Walk: Houheria falls/Mokoroa stream route loop, Waitakere (Waitakere Ranges).

Описание: Mokoroa stream route.

Here is another outing around the Goldie bush/Mokoroa stream/Mokoroa falls loop done by my cousin B and I. It is mostly videos of the falls as I have provided a lot of footage in a previously upload with another video still to come.

We have always done the loop from the small car park off Horsman Rd from Waitakere. It is best to go early during peak months which tends to be Summer (Dec - Jan) as there is not much parking. We took the Goldie bush walkway (1hr) down to the swing bridge and went beneath it to begin the Mokoroa stream route (3hrs) and once you reach the end of the stream, you end up at the two waterfalls; Mokoroa falls and Hohueria falls. Then, you take the steep steps up to the lookout and walk back up to the car park along the Mokoroa bush track (1hr). This duration is when you are in no rush and like to "stop and smell the flowers" everywhere. Otherwise, perhaps 3 hours or less for the trail runners and the fit.

I recorded a Tui singing in the Goldie bush, which was fairly a flat and easy walk until the last quarter and then it descended downwards until you reach steps that led down to the swing bridge.

At the swing bridge, I took a video - tormenting B as I often tend to do this at every opportunity that presents itself haha I can't help it as it's like second nature. B and I are very different and often - at times when people meet either one of us first, they're usually surprised that we are so different from one another after meeting the second one. B is more calm, demure and conservative and I am a bit more outspoken, gungho and chaotic at the best of times but makes for a great mix when balanced properly. Where I tend to push B a lot - B tends to be more like, "Woah... Hold on a sec." We are much like the video on the swing bridge - I shake the bridge and B holds on for dear life but she always hangs on for the ride.

Another video is where B was figuring out how to get down a bank and because I can be a bit of a "bull in a china shop," at times especially when it comes to water and mud, I just floundered down into the stream. B has a more finesse way of doing things if she can and I couldn't stop cracking up at how long it was taking her to get down.

Down at the waterfalls; we sat, ate and enjoyed the two waterfalls - as you can hear, B keeps butting in my videos and is annoying on purpose.

The main waterfall is called Mokoroa falls and water from this water fall flows down the stream that is a big part of the loop. Houheria falls doesn't get as much attention but it is equally impressive when given the right angle - thumbnail in this video. There is a lookout at the platform above both falls along the Mokoroa bush track - and, that is after going up a short set of steep steps.

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Mental Health notes:

Other than my parents, B was my other support, pillar and source of not feeling so alone during a dark and intense period of my life. I have shown B a glimpse into some of the dark parts of me that felt normal and brought me comfort. She was scared but more frightened by my complete comfort and lack of fear at the time.

I used to feel completely at ease and comfortable during volatile situations and especially the scenes that play out in nature. I feel like... what nature puts out sometimes is a reflection of how I feel inside and it would make me feel heard, my feelings and frustrations validated as well - and, I wouldn't feel so alone or always on the edge of feeling like I was close to losing my mind. Also, with nature - I always felt like it was strong and had enough energy to absorb all of my emotions and thoughts and leave me spent enough to recharge on its good energy.

I've always been grateful to my cousin B even though we have fallen out at times and I have never cut her out completely like I have with others; I tend to be cut-throat because I am generous and kind. I grew up on my own in a world with broken people and learnt how to survive through a lot of darkness and when one does that, relying on others becomes optional. Even, while I was unwell - I would always look out for my cousin and understand when it was too much for her including my parents. I remember when we had a meeting with the acute mental health crisis team and I led everything, speaking on my behalf and that of my family. My logic was top tier and my reasons extremely logical that everyone found it hard to debate with me. I learnt a lot about myself during that period including all the people around who helped and supported me.

B has done a lot of these walks out in the Waitaks with me as she actually used to love doing them and even now, I am trying to encourage her back out there. My time with the Waitaks has come to a sort of... how to describe it? Closure of sorts in surviving - now, I am trying to figure out how to live without always surviving. Different approach, set of skills and tool set, I guess.

Cousin dearest, HaBeeBee.

April, 2016.