An Unexpected Jewel: The Mercer Bay Loop Track
There are times when reality just doesn’t match the hype. You build up an expectation, and the actual experience, while not necessarily disappointing, can leave you feeling a tad underwhelmed. My trek from South Florida to New Zealand was sprinkled with such apprehensions. It’s an epic journey by any standard, but New Zealand had long been on my hiking bucket list. Encouraged by a globetrotting friend who named it as his top destination, I found myself in the “Land of the Long White Cloud” during the summer of 2023, blending work with pleasure for the Women’s World Cup.
Our base was primarily in Auckland, punctuated with a brief stint in Wellington. While sightseeing and soccer dominated most days, there were pockets of time that beckoned adventure. Fortunately for me, while my wife’s idea of exploration skewed towards shopping, she was quite the sport when it came to my hiking escapades. But there was a catch: our excursions had to weave around our pre-scheduled tours.
A serendipitous conversation with a fellow traveler introduced me to the Mercer Bay Loop Track, nestled about an hour west of Auckland, within the folds of the Waitakere Ranges Regional Park. With only one free day left, and considering our departure to Sydney was on the horizon, I knew coaxing my wife away from the lure of the mall would be a task. But the promise of natural beauty, coupled with a hint of adventure, proved persuasive.
Navigating the car rental in Auckland’s Central Business District was a tad cumbersome since there were no cars near the hotel and we had to Uber 40 minutes to the Airport first. It would have been difficult to actually Uber all the way to the park since it was fairly remote and we couldn’t afford to be stranded. Once on the road, it took a bit of adjusting, especially given the left-side driving, but my co-pilot (read: wife) was vigilant in her reminders. Our drive was relatively smooth until the landscape began its upward incline toward the trailhead. Transitioning from asphalt to a crater-pocked dirt road, our journey culminated in a quaint parking spot.
Armed with picture-perfect weather, we commenced our trek, opting for the counterclockwise loop. This direction, I was told, afforded the best views early on, contrasting the forested serenity of the inner loop. Though I’m usually partial to loop trails, for their varied perspective, an out-and-back option did seem tempting.
Here’s a quick rundown:
**Length:** 1.39 miles
**Elevation Gain:** A challenging 571 feet, marked by cliffs and treacherous narrows.
**Moving Time:** 39 minutes, 10 seconds.
**Average Pace:** Roughly 28:07 per mile. But trust me, the pace is more about absorbing the scenery than the stride.
**Calories:** A decent burn at 437.
**Total Time:** 47 minutes, 17 seconds, including all our photo ops and my ‘spouse-waiting’ intervals.
Photos, while a great memento, can’t truly capture the grandeur of this place. It’s breathtaking, easily clinching a spot in my top five hikes. Our timeline, coupled with certain trail closures due to damp conditions, did limit our explorations. Yet, as a parting shot, we headed to Piha Beach.
Black sands, majestic rock formations, and the sheer tranquility of Piha Beach cast a spell, even on a non-beach person like me. My wife? Well, it’s her new favorite beach. Even with a scarce shell collection, the allure was undeniable.
In retrospect, this wasn’t just a hike or a beach visit. It was an experience, one I’d urge every traveler to New Zealand to undertake. Sometimes, against all odds, reality does surpass expectations.
