Long Road Track runs the end of Long Road, off Bethells Road, west of the main entrance to Pae o Te Rangi Regional Park, one of the 28 Auckland City regional parks. This park is a working farm with regrowth forest and wetlands. A campsite is 1.1 km up a farm road from the main entrance and there is also access from the Long Road Track via the Whatitiri Track.
Continuing south, after a short steep climb, the Long Road Track takes you into the Cascade Kauri, part of the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park. After about 2 km, it connects with the Upper Kauri Track at Smyth Corner, a name that recalls early attempts to farm the area. The track continues southwest to join the Fenceline Track at Simla, another historic settler name.
This section is part of the Montana Heritage Trail, and several information panels detail the history of the track and area. It was a major thoroughfare into the ranges, firstly for logging and milling kauri, then for gum digging and finally for farming. By the early 1900s, much of it was planted in grass, with some exotic pine trees planted around Simla, but this was temporary. Today, the forest has reclaimed the ranges, and the pine trees are stunning, covered in moss, lichen and epiphytes as the natives take over!
It has also been an important area for Ark in the Park, and a panel describes these continuing activities to enhance the forest and bring back rare native birds.
