Mount Auckland

So we learned something new recently…..Auckland has its own Mountain named after it!  Today was our mission to conquer it and for Warren to activate it for his SOTA log.   A successful mission it was, though, contacts were slim pickings at the top.

The walk has two entry points.   We took the second, slightly shorter route, which starts out across farm land to meet the native bush edge where you follow the track to the summit look out.   There is a platform though it has some views, they are fairly limited for the most part.   According to the DOC site for Mount Auckland, The Kaipara Coast Highway access to the forest edge is closed 1 August to 30 September for lambing.  (This however was not advertised that we could see, and we certainly were not the only people using the track by any means, thankfully we did not come across any sheep or lambs on our travels).

 

It is a fairly easy walk and is advertised as such. though good walking shoes are a good idea as the ground is steep and slippery in parts and the farm land well pugged and dried, making for some rough ground underfoot. Once in the bush, parts do get steep in places but over all its a walk most should be able to achieve fairly easily.

A trig marks the top along with a small viewing platform that looks out over forest and the Harbour.

After lunch at the top, Warren got on with setting up his station……….

 

 

I placed a few calls on 7 MHz to start with but it appeared the skip distance was too long. I worked Geoff ZL3QR in Christchurch and then moved to 14 MHz where I worked Rick, Gerrard and Matt with heavy QSB. After about 40 minutes I figured I had my 4 contacts and qualified for 1 activator point so we packed up and departed.

 

The walk down was a bit quicker as the kids ran off ahead (we had PRS radios to keep in touch). A warm spring day certainly made the walk enjoyable for all.

 

Details

Summit – ZL1/AK-013

Height –304 m

Access – Car park on the East side of SH16, a few hundred metres South of Omaumau Road. Other entrance is off Kaipara Hills Road.

Nominal time to summit – 1.5 hours walk from carpark

Mobile and internet coverage from the summit –Full coverage.

Summit Marker – Trig station + viewing platform

Land Access Permission – not required – DOC land.