28-Aug-2016
Mark, Myself
Paekakariki Escarpment Track, Te Araroa Trail, Paekakariki Train Station to Pukerua Bay Train Station
9.74km, 3hr08min, 364m elevation gain
A fair while ago, I noticed a couple of swing bridges well above State Highway 1 along the coast, and wondered how to get to them. Mike made an attempt back in 2013, before the track was completed and opened, and ever since I have been waiting to try the track for myself. (Mike also did it more recently – in fact, the day after it opened)
Once the word was out that the final stages of track building were underway and the track would have a grand opening, it moved well up my to-do list for local daywalks. Trying to find a time when we have been around with no other plans, good weather, no injuries and no pre-schooler to hand has been a challenge, although things finally happened on the weekend.
The forecast was for fine, warm-but-not-hot weather with northerly breezes. With what I knew of the narrowness and exposure of the track, the fact moderate breezes were forecast did make me a little nervous, but I figured at least a northerly would blow UP the hill, not down, given the alignment of the hills.
We headed out the door at just after 9am, having decided to park our car at Pukerua Bay station and catch the train north to Paekakariki and then walk south (which was the recommendation on the opening day, and seems to be the recommendation in general, we definitely understood why later). For reference, the trains come through Pukerua Bay every half hour at 10past and 20to the hour north AND south bound, and its about 10 minutes to Paekakariki ($3.50 cash fare).
The track starts at the train station, heading up Beach Road towards the beach, then turning at the church (take advantage of the toilets, you wont see more until you get to the main road at Pukerua Bay), and wandering down the footpath along Ames Street for about 1km till you turn back NORTH up the highway, across the narrow bridge (be aware of trucks, that bridge is narrow and they are RIGHT THERE when they surprise you), and down the stairs at the north end, under the bridge to the 1km marker.
The walk down Ames Street is probably recommended by the planners as it is more comfortable than the walk down the highway. So quiet you’d never know the highway and Main Trunk railway were right there – you hear the sea more! That said, the fact the traffic comes up quite fast behind you on the bridge is no fun.
We enjoyed our walk heading south, and could see several advantages to tackling this section in a north-south direction. For starters, the sun was always behind us, or slightly to the side. Given that the ground was radiating warmth back at us in August, this track would get HOT in the summer. The wind (being northerly) was also slightly behind us for the most part, and we found that in large parts of the track it was actually fairly sheltered.
Additionally, the stairs at the north end, while steep with narrow tread depth, have sections of benched track between them. The steepest climb from the south is incessant, with only landings between flights of stairs – although the treads seemed deeper on those as well. Getting the big climb out of the way earlier in the walk was also good, as we hit a bit tired on some of the later ones – and every climb had a matching descent, so hitting a long, steady stair climb late in the walk would have been really hard work.
We met a really lovely large family group when we stopped at the lone, sheltered picnic table on the track, which was about 10 minutes shy of the first swing bridge. The picnic table was a great spot to stop, and easily sat 8 of us around it (with space to spare). It was entertaining watching them enjoy the swing bridge together.
By the time we got to the track-side track on the way to Muri Station, my feet were getting sore. While the ankle support offered by my boots was great for the stairs, the solid sole of my boots was too much for the kind of track it was. Doing it again I would probably throw a really light pair of running shoes in my bag for the pavement sections (about 1km at the start and end of the track), and still don boots for the track proper.
I was hoping for Muri station to be ominous and depressing in its closed / abandoned state, but perhaps its too soon, or the daylight was too strong.
There were a LOT of people out on the track with us. A couple of groups we leap-frogged as each took turns to stop, but most parties we saw ahead or behind us stayed ahead or behind us by about the same distance the whole track. A good number of runners were out. Probably 75% of the people we saw walking were going north to south, and passing was tight in a lot of places, with very little margin for error. I can imagine in high summer this track will be insanely popular, and I dread the idea of it turning in to a local variation on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. The weather up there could change very rapidly (and it looked like it was threatening to, at least a couple of times while we were up there). There are no alternative exits – once you are on the track, it’s a through track or a back track for at least 8km. In summer heat it is VERY exposed and there are only small patches of shade and no water. People WILL turn up underprepared for the conditions, lulled into a false sense of security by how accessible it is.
Stunning track, will probably do it again at some point, and about this time of year – nice weather but not too hot!
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