After burning out the motor in my electric lawnmower on Friday, I gave up up on my lawns and contacted Robert to arrange a walk in the Waitaks for Saturday.

We walked up the Karamatura stream, had lunch with Old Tom Thumb, and climbed to the top of Goat Hill for some overcast views of Auckland and Cornwallis. Coming back we returned via the Karamatura Waterfall.

On the track up to Goat Hill I found this bullet. I called the police today to find out if I should hand it in to them, but they said that wasn’t a necessity although I could if it made me feel safer.

Had a few beers and some Sages Indian curry with Robert and Tim back at my place.

Warning: Possum cuteness can impair your judgement in the ongoing struggle to protect native trees from these destructive cute little leaf (and egg) eating marsupials.

Leaving Auckland at about 7.30pm we drove out past Huia to do some Night Tramping. Falling back to the last place I’d tramped, I suggested Goat Hill as I knew there is a carpark we could park in which is not locked up at night there. The tramp was a bit more serious that Michelle and Brian were thinking, but with a Morepork calling in the background, we headed up Karamatura valley, navigated the stream crossing, mostly stayed on track (“is this still the track?”) and climbed the hill for views back at Auckland’s lights (way too late for sunset). We came straight back down the hill, fairly steep that way, but quicker and no stream crossing. Saw glow worms and a couple of possums, one of which (pictured) after startling Michelle just hung around watching us. Came out by the Huia Dam and returned to the car by road. Car hadn’t been stolen or burnt out, so managed to get back to Auckland by 11(?).