Some of the clubbies are away for the long Auckland Anniversary Weekend tackling a big lump of rock (Mt Hikurangi) down on the East Coast for the weekend in Big Yellow, our club bus. So we decided to we'd have a local Sunday tramp too to keep the tramping boots in fettle.

Car pooling and meeting some of our troop at Arataki Visitors Centre bright an early we head under and across Scenic Drive to do the Upper Loop and the ID Loop. The ID Loop was really cool with signs about each species of tree, hopefully really interesting for the newbies in our group today. A bit of worry though, noting, that even in this smaller area that quite a number of little tracks are closed with Dieback or prevention of. :(

We arrive back up at the Arataki Visitors Centre and have a wander around and take in the vista well above the tree canopy, across the dams around Huia hundreds of metres below. The dams looking surprisingly full despite the dry weather of the last few weeks. Pre-Xmas rain must have filled up massively.

10am rolls around and we head downstairs for the yummy morning tea, before Kauri Dieback Seminar. The hour seminar was very interesting and with Rosie Bradshaw & Nari Williams speaking to the big group with in depth information about where things are currently at with Kauri Dieback and treatment.

A quick bite of lunch and we head off down the long well graveled Beveridge Track. Or should that be Beverage.... those keen for wines and beers. Maybe you'll have to shake the pack firmly to see if liquid gold falls out! Haha!

Next down to Pipeline Track to the junction of the Slip Track that we had planned to complete the circle and go up, but earlier this week they'd had to close Slip Track due to Kauri Dieback, so we backtracked to Exhibition Drive, with a slightly different path and back up to the Visitors Centre.

Some of the interesting things we learned from some of the informative signs along the Beveridge Track, Maori's used to use Rewarewa for it's phosphorescence properties to light their Whare (house). They also used Nikau (native palm), fallen fronds like a cast for inquired arms and legs. Pretty clever!

Another extremely enjoyable day out with the club with a fantastic bunch of very diverse and interesting group.