Yesterday was a stunning blue sky day so Deb and I went to Waikanae for breakfast then tried out a trail new to us: Barry Hadfield Nikau Reserve:
11 hectares of regionally significant kohekohe and nikau forest remnant.
Views from the lookout were stunning and the forest is lovely.
The climb was a killer though. It took me 35 minutes to the lookout from the carpark. There were a lot of steps. I was utterly exhausted in the afternoon.




I am glad it was worth it, it looks like it was a beautiful day. But I feel you, 35 minutes of steps have to be exhausting.

@umerez_ My heart reached maximum beats per minute a few times, my legs were a bit wobbly on the way down and my calves are sore today. Also, the sign at the bottom was very poorly written, suggesting the whole thing was a 30 minute return. Closer reading afterwards revealed they meant the tiny loop just at the bottom was a 30 minute walk.