Lost in my own backyard

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Then there are the waterfalls, the first two easily sidled past but the third involved a huge off-track bush crash climb and descent. At the top of the climb we discussed continuing up to Piha Rd but decided it best to descend again & so we could have the easy option of climbing out on the track. After this we were sure we’d come across the track soon a kept scanning the left hillside for a track; when we passed each of the 2 kauri dams we were certain the track would there but no sign of one, “Surely it’s just round the next corner”. And so, we eventually came to a stream junction with both tributaries looking tiny and overgrown; we must be right in the headwaters and so we’d missed the track. Time to bush crash again up a near-vertical slope covered in cutty grass and kiekie. Eventually we made it out to Piha Rd, after 3hrs for less than 3km – great training for an adventure race!