Wainuiomata Waterworks Recreation Area

Marc enjoying a peaceful moment reading

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We decided to go for a walk somewhere we’d never been so we headed out to the Wainuiomata Waterworks Recreation Area. We set off from the car park aiming to do the Gums Loop Track, which according to the signpost took an hour. We started following what we thought was the track but after 20mins of heading up through bush we decided we weren’t on the right track. We were on the Nikau Palms track which, just after we decided we were on the wrong track, came to an abrupt end. Most tracks end in a view or something, but this was just a seat in the bush, it was odd. As Marc's stomach was screaming, which it always is, we stopped for lunch. After eating we made our way back down the wee side gully we'd come in search of the Gums Track. We got back to the signpost and realized our mistake the arrow which looked like it was pointing up was actually pointing back where we’d come from and we were meant to have gone left instead of right, oops. The Gums Track was one you could take a wheelchair on, it was wide and flat and only about 15 mins each way. Unsurprisingly it passes through lots of gum trees as it follows the river up to an old house site. Just past here a track leads down to the river where there’s a picnic area and a swimming hole, which Rose played in. We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing reading our books in the sun, a well spent Sunday afternoon