Filter Track, Cascade Kauri Regional Park (Closed due to Kauri Die Back)
Tramping Track – From the Waitakere Filter Station at the end of Christian Road, Filter Track ascends spur through kauri grove. It is very steep in places and offers views over Auckland. The track then crosses a flat area at the top to Scenic Drive. (.8km)
So you know the other day when I “complained” how the ARC described Sharp Track as a family friendly walking track and I thought it was anything but? ..
Well the Filter Track certainly makes the Sharp Track seem like a family friendly walk! lololol
The Filter Track is one of the four trails that start/end from the Waitakere Filter Station. To reach the Filter Track from the car parking area (which is located before the gated entrance) you head straight down the driveway and continue past the Watercare Buildings and around the locked gate to continue along the driveway.
About 10m’s from the gate the Filter Track can be found on your left, although you’ll need to keep an eye out for it, because the trail isn’t immediately obvious and the sign is quite well hidden.
Once on the trail “proper” you’ll see the shoe cleaning station up ahead and beyond that the trail leads to a long set of stairs. From the top of the stairs you’ll ascend the hill on a narrow, muddy, overgrown and steep single trail which in numerous places is hard to see which direction the trail goes in – from what I can see, this isn’t the most utilised trail in the network.
In saying that, I really liked it – perhaps not when I quite literally had to pull my way up the hill using vines or when I had to come back down that same hill by inching backwards and holding onto tree roots for dear life or when I genuinely had no idea which direction the trail headed in, but later .. you know .. when it was over. 😉
I will say that the ridge line is beautiful and when the vegetation opened up so that you could see the view across the valley it was quite breathtaking and I’m always partial to a trail that has Kauri trees on it, the only real downer is that unless you want to run along Scenic Drive (which I wouldn’t been keen on) this can only be run as an out and back trail of 3.6km (from the car park to the end of Filter Track and back again).
The other stuff;
Location – End of Christian Road, Swanson.
Parking – Yes
Toilets – Toilet block located across the driveway from the Watercare Building.
Kid Friendly – Probably not unless they’ve been bought up as mountain goats.
Till next time
