28. Belmont Park - Dry Creek Loop

January 31

We started this track at the point where it intersects with the Boulder Hill track. From this point it was a nice gentle downwards track.

You come to a point where there is steep descent and you can start to hear the creek. But then the track goes back up just as steeply as you came down. And it just keeps going. You are following a 4 wheel drive path and you cant really see beyond the trees and scrub on either side so it isn't very thrilling.

The final descent is very steep and the track is very rocky. I ended up walking on the very edge where the gravel had built up just so that I could sink my feet in a bit. The walk back through the dry creek reserve area was quite pleasant - we stopped to pick a handful of blackberries.

9 500 steps (would be 13 500 if we had started at the car park)

27. Belmont Park - Boulder Hill

January 31

This track starts at the Dry Creek entrance to Belmont Park. You start in a little tract of bush but soon you turn to the right onto a 4 wheel drive track and you go up and up. Luckily it isn't a terribly steep start - just enough to warm up the legs. This climb last for almost 3 kms.

There is a nice flat section where you cross a field and then you are back onto a serious climb. This was really quite steep and because it is so dry at the moment it was a bit loose under foot. You start to get glimpses of the views as you turn each corner.

I was starting to wonder why it was called boulder hill but as you approach the top there are large rocks spread around in the long grass. At the top there is a big pile of these boulders. The views are pretty amazing - Upper Hutt, Hutt City and the harbour and out to Pauatahanui and the Porirua Harbour.

Hutt City and the Wellington Harbour

Would definitely recommend doing this on a day with cloud cover.

Porirua and Pauatahanui

8 000 steps ( would have been 12 000 if we had done a direct return)

26. Wilf Mexted Reserve, Tawa

January 30

This track is on Woodman Drive in Tawa.

It is quite a pretty walk but is really short. The trees seem quite sparse and I wonder if maybe they have been removing non-natives.

The path is a gentle slope upwards. It is a bit narrow in places which made it a bit tricky when Mister 5 wanted to hold my hand. You come out of the bush at one point and have a bit of a view over Tawa.

The path down has a few steepish parts that could possibly be helped by having steps in place. Mister 5 slipped over at least three times and I was walking very cautiously.

We came here years ago with the kids to hunt out a letterbox, and if we lived in the area I would let my kids play in there, but I don't think I would make a special effort to drive here just to do this walk.

1 800 steps.

25. Brookfield, Wainuiomata - Smith's Camp Track

January 28

Brookfield Scout Camp is one of our favourite places to come with the kids for camping. It is even worth just coming out for a day trip - they have flying foxes, kayaking and rafting, obstacle courses, bush walks and a swimming pool. Only $5pp for day or tenting, or $10pp for a cabin.

Okay, now for the walk. We had a little bit of trouble finding the start of this walk as it wasn't signposted. So, you go to the far end of camp and just before the outdoor chapel there is a 4 wheel drive path. At the very start of this there is a path to the left.

It is a pretty easy climb in the bush most of the way and the few times that you do come out of the bush you get some nice views. The path itself is pretty good most of the way but there are a few spots where you cross the stream where footing is a bit dodgy. If it was winter and it had been raining it may be slippery.

It took maybe 30 minutes to get to the little campsite which is very basic. Just a toilet and a campfire in a small clearing. It has a little stream running just down from it.

About 9 000 steps (from main camp and including our little tiki tour to find the track )

24. Lower Hutt Walk

January 24

We started at Waterloo station and headed along Waterloo Road. As you get closer to the centre of Lower Hutt, the houses and gardens get bigger and the fences get higher. But it was fun to peek through gaps and over some of the lower walls.

We took a few turns and ended up entering Civic Garden from Myrtle Street. We wandered along the stream, through the playground and cemetery and out by the library onto Woburn Road.

We crossed the bridge and went down to the Hutt River. It was Market Day down by the river and it was super busy.We carried on alongside the river, crossed the bridge near Melling Station and walked back along River and back over the Woburn Bridge.

It was another scorcher day and we really wanted to stop and get a drink, but there were no dairies! We carried on up Woburn which changes into Ludlam Ave and crossed over onto White Lines East where there was a shotput session happening. Then onto Cambridge Terrace and back to Waterloo station.

14 000 steps

23. Colonial Knob via Camp Elsdon

January 23

If you like steps then this is the track for you - 721 apparently (I was too busy catching my breath to count).

I was doing this walk at midday on a very hot day. During the first part of the track the sun was coming in through the trees and had like a disco ball effect on the ground. Looked very cool.

The first half of this track is not too tough. The steps come in lots of five or 10 and there are decent stretches of path in between. Then you look up and see this huge stretch of 170 (I counted them on the way back). As a platform comes into view I was thinking 'yay, I think it must be over! Wrong. Just around the corner there is the steepest lot - so steep it had a handrail.

The track comes out of the bush and just near where it intersects with the summit track there is a little track up to some seats. Spectacular view.

 About 9 000 steps

22. Bothamley Pathway

January 22

The girls were both away having fun with friends today so I took mister 5 on what I thought was going to be a short walk. We entered from the Ascot Park entrance on Warspite Ave.

This path runs through one of the less affluent areas of Porirua and at the start of the walk I thought the pathway seemed a bit neglected and there was some graffiti on fences (and trees!). But as we walked along and I relaxed, I began to appreciate how peaceful it was. There were lots of open fields that had been left to grow wildflowers and lovely wooded areas.

My favourite part was probably right in the middle of our walk where there is a bit of a forest clearing and the path diverges three ways.

Having lost my bearings a bit we decided to take the path to the right through the pines and then right again. I had hoped we would loop right back to where we started, as I didn't want to have to piggy-back the little guy, but the path took us up through Aotea (quite a well to do neighbourhood) and we walked back along the street.

about 8 000 steps