Another successful Open Day for the start of 2020!

A good turnout of people arrived at Narrow Neck, on a perfect morning for a coastal tramp. Cooler air temperature, very calm seas and low tide in 1.5 hours from our start time.

A few fun bits of scrambling as it wasn't a super low tide on Sunday, about a 2.7m, so some areas where we can normally wander along the sand towards the southern end of Takapuna Beach, were still covered up. But it's way more fun to scramble a bit!

A very brief road bash across to the other side of the pensinula to the Hauraki Tracks and we're back in tree covered tracks and bridge over the mangrove'd areas.

One track we usually do here is still closed due to a housing development. A great pity as it's a really nice little track skirting along the edge of the mangroves around Ngataringa Bay.

A quick stop at the Ngataringa Bay maze and bush maze and we're off again along the tracks towards Mt Victoria. With one quick diversion to the very cool Ngataringa Bay Dragon (a mosaic dragon) that was moved from Ngataringa Bay to a walkway at the start of Calliope Road to protect the dragon from damage.

Once again, we're on our way, up the very steep, footstep wide worn track up the northern side of Mt Victoria. Briefly stopping for a few photos, we find another even steeper path back down the eastern side. With much hilarity, some deciding that scooting down on their butts was a safer option to reach the usual boring track anyone can do. Haha!

Mt Cambria Reserve, Vauxhall Sportfields and Devonport Domain grassy areas and we're at North Head, working our way up the track to find a lunch spot on the eastern side, with a view across the harbour out of the wind, that is now reasonably strong. As we were nearly finished lunch we had two Tui's land on the grass 2 metres away from us, having quite a conversation!

Back into the wind, we got our torches/headlights/phone torches out to go have a nosey around some of the old military tunnels, that are usually open, but seem to be closed for maintenance. We scoot around the other side, and find a bit that isn't closed to explore a bit, but doesn't lead anywhere as the other bigger tunnels do.

The watery ebb now nearing high tide we make our way along Cheltenham Beach, going around the rocks isn't an option as it would usually be for the last 500 metres, so one small dash along the road and we reach our start point again. With time for a swim or hot drink or both, or a gianormous piece of carrot cake!

A really good crop of capable newbies, including another family, all of whom we're looking forward to tramping with again.

Very thankfully we finished our tramp just as the eerie sepia effect, orange dust haze from Australia arrive and the accompanying cooler air temperature!