A2GX and West Gorge

Trig A2GX

A hike up and down some steep tramping tracks to try and find two trigs in Upper Hutt's Keith George Memorial Park. From the carpark it is a short distance south before turning straight up beside the second stream. The track is generally easy to find and has plenty of the DOC orange markers, but is very steep.

General location of the "West Gorge" survey mark

Part of the track

The location of the first survey mark (B4TD or "West Gorge") was determined by GPS, but when at the location we could find nothing at all. This is perhaps unsurprising as even the LINZ geodetic database has no information about this survey mark other than a record to indicate that it exists - no decsription, no scanned survey record, and definitely no photographs.

After hunting around for a short while we continued up hill. The gradient was not so steep now, and we were clearly approaching the pylon access road... but then we happened upon a sign erected by the Council indicating that it was private property ahead and "do not proceed". I was extremely miffed about this, as we needed to proceed to get to the next trig, and there was only pine forest and open scrubby areas ahead - hardly the sort of private property that people need to be kept out of. But we took the alternate tramping track off to our right, descending into a gully and then climbing up the other side.

Map showing track and the location of the two survey marks B4TD (West Gorge) and A2GX

View through the bush

Having reached the other branch of the Keith George loop track, we soon found another Council sign saying private property was at the uphill side of the sign and do not proceed. But the track was very clear beyond the sign, even marked with the DOC orange triangles, the trig was very close, and I had figured out what was happening... logging operations were being conducted in the forest, and at every entrance controlled by the forest company were large orange signs warning of the hazard, but NOT stating keep out. Rather than just issuing a caution, the Council was being super cautious and trying a prohibition instead. Fair enough, but if I had come up the road, there would have just been a warning, so I decided to proceed with caution. The track brought us out to a clearing and a transmission pylon *beside* the access road - and from there we went straight back into the bush for 30m to find the trig. At no point did we need to set foot on the access road, and at no point did we even see any vehicles on the road, logging or otherwise.

Standing beside A2GX with gorse behind

Plaque for A2GX

Plaque and base of trig

Heather descending the end of the spur

The important part is that we found trig A2GX! The GPS co-ordinates worked perfectly, and although there was plenty of bush and gorse around the trig it was accessable.

Having found the trig we stopped at the pylon for a bite to eat, and then we headed back down the track to the carpark. Again an easy gradient at the top, but very steep as the track dropped off the end of the spur.