit and its not until probably the last kilometer or so until you actually start sweating in earnest as you relatively quickly go from 500ish to 900m. No trig when I was there just a small white stake to mark the summit of Mt Herbert. From here you can retrace your steps but I decided to push on and see if I could get to the top of Mt Bradley.

Super easy bag, 12 mins up for me and greeted with a fine view of Nelson and a very talkative bellbird. Not technically the center of NZ, but you can ready plenty online to explain that one.

Part of a two-fer with Belmont trig. Nice views of the valley.

Easy walk to the top, nice big trig, thought we would carry on and bag Cannons head as well.

Booked an awesome cabin (Poukai cabins) so all we had to do was leave the front door and start the track. It was apparently super muddy but they added a whole bunch of walkways so that problem is pretty well taken care of. The entire track is very well kept and a breeze to walk. (Apart from the last part just before the summit, but again not too much a worry. We estimated about an 8 our hike, but I think we ended up with just under 7 return. Great views of Mt. Taranaki on the way, sadly for us some low clouds rolled in and when we bagged the summit in the middle of a cloud.

Easy walk up. No trig, but, yup, lots of boulders!

This one was just one loooong slog up, not overly steep or anything, but just never ending. Good views here and there, and plenty of birdlife to entertain. Funny enough, Climie #2 the lower peak has a bigger trig than the higher Climie #1.

Did this one on a hot muggy day so the first quarter of the track under the cover of bush was welcomed. A well kept track and not overly taxing, but again if you want a good puff just pick up the pace. Great views of Wellie and the South Island when you get to the top. If you want to find the trig just keep going past the viewing platform, past the huge radio tower, and find the gorse covered hill. You will find a badly kept track leading to the trig.

Plenty of parking so no problem there. Just under the summit on the Wellington side, but you cant miss it. The actual climb is a bit of a slog if you are in a hurry, but straight forward on a well maintained track. As it zig zags up the hill you get some pretty cool views of the Rimutakas and a bit later on the Wairarapa and Lake Wairarapa. Trig at the top greets you on a summit bagged. Unlikely to get a windless day here, but I'm sure someone must have enjoyed such a day at some point!

Doing this post sometime after the bag so i'm struggling to remember all the details. For the most part I believe we just followed a 4wd/Road like track for what seems forever. You don't need to guess when you have reached the end for there is a giant radar ball waiting for you, plus there is also a tiny trig with (on a clear day) some pretty stunning views of the South Island.

Easy park near the top of Makara road for this one, but we got dropped off. Once there it is a quick pop over the road (carefull here, cars can sometimes come around the corners quicker than they should) and then the start of the track. Not much to report here, the track is fairly easy and you get some great views of Karori and later the Makara valley before you reach the top with a large antenna array to announce the peak has been bagged. From here you would normally just retrace your steps but since we know the landowner that borders the track we simply carried on down the ridge and walked all the way home. Benefits of being a local!

To be perfectly honest I was more than a little concerned with this tramp, after Kaitarakihi’s surprise cliff section and the very visible graggs of the Pinnacles I wasn’t sure what I’d actually have to traverse to bag this one.

But then again if the unknown stopped me from trying a track then I’d never leave the house!

In saying that I left at 08:30 to give me ample time to complete the bag. The first section along the river was easy and a pleasant walk, and the swing bridge was a good laugh as well, like walking on a waterbed. After that you got a little noticeboard telling you how the old kauri loggers carved steps into the stone for the donkeys, but it cleverly neglected to tell you how long the steps went on for! But a slow and steady approach is all you need and they will take care of themselves. There are a couple more bridges but not as fun as the swing bridge. After the stairs though it is still cobble stoney or rock covered underfoot and bendy ankles is a plus. You get some elevation gain after the stone step section, but nothing to write home about. Kept going right past the Hydro camp and a fairly gentle walk got me to the pinnacle’s hut.

Talking to one of the DOC rangers later they mentioned the was about 90 odd people up there on the Saturday night and when the wind and rain made its presence felt a few of the campers were granted some floor space to escape the horrible weather.

But the worst today brought was some cloud and a bit of wind so onwards to the top. From the hut you get gravelled walkway, leading to gravelled steps, leading to a couple of metal ladders leading to some metal hand/foot holds and then the viewing platform. It looks like a bit of a chore, but it got knocked off way quicker and easier than I imagined it would, in fact from the start of the tramp up until the top it took me just 2 hours and 15 mins. A cheeky scramble up some rock, but my bravery was checked in its tracks when a couple of sharp gusts came roaring through!

Eventually made my way back to the hut for some lunch and the ranger’s very friendly dog. Watching it hoover up crumbs from the ground where people dropped some of their lunch was hilarious. The hut by standard hut spec is truly palatial, but the best bit was the kauri growing out of and old tree trunk and then through the deck, awesome!

Anyway, after a good long rest and lunch done I made my way back to the car park. Stone steps aren’t that nice on the knees going back down!

All up 5 hrs.

Was not planning to do this peak, or any peak for that matter today, but when I woke up the weather looked a whole lot better than predicted so I thought I would chance it and see if the last Auckland peak on my list (apart from Mt. Hobson) was doable.

Stopped in the small car park and made my way over some styles and across some farm paddock. After two small hills I reached the start of the bush and headed on. The track was a pretty good mix, from memory it is pretty much from the start a decent grade that grabs you some vertical meters, then levels out so you can grab your breath, then the grade ups again for a bit and then a long level section. From there it is more or less an easy grade apart from some quick climbs but nothing very hard. The track was a bit muddy, but when you expect it and plan for it you don’t seem that bothered by it, although you do have to keep your wits about you heading back down!

Just before you get to the top you will see a split in the track, take it, it leads to a quick lookout and then rejoins the track. And then the summit! If you somehow manage to miss the giant trig the big wooden box that I’m guessing is the helicopter pad certainly grabs your attention. No views due to vegetation, but if you climb the oversized trig you can get some good views over the Leigh coast.

1hr 20mins up
40mins down