Catching my breath, I reach the top. It’s high! – but dunes just being a pile of sand, I find it hard to gauge the height. My work colleagues are small dots though.

Running across the crest of the dune, I gradually work my way back down to the river and the others. Wading through the river, it exits again in the bush, where we started, back to the car park.

Down the valley, a river following the dunes, they rise above you like a giant wave of sand.

I climb up the side of the dune, having to dig my hands into the sides as well as feet, the soft sand and steep gradient giving one the feeling they could tumble back at any stage.

We hit the lake side, and then make a gradual climb up the hill beside it. Some of this land is still in private ownership, and the track access gifted to the local council for the use of the people (and visitors) of Auckland.

As we hit a gate at the top of the climb, the dunes come into focus again.

Walking through the Bush, there are times when one is completely surrounded by threes, and other times when the view of the great lake open up in a clearing.

Weaving in and out of the bush, Tui’s and other native birds can be heard.On the far end of the lake we reach a small waterfall – a common stop point for tourists in the area.

After a short stop, we continue on the track again heading back towards Bethells and the dunes.

Taking another 15minutes heading straight up and over the dunes, on their less severe gradient side, we descend down and capture a view of Lake Wainamu.

Moving to the right of the lake, we find the trail and begin the one’ish hour circumnavigation of the beautiful still lake and lush green bush.

As mentioned yesterday, work took me on a fun little outing on Friday to the lake and sand dunes but Bethells Beach on Aucklands West Coast. Over the next few days I’ll narrate my photos from the trip.

A 10 minute walk through open scrub land, off Bethells Road (heading to Bethells Beach) we hit the giant sand dunes of Lake Wainamu.

Formed around 400 thousands of years ago, these dunes are an impressive sight as one breaks through the bush.