After meeting at Little Shoal Bay and admiring the view back to the city and Harbour Bridge, our group of 16 set off across a pleasant board walk and then through a bush track by the river for about an hour.  We arrived at Chelsea Sugar factory, where we stopped for morning tea, resisting the urge to go in.  Another great view across the Waitemata to the Harbour Bridge. Behind the factory a bush track by the river led us to a panoramic look out to the Harbour Bridge and up the harbour to Hobsonville.  From here the track, which was mostly tree roots, descended again through the bush. We stopped for lunch as the clouds threatened but it barely drizzled.  It was quite a surprise to come out of the bush on to a suburban street after being immersed in native bush. Having crossed the street, we continued back into the bush. We circumnavigated the duck pond by the factory. A new bridge and track are being constructed, but we crossed the pond and continued up the hill on the old path where we took great delight in looking down on a shag’s nest with three large chicks competing for mum’s attention. At the top of the hill was a large clearing where there were three beautifully restored brick houses dating back to the heyday of the factory.   After a short climb through more bush, we came out near Birkenhead library and then retraced our steps back down the stairs and over the board walk alongside the river where we saw tiny fish and eels. We are so lucky to have such hidden gems of native bush in central Auckland.

Lesley O.

Click here to view photos by Deborah G.