Hunua Regional Park: Massey Cossey Loop Track
As with most of my adventures, this one started out at a time of day when not even the birds had tweeted their first song. 5am. This time my husband and I were going to do a hike together. A rare occurance, as my husband is very muchnot a fan of the whole hiking thing.
Our destination, Hunua Regional Park, an Auckland Regional Park around an hours drive from home. It had been a hot minute since I had been to this park, so I was excited to return.
The walk we picked was the Massey Cossey Loop Track, a combination of the Massey and the Cossey Gorge Track. It is around 3 hours return, and 8km. And it brings you through some of the beautiful forest that is Hunua.
The Beginning
As most good walks do, we began our adventure with a stop for a sausage roll. We needed the pastry carby goodness to fuel us. Our aim was to reach the carpark at sunrise (around 6:30am) but as I have a hobby of snoozing my alarms, we did not quite reach that goal.. But we were there at 7am, which I found to be pretty good going for me. In the Summer months, the carpark at the start of this walk opens at 6am. So you can start this walk pretty early before the full weight of the sun blares down on you.
There is plenty of parking at the start of the walk and they even open up a field for overspill parking during the busy months, so you will most likely find a park. I still recommend coming early so you can beat the crowds.
Before the walk, visit the Hunua Waterfall. This is a five minute walk from the carpark and is a very beautiful spot. We wandererd down there at 7am, and there was only one lone photographer. When we returned from the walk at around 11am, there were huge crowds at the waterfall. Many come just to see this waterfall, so if you want some peace in nature, come early.
After visiting the waterfall, we began our walk. I being the incompetent researcher that I am, did not know the walk was 3 hours and 8km long. I foolishly thought it was only 1 hour. My husband was less than amused.
The Walk
At the start of the walk, there is a Kauri Dieback Boot Cleaning station, due to there being vulnerable Kauri trees in this forest. Be sure to clean and disinfect those boots before you enter. There is also a station to clean your gear, e.g hiking poles.
After this, you cross a bridge. This bridge is a good photo spot for the waterfall. Take a snap.
You reach a crossroads. Right, a short walk to another vanture point for the waterfall. Left, the long trek, Massey Cossey Loop Track. We are going to go left folks. After an incline through some pretty bush, we reach another fork. This is the start of the Loop Track. You can go left or right, it really does not make much of a difference.
There will still be stairs and climbs either way.
We went with the right.
This is where your butt, thighs, calves, and your mental fortidue will begin to get strained. Stairs. Many many stairs. The climb was tough. We reached 300m elevation gain. There is one bench to have a rest. Otherwise just sit on stairs or as my husband opted to do, a dead ponga stump which was quite uncomfortable but he was desperate. The first part of the walk is quite dry during summer. There are some pretty trees, some tall nikau palms to marvel at, some silver ferns to carass. It is a nice section of forest, so stop and smell the petrichor.
After the climb, most of the hard work is out of the way. Yes, you will be sweaty, smelly and wheezy, but you did it. Pat yourself on the back and get ready for some downhill strain of those knees and toes. Oh, and also some more beautiful New Zealand bush.
You reach a sign, saying this way for more Massey Cossey Track. The other track is closed off, so it will be really hard to get lost here. Follow the track, this will now be gentle ups and downs and you will reach the lookout point.
This is a beautiful scenic position looking over the Hunua Ranges and the Dam.Have a seat and drink some water and wipe the sweat off your eyes. Or if you are my husband, check the courier status of a package he is waiting on.
At this spot, we saw two keruru flying which was quite magic.
After a suitable rest, continue downhill. After around 15 mins you will reach the reservoir and dam. This is a good spot for a picnic. The site to me is not that scenic, as it is quite man made being you know a dam, but it has picnic tables and there are welcome swallows flying around. So it is a good spot for a sandwich or something. We unfortunatly only brought water for our journey, so no stops for us for food. Glorious food.
Walk across the dam and you come to another intersection. They both go to the same spot, but to the right you walk along the water edge. Pick one. We went with the left and run into a cool flower, so it was worth it.
After some uphill road walking, where I often wished I could hitchhike, you come to the point where you escape the sun and reenter the bush. Yay.
This section of the walk was more enjoyable for me. It was alot damper, meaning more ferns, moss, and lush plants. It just felt a lot cooler as you are walking along Wairoa stream. You will come to several small bridges, where you walk over some trickling waterfalls and gorges. The track can be a bit narrow, so you will have to navigate with incoming walkers.
You will be descending gradually and sometimes less gradually with some steep stairs, and eventually reach the bottom of the valley and be walking on level with the stream.
In the past you needed to do a river crossing, but now they have built a very handy bridge to get across. This I am thankful for, as in the past I have slipped on a rock and landed in the stream. Less than fun while carrying a camera.
After crossing the bridge, it is a short fifteen minute walk back to the carpark.
Congraultaions you did it. Clean your boots and get into the car for a much needed sit.
Some Cool Flora and Fauna You May See
There is a lot of nature to be seen in this forest. In fact, the Hunua Ecological District contains 20% of New Zealand’s total native plant species. This is around 450 different spcies, including over 100 species of native fern. Hunua is also home to two very rare species of fauna. The Kokako calls this forest home, Auckland’s only mainland population. This bird is known for its haunting call. The other species that calls this forest home is the unusual and rare Hochstetter’s Frog . This frog is silent and nocturnal, so your chances of meeting one are rare, but it is cool to be wandering through a forest where one may be sleeping just a few metres away.
Kidney Fern
Kidney Ferns are my favorite and I was surprised to see them in the first drier part of the walk as they are more often in wet moist forests. They are around 5-10cm tall, kind of look like kidneys, and will shrivel up when it is dry to conserve mositure. They will then unfurl when it is wet. They are endemic to NZ and are quite translucent and look rather delicate. Mature Kidney Ferns will have a crown of Sori on the upper part of their frond. This is how the reproduce.
Paratanawhai
An endemic ground cover plant, Paratanawhai is often found in moist parts of a forest, shaded and near water. It has long green purple leaves that have a saw like edge.
Nest Epiphytes
I could spot many of these perched in tall trees during my walk. I could not indenify the exact species, but I would hazard a guess it is one of the three Nest Epiphytes we have in New Zealand. Info on these can be found here.
Important Info
Parking: Parking is free and has no time limits. It can be found at the start of this walk. Gate access 6am to 9pm (Daylight saving).Gate access winter, 6am to 7pm (Non-daylight saving).
What to bring: Water, camera, snacks. Wear good footwear.
Dogs: Dogs are permitted at some points of this Regional Park and this changes when it is lambing season. To find out more on this, check this website
Facilities : There is a toilet at the start of this walk and at the halfway point. There is also a water fountain at the start of the walk.