The toil and trouble of Ōpepe Reserve
A log still sits above the pit at Ōpepe Reserve.
Today’s medley of walks may have been short on distance but certainly not short on variety, history, information or fun.
Walking in the tranquility of the northern section of Ōpepe Reserve and gazing 30 metres skyward to see the top of ancient rimu trees it was hard to credit we were just metres from a main highway.
Podocarps such kahikatea and matai, ferns, moss covered fallen logs, orange papery barked kōtukutuku border this easy, undulating track.
A pocked putaputawētā trunk close to the trail was playing host to multiple puriri larva.
We peered at the silk and debris cover one had made to cover its hole. They can live there 3-5 years and hatch as a mouthless moth, unable to eat, and then die, usually within two days.
We wound our way around the loop track before taking the fork to the gravesite of nine Bay of Plenty cavalry men killed in an ambush in June 1869 by Te Kooti’s men.
This small, green field had a rather somber atmosphere and was a poignant reminder of our not-so-distant turbulent past.
The site is checked regularly by War Graves staff. We crossed the busy road to walk the track in the southern aspect of this 72-hectare reserve.
Here the foliage is regenerating bush and the surrounding relics a reminder that Ōpepe was once a thriving logging area with housing and 120 residents.
We found an old well site, remnants of a chimney and an old hording board which may have been for a hotel or for an old Shell garage.
Hawthorne bushes and trees were a sign of old habitation.
Along the track was a more recent memorial. A cross and plaque placed in memory of a pilot killed in an aviation crash in 1970. We had just the right expert in our midst to explain how modern equipment could have possibly prevented such a sad happening.
A sidetrack led us to an old horse and bullock team watering hole. By happy coincidence we found a gentleman there who knew a lot about pest trapping in the area.
He was not allowed to escape without being given a microphone and the group was able to hear about controlling and catching pests and the possible whereabouts of the disappearing trough. Beware a group of walkers hungry for information.
Sections of the old interlocking tōtara stockade railings and several posts were alongside the path.
We followed the main track and could see where the original Napier Taupō Road once ran.
The track ends near a sawpit. A deep pit with a huge log above making it easier to envisaging the hard physical work the sawyers did to cut the wood into telegraph poles.
We travelled to Bonshaw Park and after a welcome break in very hospitable surroundings we made our way along the road across a field, through plantings and regenerating bush steadily upwards to a trig station atop Maunganamu.
Sometimes referred to as Sandfly Mountain this hill is an intriguing landmark in the area and we were grateful to the landowner for allowing us to walk up there.
Next week we are out of town. If you would like to join us, or for more information, please email walkersmondaytaupo@gmail.com or follow us on Facebook at ‘Taupo Monday Walkers’.