There are so many great Auckland walks to discover but my favourite, without a doubt at the moment are the various trails in Waitawa Regional Park which is located between Clevedon and Kawakawa Bay.
Secret bays, less touristy than the Waitakere Ranges and beautiful views…I’m a sucker for this Auckland Regional Park.
Recently I’ve dragged Pappy on the walk…we got a bit lost and missed half of the trail but hey hoo that’s life…it was Sunday morning and it’s a day of rest or in our case, a day of walking only half a trail…
…we still worked up a sweat and got the blood pumping as Autumn mornings are quite warm here in Auckland. My Macpac merino wool trousers had me overheating…comfy pants which are perfect for flying and lounging, just not on hot autumn morning walks in this case.
The views and uphill climbs were good for the soul and for securing those peachy bottoms that we were both after…
…well me anywhoo! Pappy has the best legs in the family.
There’s a loo down by the beach if required…pretty lovely setting for a No 1 or if needs be, a No 2…I don’t judge…shit happens!
A lonely fisherman was the only other person we saw on the trail…deserted beaches are a blessing…
…but there was a bit of bird life on the walk…
…who could blame them for just sitting there taking in the view.
As we were heading back to the smurf mobile, we found a marker for our trail, missing half of it…oops…
…God loves a trier.
Lisa and I ventured out a month or so later for another walk around one of the trails late in the afternoon…
…the gate had a big scary padlock on it so we had to do a detour via the beach…
…it’s a hard life when you get lost on a beach, I know.
^^Couldn’t find a marker so took a selfie and then went searching again, a selfie a day helps locate the all important marker.
Lisa was pretty much dragged along…we had a giggle…instagram pose…
…to the reality!
^^I love my little sister to bits…she probably won’t be thinking the same as she sees that I’ve posted these photos…haha sorry Lisa! (no I’m not <insert evil laugh>)
What I love the most about this Great Auckland Walk is the diversity of the Park which includes beautiful sea views over the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park (where all those cute dolphins play and apparently whales)…
…to farmland with sheep (I may have hid behind Lisa as we were walking across the paddock)…
…to New Zealand native bush in all its glory….
…and the cattle grid…I used have nightmares about these as a kid!
^^This J.Crew hat is one of my most worn purchases of the year as you can see from the posts here, here, here and here.
Thankfully we were almost to the end of the trail…
…Lisa was over it and my new bowel medication was kicking in and I almost had to do some business behind a tree…and I didn’t have loo paper with me…lesson learnt for the next walk.
We made it back to the smurf mobile…
…two very happy little campers!
A few months after I was diagnosed with SPS, I started to suffer from anxiety…
…and I still have panic attacks from time to time now however I find walking and vistas like this help me no end.
Talking to my Croatian Cousin from another Grandfather at work a few weeks back (her family is from the next village down from mine…I call her my Croatian Cousin as a giggle), we both agreed that seeing the open water helps to reduce our stress levels…
…and clears the ol’ messy head.
While “positivity” is big business these days…looking at probabilities and making changes to reduce the risks in life in relation to health is much more important than rainbows and unicorn positivity in my world.
Exercise helps cut down the risk of Bowel Cancer…there are so many great walking tracks located across Auckland that we’re spoilt for choice…this one in Waitawa Regional Park is a 1.25 hour yellow loop.
Remember walking is free…just chuck on some shoes…start slow and enjoy the views and fresh air!
Check out more of my Auckland Regions posts by clicking here folks!
Walking Tips for tackling the Great Auckland Walks
- Check the Auckland Regional Council website before venturing out to make sure that the tracks are open as many walking tracks are closed due to the Kauri Dieback Disease
- Take plenty of drinking water with you and some nibbles…all that fresh air came make a tummy grumble
- Take your asthma inhaler if required and antihistamines just in case
- Also pack a little wad of toilet paper…shit happens when you least expect it!
- Sunblock and a sunhat are very important in New Zealand as our sun is super strong even in autumn and winter
- A pairs of shoes with good grip are important for tackling the smaller tracks however running shoes should be okay if not too slippery…if looking for a pair of shoes then I recommend Merrell, they have a discount store within Onehunga Dressmart
xx
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