Chook's Tracks
WAIKINO TO DOUGLAS' FARM, KOMATA
This track is of approximately 2 ¾ hours to the Douglas farm to join Reservoir Road either to Paeroa or Waitekauri.
If only going to the summit from Farrelly Road, contact mainly John Campbell, Farrelly Road or John Wilson, Poland Street, Waikino.
The track follows a road through farmland which ends at the Waikino water dam.
One and a half kilometres in from the Old Waitekauri Road is a small pine plantation on the right where it is necessary to park if one doesn't own a four wheel drive. At this point, a water ram can be heard working in a small stream which flows into the Mangakara Stream where down stream can be seen an adit, the remains of the Teutonic 1886 – 1903 Mine. Also, across the stream and 50 metres upstream is the remains of a dam used to feed a water race which joined the Waitekauri water race which ran to the Victoria Battery at Waikino.
As you climb the first hill, over on the right and down through a plantation of pine trees and then upstream to the opposite side is the site of the Australian Mining Co. Battery site which was fed ore from the Scotia Stream gully.
Continuing up the hill road you pass through a boundary gate which must be closed at all times. Other gates leave as you find them.
Before getting to a stream crossing which leads to the dam there is a ladder down into the stream which starts the track off at the tip of van Woerdens' property from Waitekauri and follows upstream to cross the Mangakara again onto the original pack track known for many, many years by locals as "Joe's Track".
Walking upstream, note an alkathene pipe, which was installed by a councillor by the name of Mr. Frank George, to improve the water supply to Waikino residents.
The pipeline ceases at the next stream crossing after which the track soon crosses the Maori Stream at it's junction with the Mangakara Stream. It then starts to steadily climb on a benched track through beautiful bush and past small waterfalls in the head waters of the Maori Stream, before finally entering Douglas' farm with views towards Paeroa.