Walk #137, 29th Sept 2024
This track leads to a beautiful little waterfall in urban Mount Albert. Unfortunately the path is still damaged from the double-whammy of Cyclones Hale in January 2023 and Gabriel in February 2023. We walked with friends who knew the place. Even so there was a tricky creek crossing near a washed-out bridge.
Our walk started at Phyllis Reserve and ended at Unitec.
Disappointingly some of the signs are vandalized making it difficult to learn about this hidden treasure. What I can make out from the sign about the trees is this; they’re a mix of native and exotic. The older, exotic trees are treated as part of the heritage of the creek and are only removed when they die or become a danger to the public.
The oak trees date from the period of farming on the land above the bank and being deciduous allow sunshine through the winter months.
The land on the eastern side of the creek belonged to the Auckland Lunatic Asylum. In 1973, 10.4 hectares of the Asylum farm was designated as the site for a technical institute. In 1993 the old Asylum building was sold to Carrington Polytechnic which became Unitec. The Mason Clinic, a mental health facility, is further down the creek.
The reserve is a habitat for our native copper skinks which are endemic to the North Island.
Before the start of the Waterview Connection, 204 native copper skinks were relocated from seven sites along the path of the roadworks. Monitoring conducted since the relocation has shown a healthy population of copper skinks surviving here.
Mahi Whenua Sanctuary Gardens
Just above the reserve is a thriving community garden. The site is home to more than 400 species of plants. It has been gardened for well over 100 years by Maori, Carrington Mental Hospital and Unitec staff and students.
In 2018 the community garden was saved and integrated as a valuable community green space into the Wairaka Precinct development.
Walk: Auckland 27
Wairaka Spring
Unitec has a spring which is a waahi tapu, a historic site associated with Wairaka of the Mataatua canoe dated all the way back to 950 AD. Which is interesting given that most signs showing the arrival of Polynesians to NZ earlier than 1350 AD have disappeared.
Related page about the changing of the signs:
When was New Zealand first settled?
Links
Non-native trees have been removed from nearby Mount Albert, much to the dismay of the local people, both Maori and Pakeha: Māori world view important in Ōwairaka tree debate
Who is this Tupuna Maunga Authority? They want to chop down non-native trees and change place place names.
Tūpuna Maunga Authority plans to delete Wairaka from history, historian says
NZShortWalks 