This blog focuses on logistics of a trip completed in January 2022. Apologies to anyone hoping for a bit of light entertainment!
Friday
Overnight at Mangaweka campground. $9 per person (current as at 14 January 2022). Non-bookable, first come first served basic campsite with flush toilets, river for swimming, and a small (4 walled with roof) cooking shelter with drinking water, lighting, and electricity. 210km from Wellington Station. There are cabins also available. https://www.mangaweka.co.nz/
View on the tops
Saturday
Drive 26km / 30 minutes to the track carpark, most of which is on a gravel road. The lower carpark has a long drop toilet, the upper carpark does not, it’s less than 5 minutes’ walk between the two carparks.
After 3.5 DOC hours you reach a junction (this section took us 2.5 hours) to either Rangiwahia Hut or Triangle Hut. We turned off to Triangle Hut and dropped packs (taking water, lunch, PLB’s and first aid kits, etc) 5 minutes from the junction. Triangle Hut is more or less 2 hours each way, in rather steep terrain – nearly 700m descent. Getting to the hut involves a river crossing, which provides a great opportunity to swim.
Triangle Hut
Once back at the junction it is 2 DOC hours (we took 1) to Rangiwahia Hut.
We departed the carpark at 7.45am and arrived at Rangiwahia Hut at 4.45pm. We had an hour at Triangle Hut and two half hour breaks near the junction, plus several view stops along the way. It was a leisurely 9-hour day (10 – 12 DOC hours). However the weather was perfect.
You know it’s been a good weekend when the memories of it keep you fizzing away with happy vibes throughout the following week.
Proof that tramping is good for you: some happy faces on top of Te Atuaoparapara.
After getting into Sunrise Hut around 2am with Mike, Maj-Britt, and Alex the previous evening, I think our respective body clocks felt like they’d been hurled across a very long room into a very solid wall (or was that just me?). Mike’s suggestion to go to Te Atuaoparapara1 Summit and back seemed just the thing; not too fast for too long, but still with a bit of tops travel and a bit of off-track. Also no husbands yelling “mush!” at five-minute intervals behind me is always a bonus2!
We (that is, Jude, Carla, Vignesh, Sue, Mike, and myself) set off from Sunrise Hut at 9:16 am, and the weather was proving to be as stunning as it had promised us that morning. We heard some excitable (and somewhat inexplicable3) yelling of “Oli, Oli, Oli, Oi, Oi, Oi!” ahead of us and realised it was Marty with the group doing the Te Atuaoparapara Loop (see Bang’s post). About ten minutes later, I was confused because they’d stopped. What could it be? A problem with the track? An emergency poo? Nope, just the aftermath of Marty flinging his cellphone down a giant landslide!
The giant landslide between Sunrise Hut and Armstrong Saddle. Can you spot the person for scale? Photo credit: Marty.
After being treated to an amusing spectacle of cellphone retrieval starring Marty and Julian, we passed a tarn near Armstrong Saddle that bears an uncanny resemblance to a triceratops footprint. Here be dragons?
Cellular phone retrieval. Actual events, followed by an artistic reinterpretation. Photo credits: Carla (top) and Michelangelo (bottom).
We continued following the track towards Top Maropea Hut (which is poled at this point) for approximately 500 m, then veered a sharp left to follow the ridgeline leading to Te Atuaoparapara. So I may have said earlier that there was some off track travel on this route… While this part of the route isn’t marked on the Topo maps, in reality there’s plenty of evidence that people (probably also deer) walk this route on at least a semi-regular basis. Most of the way to the summit is marked by a worn path, bits of geriatric flagging tape, and cairns. However, the path is criss-crossed by deer tracks in quite a few places and disappears for a hot minute into a thicket of stunted mountain beech. So, it’s pretty easy to wander off it, and we certainly did that a number of times. Bush bashing ensued.
I think this was one of the points that we wandered off the “track”. You’ll be fine if you keep heading up towards the ridgeline at the top of this picture. Photo credit: Carla.
Nevertheless, the ridgeline itself is an easy landmark to follow on a clear day and we summitted Te Atuaoparapara around noon in time for lunch next to the trig. Yay! The views from the top were breathtaking; wild and windswept with a seemingly limitless amount of ridgeline slinking off in all directions. The views on the ground weren’t too bad either; I imagine the bonzai-fields of alpine plants would have caused an alarming amount of froth to spontaneously erupt from the mouth of any passing botanist. Fortunately none of us are botanists, so we just had a good time.
No need to travel to Montana for Big Sky Country. The view southeast(ish) from Te Atuaoparapara trig.
We returned to Sunrise Hut the way we went up, so there’s not much to tell about the return leg. Although we did manage to stick slightly more to the foot-track this time. Improvement!
The Triceratops’ footprint at Armstrong Saddle. Photo credit: Carla.
All in all, the return trip was 8.7 km and took us just under six hours at a fairly leisurely pace, including an hour-long lunch break at Te Atuaoparapara trig. We definitely had the perfect conditions for it (fine with almost no wind). Most of the ridgeline, and particularly Te Atuaoparapara, is extremely exposed so I imagine it would be difficult and potentially pretty unsafe in poor weather. But the Weather Gods smiled on us that day, and for that, I am glad.
The route we took, according to Jude’s phone tracker, um, thing.
Footnotes
1 By the way, I would absolutely love to know the meaning or the story behind the name of this peak! I can only tell from my, frankly, abysmal knowledge of Te Reo that it might mean “The God of…something”.
2 To be fair, he “yells” in the sort of tone one might use for one’s favourite husky. The husky is an attractive and noble animal, so I do not mind too much.
3 I was later told that it was a homage to Roger Campbell’s new name.
Saturday (the 2nd day of the Sunrise Hut Trip) was a free day, so six of us (Byrus, Julian, Laressa, Marty, Nik and myself) decided to do the Sunrise – Waipawa Saddle Loop.
We had two teams aiming at visiting the Te Atuaoparapara Summit. Starting from Sunrise Hut, our team walked up to Te Atuaoparapara Summit and then descended down to Waipawa Saddle, where we took a detour to visit Waikamaka Hut. We then walked along Waipawa River to visit Waipawa Forks Hut, and finally walked back to Sunrise Hut.
Trip Route and Time
Sunrise Hut to Te Atuaoparapara to Waipawa Saddle, akaRoute 66
We started at about 9:10ish, and the weather was very good. After the “frightening cellphone incident” at the turn off (see Sarah’s part), we started climbing along an undefined ridge. This is an off-track section with sometimes bush bashing up and sometimes walking on a unobvious track. After a steep climb we arrived the first high point (1600m), from where we already had a vast view of the mountains. We took a short snack break to enjoy the views. Look, we were all wearing black!
Team Black
The ridge then flattens a bit and we were mostly walking along the top. Julian somehow climbed onto some very steep rocks found along the way, that’s so cool! It looks dangerous when he was climbing back to the ridge, and some of us got too scared to look at him while some others were rooting and clapping for his bravery. Very interesting to see some different attitudes, how amazing that tramping gathers all people with different personalities together.
Julian being Julian
We moved on, and we saw a trig after a short while, that’s the summit of Te Atuaoparapara (1687m). We had another snack break, taking photos and enjoying the 360 degree view of the mountains, overlooking massive slips. Before we started, Nik decided to abandon us and enjoy his luxury snacks over the top.
Good Reception over the Summit
Now there are only five of us! Beyond the summit, the ridge becomes a knife-edge, followed by a long downhill section full of screes. I was the first one going down, slowly moving my feet down. Within couple of minutes I was overtaken by Marty, he was running down all the way! I was sort of encouraged and started to run a little bit too, to slowly built up some confidence. Still not running down very fast, but I felt like flying with my arms open.
Running down Screes
There is another short climb after the scree, and after passing couple of tarns, we reached at another flat area. We decided pick some nice spots to sit down and have lunch before heading down Waipawa Saddle.
Byrus being Very Happy Tramping with Friends
After lunch we picked one route to go down. Within about 30 mins, we arrived at Waipawa Saddle. The whole section down was easier than I though it would be, maybe that’s because we got a good team!
Walking down to Waipawa Saddle
Waipawa Saddle
Detour to Waikama Hut
The next mission is to visit the WaikamakaHut. We put down our packs and went with extreme light weight – I was only with my poles and a chocolate, and thank you Laressa for carrying our phones and a first-aid-kit (I think I saw that in ur dry sack?). There are poles along the way and the track was mostly in good condition except for a short scree slip section which is quite steep, it takes energy to scramble up on the way back.
It took us 30 mins to get to Waikamaka Hut and the hut gets an orange roof and a blue body, I do like the combination! After a short break, we visited the derelict Waikama Bivvy on the other side of the creek north of Waikamaka Hut. Then we followed the creek back to the saddle, which took us another 35 mins.
Me posing in front of Waikamaka Hut
Waipawa Saddle to Sunrise Hut
The track from Waipawa Saddle to the river bed was a bit over grown and hard to identify, we were again sometimes on track, sometimes off track and have to bush bashing back onto the track, it was fun walking through the tussock! When reaching the slip, you can either follow the track or just jump on the screes and run down. After that part the track gets flatter, then we mostly walked on shingle, but sometimes had to enter some sporadical side tracks when the track gets tricky.
I felt happy and unstoppable all the way down until I stepped on a rock and cracked it with my body weight. I had a sudden fall, my left thigh and little finger slammed into some rocks and it hurts!! Julian ran back to me immediately, Laressa and Marty told me to put my left hand into the water and take some break, after some minutes I was able to move on again.
After the Fall
I felt really bad, emotionally but not physically. I can handle the pain but I felt so stupid that I failed last minute proving to my coaches that I’ve made some progress, thinking it as when you prepared your presentation so well, practiced it so many times but didn’t play well on the final presentation day!
No idea how many river crossings we made along the way, but we were able to keep our feet dry as the water level was low. It took us 1 hr 30 mins in total to get to Waipawa Forks Hut. After a short break in front of the hut we started to head back to Sunrise Hut. We spent about 10 mins finding the track as there is no marker but just a pile of stones at the entrance. Followed by a 600 metre climbing, I felt sore on my left thigh and a bit tired to keep up to the group, we made it back to the hut in about 1 hr and 30 mins.
We had some celebrate drinking immediately, hmmmmm, cheers to the wonderful trip and great companies!
With a great weather forecast the weekend it was too good not to be out in the hills.
The trip was posted on Meetup and there were no sign ups! To be fair I did not expect any given the description. But it was really sad that no one signed up for the Dorest Ridge or Waiopehu trips.
WTG has over 3150 members but most seem to be virtual trampers who only sign up for urban day walks 🙄
Visited: Waiopehu Hut, Oriwa Water Tank, Mid Otaki Hut, Dracophyllum Hut, Te Matawai Hut, South Ohau Hut, Rabbits Flat Biv.
Day One
I headed up to Poads Road near Levin after work on Friday night, filled in the intentions book at the track start and started walking at 16:44.
Waiopehu Hut for Sunset
It’s a fairly uneventful walk and I arrive at Waiopehu Hut at 19:29
Day 2
Most of the route in new territory for me and I’m worried about the leatherwood. I depart the hut at 8:10 and leave the trail at Waiopehu summit to be confronted by a wall of the bloody stuff. After some back tracking and faffing about I find that I can get past the worst of it by skirting about to the left.
It soon clears into a nice forest ridge line which is easy to follow and marked with pink ribbons
10:03 and I’m at the Oriwa ridge water tank. I knew about this in advance, it’s a great spot to hydrate and if you’re into hut bagging I’d say it has more kudos then some of the unofficial hunter bivs. Many of which are little more then bush litter (more about that later).
Oriwa Watertank
After the watertank there’s a boggy section and more leatherwood to get past. I found that heading around to the left was the easiest passage.
Waaaah 😰 😭
From Oriwa I leave the beaten track and head off down the ridge for the 680 meter drop down to the Otaki river. Whilst there is a bit of a trail to start with it is not marked and soon becomes hard to keep to the ridge line. I find myself off course and sidling over tree fall, so go back to basics and get the compass out which serves me well.
Project Kaka Markers
About 200 vertical meters above the river there are blue markers left from project Kaka. It becomes much easier to follow from this point.
I’m soon in the river and spot a couple of hinds ahead of me.
Deer
Mid Otaki Hut
Mid Otaki Hut
It’s a super sweet spot and I really wanted to stay longer. It’d make a great spot to camp as group overnight trip.
Mid Otaki Hut Veiw
As it was I spent 35 minutes for lunch and got up to the usual shenanigans with Byrus.
Roar!
After lunch it was time to head back up the river. It was stinking hot and I was not really in a rush so found a nice swimming hole to cool down in.
It’s easy travel up the river and from what I understand it’s a good (easier) option to follow it all the way up and come out at Te Matawai Hut. But my mission was to get to Dracophyllum Hut (Biv) whilst the TA trail remains reasonably quiet thanks to Covid 19 🙂
Blue Ribbons up the ridge
There are blue ribbons for the first 100 meters up the ridge which is encouraging as It shows its been travelled. To be fair they, are not needed to navigate as the ridge is a razor blade with big drops down on both sides. It soon calms down and its a nice climb (OK a slog) all the way up to Dracophyllum.
Dracophyllum Biv
I arrive at 16:16 and have a quick break. It’s too early to call it a day and I don’t want any TA walkers turning up to make me yawn. I have a quick flick through the hut book and it’s full of ‘TA SOBO’
TA SOBO 🙄
I add my entry and write ‘Not TA’.
It’s great to be back on the tops.
Mount Crawford Looking Majestic
I can’t get enough of it I can see Mount Crawford and Maungahuka to the south, Carkeek, Thompson and Lancaster to my east and even get Ruaphehu and Taranaki to the North.
Park River with Arete in the clouds
The Park river below begs to be explored, but that’ll have to wait for a future trip. I’m toying with heading up to Arete Biv for the night, but its in the clouds again and that’s a deal breaker.
I arrive at the Pukematawai Junction and 18:34. There is still heaps of daylight left to get down to Te Matawai so I simply sit there and marvel at at the views.
Byrus at the Pukematawai Junction
I finally head down to the hut for the night an arrive just as the sun sets.
I’ve not see a sole all day so it’s good to have some company. There are a group of guys who are heading up to Thompson the next day. One of which is the great grandson of Mr Thompson himself. We have a good yarn about the history of the Tararua Ranges before calling it a night.
I depart at 7:40 and am at South Ohau Hut 50 minutes later. I get chatting to guy called Rob who is hunting there for the weekend, he has his family along for the trip.
He’s a good chap who volunteers for LandSAR. It turns out that he built the Mid Otaki Hut. It was originally a garden shed which is why it’s so different from the usual offerings. I also get some good intel about other routes up from the Otaki river.
He checks that I’ve filled my intentions into the hut book which is always good to see.
After 30 mins of nattering it’s time to get my feet wet again. It’s good progress until I decide to stop for another swim.
I then decide to tick Rabbits Flat biv off the list.
Rabbits Flat Biv
It’s little more then rubbish left by hunters. It really needs to be cleaned up and removed!
I’m back at the car for 12:15 and head to the Ice Breaker outlet in Otaki to replace the undies that Byrus has chewed up. 60% off today so I’m happy. It’s an easy day and I’m home for lunch.
Route and Splits
Day 1
Poads Road 16:44
Waiopehu Hut 19:29
Total Time: 2 hours 45 mins
Day 2
Day 2 splits
Waiopehu Hut 08:10
Oriwa Water Tank 10:03
Oriwa 10:25 (Took time to get past the leatherwood!)
Mid Otaki Hut 12:39 to 13:16 for Lunch
Dracophyllum Hut 16:16
Pukematawai Junction 18:34 (Sit and enjoy views for 20 mins)
1. Start Friday afternoon after work, finish the loop and get out of the bush by Sunday.
2. Meet and tramp with a new friend from the internet. William is an experienced tramper, and we’ve been chatting about hikes and tramps over the past year, I’ve never met him in person
The Trip:
We did the loop anticlockwise, and the whole trip took us 2 days and 3 hrs.
TripItinerary
Day 1: Otaki Gorge Emergency Car Park to Field Hut
I picked William at 4 pm and we arrived at the emergency car park at 6ish. There was a bit of traffic on the way – typical Friday afternoon SH1 condition. We took Otaki Gorge Road instead of the emergency track, the walk to Otaki Forks took us 45 mins.
Blue Bluffslip–prone
Left the bridge at about 7, I arrived at Field Hut at 9 pm, it was still bright! There was originally a plan B as if we got to Field early, we could proceed to Kime to make the next days easier. William arrived 10 mins ahead of me, and he was keen to keep going. I chickened out because I’ve never walked on the ridge in the dark before. We finally made a decision to stay at Field for the night!
William knows a spot with good coverage, and it’s time to have a beer! We talked before the trip about how much alcohol we should bring along and made an agreement to only bring two beers each, one for Friday and the other one for Saturday – We are both drinkers, but we are also aware of the challenge of the trip. Apparently William is a bigger fan of beer than me, see the size of his one!
Cheers to the giant slug on the tree
It was my second time up Field Hut and I could still remember the amazing sunset I enjoyed last year sitting on the helicopter landing pad. Being lucky again, I spotted a string of pearls moving across the sky while William was boiling water out side the hut. “SpaceX!”, I got very excited and shouted out.
SpaceX Starlink
The hut was not busy that day, slept 9 people totally. I didn’t sleep well as I was still excited about what happened in the past few hours, the chatting and drinking, SpaceX, and the fact that I made it to Field faster than I thought I could. We had a good start!
Day 2: Field Hut to Bridge Peak to Steel Ladder to Maungahuka Hut to Aokaparangi to Anderson Memorial Hut
We knew it would be a long day (especially for myself), so we left Field Hut early at 7am. It took us 1 hr 50 mins to walk up to Bridge Peak, very cool and refreshing walking in early morning.
Stunning view over Dennan
The weather was so nice and we could see Kapiti Island, Taranaki, Ruapehu, and the South Island in the distance. We had some long breaks over Bridge Peak, having snacks and enjoying the nice views. William made a time-lapse video of the fast moving cloud over the knobs, it was stunning!
Me at Bridge Peak
Time to head in the cloud and mist! As for me, walking in the clouds is annoying because I have to wipe my foggy glasses now and then. I quickly took William’s advice and took off my glasses. It’s not that bad walking with a blurry-ish vision.
Towards the white
After a short break at the junction to Pakihore Ridge, we were getting closer to the ladder. “I will definitely need a photo of myself on the ladder! “, I got excited again as I’ve never been on the ladder before.
Junction to Pakihore Ridge and Penn Creek Hut
At 12:20pm, we reached a steep slope with a large rock in the middle, it’s the south face of the Tuiti (not 100% sure). Followed by the hardest part of the day (maybe of the whole trip): traverse Tuiti and Tunui, aka the Tararua Peaks. We put away our walking poles as we have to somehow climb across the big rock with both hands and maybe a small jump. Then we scrambled onto the top one by one. Within a short climbing, I saw a steep down rockface with large bluffs below. “The ladder is just down there!”, William pointed to the mist.
After the big rock – climbing up on Tuiti?
I went down slowly, and felt a little bit sacred even there is a rope to hold onto all the way. The ladder is right down the end of the rope.
Me on the hand rail to the ladder
Top of the ladder
The ladder was built between Tuiti and Tunui. As I stepped left off the track onto it, the ladder feels extremely firm and steady. Climbing down the ladder was probably the easiest part of the crossing, I was so surprised!
Me on the steel ladder
We carried on after a short break down the base of the ladder, followed by another long section of steep climbing with steel ropes. I felt for the first time vey tired after the climbing. The last 500m to Maungahuka Hut felt really long and slow, we had lunch in between and reached the Hut at 2:20 pm.
Maungahuka Hut in white
It’s still 6 hrs DoC time from Maungahuka to Anderson Memorial Hut, time to make a decision! We quickly decided to keep on as we could at least make it to the Aokaparangi Hut, which is about 3 hrs away. We layered up and started again at 3ish. I arrived Aokaparangi at 5:45, William was faster than me. We made another decision to keep on as the last 1.5k is below the bushline, where we should be safe even in the worst case that we might have to walk in the dark.
Aokaparangi
Blue sky came back again as we were walking, it feels so nice! We arrived Kahiwiroa at 8:10pm, and then probably spent the next hour watching the sunset, taking photos and videos while slowly walking down Kahiwiroa. The sunset was gorgeous!
William taking photo of the mountains
Sunset over Kahiwiroa 1
Sunset over Kahiwiroa 2
Walking down Kahiwiroa
It was about 9pm when we switched on our head torch and entered the bush. I was tired and hungry, using my last ounce of strength to keep up with William. We lost sight of markers couple of times but we managed to get back on track, we arrived Anderson Memorial Hut at 10pm. It’s a vey cosy hut and we were the only two staying overnight. Sitting on the bunk bed we had our second beer, celebrating the challenging day. I had a great sleep at night!
Day 3:Anderson Memorial Hut to Waitawaewae Hut to Otaki Forks (via the new track) to Otaki Gorge emergency car park
We woke up a bit late on Sunday, and left Anderson at 8:18am. Another long day started, and it is warmer! The track was easier but it took us 10mins to find it as it’s quite overgrown around the hut. We arrived at Junction Knob at 9:30, from where we could clearly identify all the ridges we had walked on.
View over Junction Knob
We kept on and reached Shoulder Knob at about 10am, where William suggested we should take a longer break and enjoy more open views before we head below the bush line. While sitting on the grass I noticed I’ve finished most of my snacks already, how rare! And so did William!
Weather Station? on Shoulder Knob
Stunning view over Shoulder Knob
The track (the Te Araroa Trail) descends from 1310 to 300, and it looks very steep on the Topo. luckily, it is not that bad to walk down. Under the swing bridge about 500m away from YTYY, I found a nice swimming spot. I’d love to come back again for a swim next time.
Walking down the Te Araroa Trail
The swing bridge 500m away from YTYY
At about 1:30pm, I reached Waitawaewae Hut, and then we had lunch outside the hut. It feels so good to sit and eat on the bench again. I knew I was drinking more frequently than yesterday so I checked my water bladder, it was almost empty! Because of the hot weather and my tiredness, I drank 2.5L of water in the past 6 hrs! I quickly filled my bladder and double checked the map, located a stream on the way to refill in case I run out of water.
YTYY Hut
I did a bit digging about the infamous Waitawaewae Hut Track before we started. It is a 5-7 hrs advanced track according to DoC website, and it looks fine from the Topo. What I also noticed is some people from Facebook claimed that it’s the crappiest track they’ve ever done and it takes way longer than the DoC time.
We left YTYY at 2:07pm, instead of the river route, we took the main track to the Arapita Creek junction. This section was ok but a little short of orange markers. I went the wrong way once somewhere after crossing a stream, and I had to bush bashing up back to the track. I felt really tired climbing from the junction to Plateau, and was taking breaks now and then. I was walking slowly until I met another tramper and heard it already took him 6 hrs coming from Otaki Forks. I got nervous and immediately realised I have to push my self a bit more! I checked my bladder when I got Saddle Creek, it was almost empty again, I know it! Couple of minutes walking after a quick refilling, I saw William again at the junction, he had been sitting there for a while waiting for me.
William suggested he should slow down a bit so I can keep up with him, and it could save me some energy. Followed by the horrible part of the Waitawaewae Hut Track – the upper track built to avoid the slip. The track is rough and slow except for the last 20mins’ tramway. There were heaps of craps and fallen trees blocking the way, and it was even harder for us as we were tired! William did most of the wayfinding when the track was blocked, and we managed to walk out of the section at 7pm.
The junction of the old track with huge slip and the new track
The last 3.5k was very easy, and we speeded up again. We made it back to Otaki Forks at 8:25pm. The whole Waitawaewae Hut Track took us 6 hrs and 18mins.
Back at the bridge
Sitting on the ground, I ate up everything I left，feeling happy and accomplished. We walked another hour to the Emergency car park, then I drove William back home. I reached my place at 11:30pm. What a solid weekend!
To wrap up:
Huge thanks to William for the accompany, Julian for the trip tips and Nik for the PLB!
Good on William and myself to be well-prepared for the trip. It was a challenge for us (me especially), very glad we made it through! Also very happy that I’m slowly building up my fitness, I feel way more comfortable and confident on this one comparing with the Dorset loop trip I did last year.
Future improvements:
1. Make the bed first: we forgot to make the bed first when arrived at Field Hut. I was in a muddle at night and in a hurry in the next morning too, that’s probably how I left my first aid kit in the hut. I did go back to Field on the next Saturday, it’s not there anymore.
2. Start early: we discussed and agreed that we could leave Anderson a little bit later next morning because we had a big day and we need more sleep. I could probably do better if I wake up and start walking earlier as it’s cooler.
Park the van up at the emergency car park and run over the Slip to Otaki Forks…
08:02 Start at the bridge and go clockwise towards Waitewaewae Hut. 45 mins in (08:47) I get to the path split. Decision time, explore the unknown old slip track, or take the horrible track above the slip that I have no love for?
I go with the slip option. 8 minutes later and I’m thinking I’ve made a mistake.
Big Slip on the YTYY track
It’s pretty clear that I’m not going to sidle across this one, I try climbing up the side to go over the top but it’s taking too much effort. I’m trying to be efficient with my energy today. It’s nothing but thick bush and I’m pulling trees out as soon as I get close to the edge!
Now there are a couple of blog posts about passing up over this slip which I had scanned over before i left, but these are both over 8 years old and I think the slip has grown since then.
To preserve my skin I decide to put my gloves and gaiters on to protect myself from the sharp rocks. I smash and slide down through the bush and eventually pop out onto the lower half of the slip which has a more forgiving gradient. 25 minutes later and I’ve stopped faffing around.
Waitatapia Stream
At the bottom is the Waitatapia Stream.
The way around the slip!
It’s a pleasant spot but I don’t have time to linger. I follow it up stream and soon find the old track. It’s slippy under foot so it’s slow going, river travel is never fast. I think the new (shit) track would have saved me heaps of time but I’m all good with the adventure.
09:42 and I find an old steam engine
I’m soon distracted again as I spot a possum. It scurries up a tree to escape. I pick up a rock and knock it out of the tree on my first shot. Whilst killing possums is always high on the agenda I have to remind myself that this is not the days mission. This one will keep and I take solace in the knowledge that I’ve already killed one this year so am still being a good kiwi.
11:38 and Byrus has finally bagged YTYY Hut
Waitewaewae Hut
I think this has to be the worst hut in the Tararuas! There are 4 lazy bums inside who are still in their sleeping bags. It’s like a bedroom full of unmotivated, depressed teenagers.
One French lad says hello and talks about to walking to Parawai Lodge. He asks if I’m staying the night! “Hell no, it’s a shit hole” I reply before engaging my filter! I have an early lunch and am out of there asap.
11:38 and I leave the river behind for the slog up the hill.
It’s a nice day on the tops
14:05 and I’ve made it to Junction Knob. 360° views which you never get tired of. I can see many peaks which I know. Arete, Banister, Mitre, Broken Axe, McGregor and Mount Holdworth, Later in the day Hector comes into frame too. I also spot Park forks and Dorset Creek which I had ventured down the previous weekend…
Although I should be paying attention to where I place my feet I keep getting distracted and end up flat on my face a couple of times.
Anderson Memorial Hut
14:38 and Byrus bags this second hut of the trip and I have a second lunch.
16:52 and I reach Aokaparangi. I feel like I’m slowing down. I’m not used to going this fast for this long and I’m starting to question my endurance.
I note that the DOC sign says Maungahuka hut 3-4 hours (5 mins to Aokap Biv junction)
5 minutes later at the Junction the next sign reads 2 hours 40 mins to Maungahuka. It’s lunacy. Normally the times get harder to beat the deeper you get into the Tararuas, yet this is the easiest 1 hour 20 you’ll ever do!
I leave my pack and run down to check the biv out.
17:05 and I’m at the Biv and am greeted by a black goat. I give it the devil salute and it disappears into the bush.
Aokaparangi Hut
It’s a super sweet spot and a very spacious biv (OK the sign says Hut). Byrus has his photo taken and I have another quick break.
The toilet is pleasant too now that we are away from the volume of crap created by the TA Walkers.
17:30 and I’m back on the main trail after my little side trip.
Soon I can see Maungahuka hut it the distance. it looks like a long way to go.
One last push on tired legs over Wright and Simpson and I’m at Maungahuka for 19:18.
Byrus bags hut #4
I had told myself that if I got there by 5pm then I’d push on and do the whole loop in one day, but it was not to be this time.
I think I could achieve it with a lighter pack without the over-night gear and a bit more training. It’s still a big commitment to make that decision.
The hut is empty. I wash myself, eat, then sleep.
Day 2
It’s a white out and the wind has picked up. Not exactly what the forecast had promised but not unexpected either with it being the Tararua Ranges.
I leave the hut at 07:10 and am layered up.
I managed to lose the track once heading up over Tunui and have to turn back finding myself faced with a 100 meter vertical drop below my feet. It’s only a few meters off, but the poles are not easy to spot when it’s rough.
It’s not a day to admire the views and get great photos! In fact it feels very sinister. I have a moment where I feel like I’m being watched, there is a black figure ahead looming in the mist that I’d subconsciously noticed. I then see it’s just a large rock. It’s not the reaper, but it’s a good reminder to be careful.
Once I drop down below McIntosh I’m below the clouds and delayer.
The last climb up to Bridge peak felt slow, am I tired from yesterday? Probably.
I finally get to the highest point of the loop at 10:00 and i’m back on more familiar ground.
I’m happy that I have enough bounce left to run down the hill.
Field Hut
Field hut
10:52 and I’m at Field hut. No need for Byrus to get a photo here for his Hut Bagging collection, as he’s been here many times before.
There is a group of 4 guys outside. We exchange tales for 10 minutes. They seem amazed that it was only 4 hours ago that I was at Maungahuka. It’s taken them 2 days. They joke that I’ll be out for lunch and indeed I am. I get back to Otaki Forks bridge at 11:57.
I then walk back over the Blue Bluff slip to warm down.
Route and Splits
Day 1
Otaki Forks 08:02
Slip 08:55
Other side of Slip 09:20 (Heaps of faffing!)
YTYY 11:38
Junction Knob 14:06
Nichols Hut 14:38
16:55 Left Track to visit Aokaparangi Biv
Aokaparangi Biv 17:06 (break and a snoop)
Back on trail 17:30
Maungahuka Hut 19:18
Total time: 13 hours 16 mins (inc extra 35 mins for Aokap)
In the hope of not having another dull blog post 🥱 😴 we have decided to mix things up and write one day each.
Still, there is a fair bit of content so I recommend grabbing a cup of tea, coffee, beer or wine or some other poison before you continue…
Day 1 by Kat
Poads Road to Te Matawai
My trip started with the 7:58 train from Wellington to Waikanae along with Marty. Laressa and Julian hopped on at other stations along the way and by 9:20 we were in the shuttle chatting to our driver Colin. We arrived at the Poads Road entrance to the Tararua forest park and started walking across the farmland about 10:15.
Start at Poads Road
The first part of the walk is nicely undulating through the trees alongside the river. After about an hour we got to the turn off to Waiopehu hut and a little bit further down the track we crossed the swing bridge. The options from here to Te Matawai hut are Gable End ridge, which at the worst of times has mud up to your knees, and going up the river to South Ohau hut.
Kat, Julian & Marty
Since some of us had never been up the river and the river levels were very low we opted to go via South Ohau. It’s a very pleasant walk up in good weather.
Heading up the Ohau Stream
We crossed the river a number of times with no trouble and only one of us (cough me) took an unintentional swim. Everyone else opted for the intentional swim slightly further up the river in a nice swimming hole where we also had some lunch.
South Ohau hut is on a great spot sitting above the river. It’s impossible to miss. We stopped for a quick break so I could get the rocks out of my shoes and continued up Yeates track just at the back of the hut. The first section is a classic, steep tararuas slog up a few hundred meters but the track is in good condition and easy to follow so we were up on the ridge in no time. From where it meets the track to Te Matawai it’s about half an hour to the hut.
We got to Te Matawai just after 5pm and tossed up the idea of squeezing four people into Arere biv but decided to stay. The hut is not in the best condition and I hope that it’s on DOCs maintenance list.
Between them, Julian and Marty thought the optimum time for boiling water was twenty minutes before the pasta went in but other than that the pasta and anchovies dinner was a great success. The day ended with a brief mouse chase after one was found in the bunk room but it slipped past the waiting Julian and out through the back of the fire place.
Day 2 by Marty
Te Matawai Hut to Carkeek Hut
After the night chasing the mice in Te Matawai hut we rose to gorgeous sunshine and to find our food bags fortunately not ravaged by the resident rodents.
With cooking gas supply and hut faulty tap control concerns between the group, we negotiated cooker interference by others and how to stop the broken tap from continuously running without too much conflict and the ladies were given numbers by Julian.
We departed the hut at 8.30am after a thorough clean that clearly had not been undertaken by many of the previous recent residents.
Te Matawai Hut in the distance
After a gentle stroll in the peaks morning shade, from the hut to Pukematawai peak, we took a left turn off the Te Araroa Trail to summit Arete peak @ 1505m (10.55am), I think this is my first ever 1500 peak summit in the Tararuas, yay!
Pukematawai Junnction
We wandered down to Arete 2-person hut/biv, mindful to not veer the seemingly easy way right (best to keep left and follow the marker poles) just
saying…….
Arete Biv – Extended Morning Tea
After an extended morning tea, we began our decent to get on to Carkeek ridge. Julian stopped us at the 1st next peak and reiterated the due diligence navigation expectations that we all must be aware of in the environment we were in. It woke me up, as my first time here, I realised I was reliant/lazy and not fully aware of my responsibilities for myself, thank you Julian.
So, we did some navigation skills, which made me think, more independent and respect for where we were.
Navigation
So just another 1 hour up the road we stopped for lunch at the intersection to either go South-East to Tarn ridge, or right onto Carkeek Ridge Hut via Lancaster, Thompson & Carkeek peaks to Carkeek hut for the night (Laressas Northern Crossing little extra). There was a little rock climbing in sections over these peaks, I had the joy of Julian behind and above me scrambling over the loose rocks as I sidled around…..
Carkeek – Rock Climbing Section
At 1.30pm we set off up and down over the afore mentioned peaks in knee/waist high tussock/Speargrass/Leatherwood down Carkeek ridge started to take its toll on me towards day end.
Headind Down Carkeek Ridge
Come 4.30pm we met 2 English trail runners at Carkeek hut who had many a running tale to tell with which we all keenly listened with interest, in particular their lightweightedness!
Although to my great delight, they still managed to carry fairylights to light up the hut, it’s a thing! Now we all know it’s not just me!
After a wonderful shared experimental homemade dehydrated curry meal created by Kat we enjoyed a gorgeous goblin forest sunset and many a photo with mist over Mt Crawford to the South-West, Kapiti Island and South Island ranges in the distance to dream of, scrambled eggs for breakfast, and the rest day ahead.
Sun setting at Carkeek
Sunset from Carkeek
Day 3 by Laressa
Our group of 4 started the morning with our only shared brekky of the trip, scrambled eggs (Backcountry so not as exciting as it sounds!) and had a leisurely morning before setting off at 830am.
Carkeek Hut
Our group split in two, Julian and Kat went off track adventuring, while Marty and I returned to the Northern Crossing route, to cross the Waiohine Pinnacles and Tarn Ridge, to reunite with the others at Tarn Ridge Hut.
Morning view from Carkeek
As this was our “rest day” (only 6hrs of tramping) Marty and I kept a leisurely pace stopping to identify peaks, admire the view, snap photos, and take several much needed water breaks. It was possibly the hottest day I’ve experienced in the Tararuas, a bit of wind would have been nice!
Marty crossing Carkeek Ridge
After 3.5 hours up Carkeek Ridge (returning the way we came the day before) we stopped for lunch before tackling the pinnacles. Anyone who has tramped with me before knows heights and I don’t mix, so to say I was scared was an understatement. Feeling less pressure with only one (patient!) companion and a calm day (i.e. no needing to keep moving to stay warm!!) I challenged myself not to commence a crawl…. and am delighted to say I stayed upright(ish) and didn’t resort to all 4s!
The feeling was phenomenal, I felt i could tackle anything! I may have celebrated slightly too early – just like a false summit there is a false ‘end’, however the hardest part was done and the rest was easy in comparison. Yes that is the track, and yes you really do need to cross it! Unfortunately the loose rocks move under your feet at every step, eeek! Don’t look down!
Waiohine Pinnacles
I think I nearly skipped to the hut, possibly to Martys disgust, as it turned out this day was the toughest for him. We arrived at Tarn Ridge Hut at 330pm, just after running out of water (3L each!). We claimed mattresses for our companions and went to the ridge armed with snacks to await their arrival.
Tarn Ridge Hut
Tarn Ridge Hut (take a bedroll, all but 5 mattresses are mouldy!) We had agreed if Kat and Julian didn’t arrive by 7pm we’d go looking, however at about 545pm we caught sight of them along Dorset Ridge, and they joined us with 30min to spare.
Julian & Kat arriving at Tarn Ridge
After refuelling on snacks and dinner of miso soup (with extras) we returned to the ridge to watch the sunset – almost as beautiful as the night before.
Sunset from Tarn Ridge
Day 3 by Julian
Carkeek Hut To Tarn Ridge Hut
Kat was keen to visit Dorset Ridge Hut after missing out last year. I wanted to escape Marty’s “Dad jokes” for a day so had the diplomacy to say I was curious about about the gorge south of Park Forks and finding where the trail to McGregor Biv begins.
Marty and Laressa would go via the tops and meet back up with us at Tarn Ridge Hut at the end of the day.
Given the nature of our route it was nice to have some solid company for an unknown off track mission.
Carkeek Hut to Tarn Ridge Hut via Park Forks and Dorset Creek
We left Carkeek hut at 8:30 and headed down to Park Forks via a gorgeous goblin forest.
Goblin Forest behind Carkeek hut
The track is reasonably easy to follow down the ridge and we took it in turns to lead the way. One stuff up each was pretty good going as it’s super easy to wander down a deer trail and lose the true ridge.
Kat spent much of the day educating me about deer shit. I now know how to tell how fresh it is, along with the difference between stag and hind stool samples. Of course, Byrus already knows about that.
We arrived at Park Forks at 10:05
Park Forks
From Park forks there is the option to head directly up to Dorset Ridge, or up to Nichols Hut which I have done in the past. The “lost” track to Nichols is not a route I’d recommend unless you like getting roughed up!
We headed down the Gorge to Dorset Creek and Byrus took his annual bath.
The river was clean!
The Gorge took a good hour to travel and even with the water being low the undies were soaked by the time we’d got to Dorset Creek. We had a break and I went for a swim in some very cold but refreshing water.
The start of the Track to McGregor was easy to spot and I dare say I’ll come down that way sometime in the future.
Dorset Creek
It was slow going up the river. By the time we had got through the Dorset Creek gorge we looking at the clock knowing we were not going as fast as expected. We’d promised the others that we’d be at Tarn Ridge by 7pm. Not wanting them to worry we knew we had to get a move on!
We considered leaving the river and smashing our way up the ridge to intercept the old track from Park Forks, but this too was unknown territory and could prove problematic! We decided to stay in the creek and tough it out.
After 4.5 hours in the water climbing and jumping over boulders, rocks, slips and trees we finally left the river and found the track up to Dorset Ridge Hut.
Spot the marker for the path!
It’s a pretty savage climb up, but the path is still in use and there are ribbons to help you keep on the ridge. It could be a very interesting one to go down.
I nearly dragged a group down that way on a previous trip and was feeling grateful that we went out on the tops on that occasion! I suggest avoiding it if you don’t trust your navigation skills.
Kat climbing up the ridge in camo
16:30 and we finally pop out of the scub to find Dorset Ridge hut.
Dorest Ridge Hut
It was sweet having enough time to take a break and enjoy Dorset Ridge Hut. It’s not one that many people visit and has one of the freshest toilets I know of in the Tararua Ranges.
Dorset Ridge Hut with Broken Axe backdrop
The track on the tops along Dorset Ridge is not well groomed. I was getting over the cutty grass which was constantly reminding my my knees were exposed.
About 1 hour from Tarn ridge we spotted Laressa and Marty waving from the distance. It was a stunning day with little wind so we made the usual animal noises which were heard and returned.
Dorset Ridge Tarn
We arrived at 18:35 and were greeted with high fives and chocolate 🙂
Still, I’m sure this is more entertaining than a badly worded yawn fest…
Here are a couple of photos:
Mitre, although Julian is trying to pretend it is HectorPeggy’s tits. (Ask Marty why he thinks all hills look like boobs!)Julian fell off the track 🤣🤣🤣
Recently Laressa and I did the Kapakapanui loop as an Evening stroll which we posted on Meetup. Some of the comments were interesting as such as “Wow! 4 hours! You’l be running! lol”
Actually, we didn’t need to run, we just didn’t do any faffing and simply chatted the whole time without pushing it that hard.
Whilst I understand that DOC times list the loop as 6 – 8 hours, the reality is that it’s a walk on the outer edges of the Tararua Ranges so the times are very generous and aimed at your casual weekend walker, not hardened trampers.
It did get me thinking how long it would take to run so I set off to give it a crack today. My goal was to get it done in under 3 hours, but I was not sure if I’d be able to nail it first attempt.
Junction, I’m going anti-clockwise this time 07:09
I set off early to avoid the midday heat (plus I had other commitments that day) and picked the Anti-clockwise direction to avoid running down the steep bit.
The path is in great condition, probably the best I’ve ever seen it. Massive respect to DOC or whoever has cleared the trail up to the trig, it used to be an over-grown mess. Seeing where your feet need to be placed makes a big difference.
The Trig 08:25Stunning day up on the tops whilst the coast on the other side is still shrouded in clouds!
Very little running was done before I got to the trig, and I cursed each time my shoelace came undone wasting precious time faffing around with them. I also had to take my back pack off to access my water bottle. Such a rookie move! I have a bladder so really should know better.
None of the usual princess action avoiding the mud. The feet are getting mucky.Kapakapanui Hut for some water! 08:48
I think I passed someone I know on the way who called me a crazy idiot. Sorry I was too zoned to return the compliment, plus I was about 20 meters past by the time I registered as I raggy-dolled down the path 😔
Back down to the river 09:31Back to the car 09:40 Loop done 🙂
Total loop time 2 hours and 38 minutes. Not a bad for a 13km morning jog and my shoes are clean thanks to the river at the end 😁
The alarm goes off. I crawl out of bed and make an early coffee before hitting the road.
The plan is to get to Whakapapa Village by 09:30, meet up with Stirling, (my old tramping buddy who is now getting on in years and lives in a retirement village in Taupo), and to start walking by 10:00.
As it happens we both arrive early and we head off at 09:06 in an anti-clockwise direction.
I’m not sure how I’m going to get on with this one as it’s my first decent tramp since September when I tore the MCL in my left knee. We decide on the conservative option of doing the loop in 3 days.
As Waihohonu Hut needs booking (and it’s a last-minute trip) we plan the route to avoid spending the night there. We take air mattresses and are prepared to sleep on the deck if needed.
If you do any research on the trail then you’ll find the word “undulations” until you’re blue in the face. This simply means that you go up and down heaps! The climbs are small and regular with heaps of time to recover before you go again 🙄 It’s not a big deal unless you’re unfit! There is some entertaining reading here if you want a giggle…
Day 1
Round the Mountain Track
The weather was good but there are a couple of patches of snow which is always a bonus. It’s a good reminder that you need to be prepared even in summer!
Snow 😀We missed out on the real snow. This was the action at Rangipo Hut which had sadly melted by the time we arrived!
There are a number of unbridged streams to cross. With the previous days rain, I had some fun jumping over them to keep my feet dry.
Lake Surprise
We arrived at Mangaturturu Hut at 14:48 and were the first ones there so quickly claimed our bed spots.
Officially it’s a 10 bunk hut but it only has 9 mattresses! Later it quickly fills up and we end up with about 21 people at the hut!
It’s easy to access from the road end which explains why it’s so busy. One group is talking about how painful the upcoming “1.5-hour” road section is on your knees and feet and offers us a ride in their car to avoid it.
We politely decline as it’s going to be a horrendous amount of faffing and will no doubt be less painful than the lame conversation. Inevitably it will be much quicker to simply walk!
Day one times:
09:06 Left Car Park
14:11 Lake Surprise
14.48 MangaturturuHut
Day 2
We’re up at a reasonable hour and are walking by 07:10
Departing Mangaturturu HutWaterfalls after Mangaturuturu hut (A tad to early for a swim)
The road section ends up taking 40 minutes and our knees hold up 🤣 In fact my knee is great, I’m loving being able to jump again after all the rehab exercises I’ve been doing for the past 4 months.
I was keen on an alternative route across the ski field and down to Blyth but we decide to keep things simple this time.
WaItonga Falls
We arrive at Mangeahuehu Hut at 11am and have an early lunch.
After Lunch, we spot some people at the bridge below.
View down to Wahianoa Bridge
By the time we get to the bridge the group ahead has only made it halfway up the hill on the other side. We soon catch them and overtake.
We arrive at Rangipo hut at 15:25.
The day was an easy one as it remained overcast so did not get too hot.
Rangipo hut (no snow left 😢)
The group we overtook arrived at the hut about 2 hours after we arrive. One chap says “You made me feel like I was standing still going up that hill”. To which I replied,”You were standing still!” 🤣
Again the hut fills up with heaps of late arrivals. I think we had 22 inside. Interestingly there we no entries for the previous day in the hut book!
One annoying twat stinks the hut out with his “deep heat” 🤧 Another lights the fire and makes it super hot so I’m forced to open the windows which makes things entertaining later!
Stirling tries to close the window by my head at about 3am after things have cooled down.
I was in a deep sleep, but his hand made some tapping a scratching sounds which results in me dreaming about a rat or a possum and results in me attacking his hand and throwing my pillow across the room!
Day two times:
07.10 Depart from Mangaturturu Hut
08:10 Join Ohakune Mountain Road
08:50 Finish road section and back on the track
09:20 Waitonga Falls
09:33 Blyth Hut Juction
11:00 Mangeahuehu Hut
Early Lunch 1 hour
12:00 Leave Mangeahuehu Hut
14:30 Wahianoa Bridge
15:25 Rangipo Hut
Day 3
A sunny day with great views at last. We are up first and claim the table before anyone else rises. We’re off by 6:30 with zero faffing!
Sunrise from Rangipo
The Desert section up to the Whangaehu river is a real treat.
Whangaehu bridge
Whangaehu bridge
Opinepango Springs
We arrive at Waihohonu hut at 09:50. It’s not even time for elevenses, let alone lunch!
Waihohonu Hut
It’s a stinking hot day so I decide to head down to the river for a quick dip!
Good Swimming spot (No selfie as I skinny-dipped and that’d just be wrong!)
We have a very relaxed lunch at leave the hut at 11:10. 3 hours and 15 minutes later and we’re done and I’m planning on heading up Mount Taranaki to see the Sunrise for the New Year.
Day 3 times:
06:30 Depart from Rangipo Hut
07:03 Whanaehu River Bridge
07: 56 Cross Tukino Village Road
09:50 Waihohonu Hut
Stop for a swim and have a crazy early lunch break
11:10 Depart Waihohonu Hut
14:25 Back at car
Times and distance.
Stirling’s GPS had the distance down as 70km in total but according to DOC it’s just 66.2km. We walked a total of 19 hours over 3 days (clock only stopped for lunch breaks).
Heaps of time left to relax and plenty of daylight hours left in the summer.
Making this a 2-day trip is very doable or making the loop bigger to combine the Northern Circuit over 3 days could also be a good option.
It’s a stunning route and one I’d happily do again.
Haurangi Hut is a great hut in the Orongrongos (Remutaka Forest Park) which needs to be booked in advance. This means it is great for groups and for new trampers without lots of gear (the hut has gas stoves and being bookable there is no need to carry bedrolls and shelters). See https://bookings.doc.govt.nz/saturn/ for bookings.
Haurangi Hut
The hut is 2-3 hours walk from the carpark with no river crossings. We left Wellington Station at 4pm arriving at the carpark in time for a 5pm departure. The walk in was steady, scenic and didn’t require a headtorch after all.
We had a social Friday night sharing snacks and wine while planning walks for the following day.
On Saturday we split in to two groups, one heading to Mount Matthews and the rest exploring Whakanui and Clay Ridge Tracks to return to the carpark. I was in the Mount Matthews group so the following outlines Mt Matthews.
Heading up Mt Matthews
Four of us headed up Mt Matthews, three of us with the intention of getting to the summit (941m), the fourth the intention of getting to the clearing before the summit. To summit Mt Matthews you need to cross the river, so ensure you check river levels if undertaking this trip.
Clearing on the way up at ~ 600mView from Mt Matthews (Ocean Beach and Lake Ferry)
We set off at a cracking pace and all made our goals in reasonable time. We returned to the carpark following the river rather than the bush walk we had taken the previous evening. Once we arrived at Turere Bridge two of us decided to return via Cattle Ridge rather than the Orongorongo track.
We returned to the carpark to find we had bet the other team. We didnt need to wait long for them to emerge from the bush. The trips took approx 8-9 hours.
Overall a great Friday night trip and following day for a great mix of newbie and experienced trampers.
Wellington Tramping Group 