Mt Kakepuku

We had a wonderful day out today with the Auckland Natural History Walking Group.  We boarded the coach at 8am this morning and drove south to Te Awamutu.  Our first stop was at Lake Serpentine East, which is part of a complex of three small peat lakes near Ohaupo.  It is enclosed by a 1.4 km predator fence, which has enabled mammalian pests to be eradicated.  From there we travelled to Mt Kakepuku, which is an old volcano.  There is a walking track to the summit that we had to walk quite a distance up before we stopped for lunch.  Once at the summit (460m) there  are magnificent views of the surrounding landscape.  The walk took three hours return plus time to stop and catch our breath and eat our lunch.  I don’t think my legs are going to be talking to me again tomorrow.  The main photo shows Lake Serpentine East, a glorious autumn tree in the town of Te Awamutu, the signboard at the start of the Kakepuku Track and the view from the summit.  The extra is of a signboard at the summit of Mt Kakepuku, which includes a photo of the mountain.  As you can see, it was a wonderful autumn day.