And the dog came too... dog walks in New Zealand
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Cascades walkway

An easy loop walk through beautiful native bush, via a ferny waterfall.

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Cascades Walkway

From the car parking area at the end of Falls Road, we can take a number of different walks, varying in length and difficulty.  Probably the one that gives most reward for effort is the Cascades loop walk, which takes in an iconic Maori statue, a waterfall, and a kauri grove which includes a good-size example of these lovely trees.  Not bad for a 2km stroll.

The walk starts beside the information boards in the parking area, and heads through a small gateway down slope to a grassy glade.  From here, we take a bridge across the a small watercourse, then swing left along a well-made gravel path above the stream.  Within about 500 metres, we come to a Maori statue which looks out defiantly from its plinth by the track.  

The path continues on beside the stream for another half kilometre or so, until we descend down towards another bridge.  Just before we reach it, there's a track sign-posted off to the right, leading to the waterfall.  This may be muddy and slippery, but it's worth the  scramble to see the falls - though to get the best views we need to do a bit more scrambling when we get there, over the boulders that have fallen from the cliff.

Back on the main track, we cross the bridge and swing left, then slowly climb through more, richly varied bush until we reach a boardwalk.  Here we begin to notice kauri trees, and soon after we meet one of the biggest in the Waitakeres, hung with epiphytes, and reaching majestically above its neighbours. Within another five minutes, the trees start to thin out, and we emerge onto the edge of the golf course, about 200 metres from the car park.

Note: 

In 2012, when I last visited this area, this was a good dog walk, and I wrote the following notes. Since then, however, I've received a helpful note from Steph Ryall, informing me that the walk is now non-dog because of kauri die-back. I'm unclear quite how walking the dog adds to the risk of kauri die-back - so there might be more behind this decision by Auckland Council than meets the eye. However, before accessing this walk, it would be advisable to check on the Council website.

Summary

Location: Cascades Walkway, Waitakeres

Access: Parking area at end of Falls Road

Length: 2 km

Configuration: Loop with short side-track to waterfall

Grade: Undulating 

Status: on leash  

Cafes and restaurants: None locally

More information: I
​Limited information available on the new Auckland website: http://regionalparks.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/activity/Dog%20walking%20with%20restrictions
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If you've found this website helpful, you might also want to look at some of my novels and poetry. These, like my dog-walking, are drawn from a love of nature and the countryside. To learn more, click here.