We tramped new ground for the club on our Sunday trip to Mataia, which is in the very scenic Glorit area on SH16, northwest of Auckland. Our group of day trippers met up with the group that had stayed overnight at the Mataia Lodge.
    The weather was a little overcast but calm, nothing to deter keen-beans, so we headed up along the farm tracks. We stopped along the way for a quick chat with one of the farm staff, who was tending to eight very cute newborn calves.
    This area is similar to Atiu Creek (also northwest of Auckland), but perhaps even a little more scenic and diverse, with a mixture of farm tracks and lush, well-established bush tracks. There was a neat track along the edge of the wetlands, with massive old pohutukawa and puriri providing a tropical archway above us.   
    The colours were so vivid—from the reds, oranges and browns of the wetlands to the bright green grass and blue sky of the open land, with a gentle haze rolling over the hills. Really very picturesque.
    As this is such a pretty area, we’re planning to go back again in a few years’ time, perhaps in spring/summer when the ground will be drier and even better for lounging around in the sun on the Mataia Lodge patio.