Pt2 Day 35. Onehunga to Manakau Holiday Park - 27/03/16

Today's gps track is:
http://www.movescount.com/moves/move98634420
Sorry about the lack of hyperlinks - new version of Weebly app doesn't appear to allow me to hyperlink - you'll have to cut and paste!

Left Ella's about 0750 and rejoined TA track about 0810 to head under the "new" Mangere Bridge and across the old bridge. From there it was west around the waterfront on mainly concrete paths (well used on a Sunday morning) towards Ambury Regional Park.

Heading under the "new" Mangere Bridge.

A bit of activity on the old bridge on a Sunday morning.

Formed pathways!

Interesting how even a little water flow can create a pathway in the mudflats.

First stock in Ambury Park. Used to people!

Old abandoned building - but a small group were using it for a Sunday morning church singalong

Big caterpillar! Either that or B's foot is shrinking!

A bigger foot? Actually the lizard (skink? gecko?) is very small - hundreds of these little fellas around if you look closely.

Alongside one of Watercare Services' canals. Huge wetland area behind the fence to the left

Then it was round through the Otuataua Stonefields reserve and east on roads to meet up with George Bolt Memorial Drive which, as locals will know, is the main road into the airport.

We stopped at the shopping centre for a lunch break although nothing much was open (including Countdown) as it was Easter Sunday. ​After a break there we headed east and south to enter the Puhinui reserve (B hoped to see some horses in action!). Obviously we saw quite a few planes coming into land (they were landing east to west today) - amazing how those larger jets seem to just hang in the sky. Isn't physics wonderful!

Into the Otautaua Stonefields reserve.

And out!

B took photos of a few of these sights. Not one of the better sides of the kiwi nature - hard to imagine the mentality of these people?!

Walking alongside George Bolt - very close to Akl Aiport.

Emirates advertising underneath - wouldn't have known whose it was otherwise!

Smaller AirNZ domestic jet.

Self explanatory?

Horsey jump thingies :-) There was actually an event on.

And there's a horse and rider actually doing it. B was very happy!

There was some variety in the scenery today!

Believe it or not ........ we passed a three legged sheep on the way.

A pleasant walk through the Puhinui reserve was followed by a bit of road walking, including stopping for drinks and icecreams at a Mobil!! We had done most of our 32km for the day and needed a recharge!

​We did duck back onto the Puhinui Steam track for a couple of kms again before the final 1.5km to the Manakau Holiday Park where we elected to get a cabin for the night. It had been a long hard day on hard surfaces and our feet and legs were definitely feeling it. The good news was that it was probably or flattest day on the whole trail! We only climbed a total of 80m and descended 60m!! It was a very hot day today which made the walk tougher even though it was flat - and I'm sorry to say it may have affected the quantity and quality of photographs. I certainly get less inclined to be snap-happy as I get more knackered towards the end of a long day! :-)

Hundreds of white commercial vehicles everywhere as you got into the Manakau industrial area!