Huia investigations TO2122-15 | Time Out 2021-22

Robin Capper

11 Oct 2021 — 3 min read

I rode out to Huia to check out a recent road closure due to slips. It's a nice ride but quite a busy road in the weekend so Monday, even school holidays, was comparatively quiet. It's also quite a lumpy ride, no huge hills but plenty of ups and downs and a sting in the return ride tail (blue circled).

This fellow welcomes you to Cornwallis, glad for the sign to flip the otherwise slightly ominous mood...

It was a grey morning, but warm and improving. If nothing else the South Westerly would be some help on the parts of the ride home.

Didn't go on the wharf, adequate social distance from the fishers I think...

Spragg Monument

In 1918 Wesley Spragg donated 307 hectares (760 acres) of land (Kaitarakihi in the Waitakere Ranges Regional Park) with the condition that a monument commemorated the loss of his son and 'all the boys of Auckland' who died in World War One.

View over Kaitarakihi Bay to the Manukau Heads, a hint of a break in the overcast?

Kaitarakihi Beach & park

Huia Lookout

View to the Manukau Harbour Heads and back to Huia (or Weld foreshore in '800 Words')

Lower Huia Dam

Lambs and green grass on this earth dam which was, yay, full of (drinking) water again. All the Waitakere dams got extremely low last summer.

End of the road. Beyond here the road is closed to all but residents, slips further up the hill apparently but I didn't investigate further.

Chocolate hill fuel and coffee on the foreshore

View photobombed by a passing (sea?) pigeon?

Good to see the Lower Nihotupu Dam (drinking water) spilling too.

Although only about 1.5km long the last real hill, alongside the dam, has a 10-14% gradient which preys on your mind all day! Even my Giro's easy gearing has my cadence down in the 50s up here, normal 70-90!