Pōurewa

Starting off, head down the cycleway below across Ōrākei Basin, then coming off the basin angle a slight right then straight ahead under Orakei Road. Continue under the railway station pedestrian bridge then hook left to follow the cycleway up to Orakei Road and find a safe crossing point. You’ll proceed east a short distance to and up Kepa Road on the right.

Further up Kepa Road is an old farm gate with a stile next to it, this is the second old gate you’ll reach after one near the corner, but the first with a stile. Cross this, and then down the grass bank in front picking up the yellow topped marker poles. Angle left keeping one small bridge to your right and crossing the other to your left, then keep right to follow the yellow topped marker poles. (Note that there is a network of trails in the area and there are points where it could be confusing which marker you are following, so these directions a precise guide).

Up the hill there is another small bridge which you cross then angle sharp right. From here follow the wide grass and gravel path, keeping right at two forks to stay roughly parallel to the rail tracks in the distance. The path at the second fork is basic but yes, continue straight ahead – even if the grass is long. The trail shortly angles left uphill the right again between two stands of low trees. At the subsequent trail marker do not follow it directly ahead but hook left uphill, passing an old farm drink tank on your right to another fork, and a hard right. From here there is a longer ambling section without forks, now following black topped marker poles.

The trail reaches some stairs, and you climb up to come out next to a cell tower site and utility sheds fenced on the left, skirting along the fence to a grassy bank continuing to follow marker poles up to Kepa Road. Here there is a right, and very shortly, another right onto Colenso Place and down the cul-de-sac to drop onto the pathway into Kepa Bush and straight down past the first fork to the left. After a longer ambling section you come to a fork and take the left uphill. (We are deliberately looping around Kepa Bush to maximise value for this run, and time in the trees and tui). Climb straight up past another fork to the left, into a small grass reserve, and angle right over the grass to pick up another trail back down hill.

Continue all the way down, past the eventual set of box stairs to the left and then another set to the right. This will bring you down to the creek, and along its bank which you follow for a while. Be surprised at the secret waterfalls, which I never mentioned, and which aren’t in the photos. In places the trail gets a bit scratchy but keep heading along sticking to the creek side until you pop up at a set of wooden stairs up to a cycleway section, take a right up to the main Te Ara ki Uta ki Tai cycleway and then another right to follow this back to where we started.

Here, just past the starting point, the entrance to Orakei Basin Walkway is on the left. Follow this briefly, then drop down a set of stairs to the right and onto the boardwalk over an inlet of the basin. This takes you to climb a set of stairs and onto the bottom of Lucerne Road, looking left uphill and across the road is a sign showing where to pick up the trail again. Dropping down the stairs on the other side, you then proceed clockwise around the basin, keeping to the right always. This includes a short section of access road, before dropping off the road onto trail again.

The trail then spits you back out onto the cycleway, and you head right back up to the start and finish.