Classic Tramping in

Shaun Barnett & Rob brown CONTENTS

Acknowledgements 6

About this book 6

Introduction 8

The Tararua Peaks The traditional home of tramping 11

The Hollyford Track No place for a road 21

The Pouakai Range In the shadow of Taranaki 31

Northwest Ruahine Range Colenso country 41

Cascade Saddle Soaring peaks and shrinking glaciers 51

The Dragons Teeth Shaped from ancient stone 61

First published in 1999 by Craig Potton Publishing Five Passes Gorges and rusting mountains 73 Revised and reprinted in 2010 Kaweka–Kaimanawa Traverse Across the spine of the 83 Craig Potton Publishing 98 Vickerman Street, PO Box 555, Nelson, New Zealand Makarora to the East Matukituki Two alpine passes, four forest valleys 95 www.craigpotton.co.nz The Three Passes Pounamu trail across the alps 107 © Maps by Geographx Nelson Lakes to Lewis Pass Sublime mountain country 117 © Photography: Shaun Barnett and Rob Brown and individual photographers Text: Shaun Barnett and Rob Brown The Dusky Track Into the heart of a great wilderness 129

ISBN 978 1 877517 24 2 Frew Saddle–Toaroha Saddle In the footsteps of the ‘Good Keen Men’ 139 Printed in China by Midas Printing International Ltd The Copland Pass Across the land uplifted high 151 This book is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part References and Further Reading 162 may be reproduced by any process without the permission of the publishers. Tramping Terminology 163 Title page: Descending from Moss Pass into the West Sabine valley, Nelson Lakes National Park (SB) the whole culture of tramping in New Zealand. It is pleasing that the It was a naïve wish. Having re-walked many of the tracks, it is clear Acknowledgements success of the first edition has continued the publishing tradition begun that the popularity of some trips, including the Tararua Peaks, Dragons with books like John Pascoe’s Land Uplifted High (1952) and continued Teeth, Nelson Lakes, Pouakai Range and Five Passes, has increased over Classic Tramping could not have been published without the assistance John Abbott, Steve Baker, Daryl Ball, Wayne Beggs, Elise Bryant, Sally with Geoff Spearpoint’sWaking to the Hills (1985) and Mark Pickering’s the last 11 years. We have mixed feelings about the impacts that Clas- and input of many people who share a passion for back-country tramp- Brown, Rachel Bryce, Andrew Budd, Gin Bush, Andy Dennis, Mark The Hills (1988). It is our sincere hope that this new edition of Classic sic Tramping may have helped precipitate by encouraging more people ing. The authors would firstly like to thank Dave Chowdhury whose and Kevin Feeney, Dave Hansford, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Tim Kerr, Tramping not only serves as a memento for those who have their own onto these tracks. editorial guidance helped shape the prose of two photographers setting Andrew Lynch, Clare O’Neill, Chris Maclean, Colin Monteath, Geoff experiences on these tramps, but also continues a tradition of celebrating In many cases, the huts and tracks appear to have absorbed the out on the intimidating task of producing the text of the first edition. Norman, Darryn Pegram, Mark Schwarz, John Skilton, Grant Singleton, the spirit of the hills. increased numbers with minimal degradation of the traditional New Robbie Burton championed the project from the start, and with Geoff Spearpoint, Derek Shaw, Louise Thornley and Jeannine Tuffin. We wrote in the first edition that ‘selecting specific tramps and calling Zealand tramping experience. By and large, the Department of Con- the team at Craig Potton Publishing, in particular Tina Delceg, guided Extra appreciation goes to those who helped out with photography and them “classic” seemed at times to be inviting the scorn of our fellow servation has made sensitive management decisions, and only in a few the project through to publication. For this edition, Roger Smith of were patient in even the foulest weather. trampers’. We haven’t had much scornful correspondence, and to judge places do we think regrettable actions have resulted from increased use. Geographx produced his impressive ‘Bird’s Eye’ maps, greatly improving Sadly, Andrew Lynch died of cancer in 2009. He is sorely missed, by hut book comments, many trampers have embraced these trips as The worst of these was the installation of blue marker poles along the on those of the original book. and photographs of him that appear in the Copland and Frew Saddle great adventures. Some people predicted in the late 1990s that tramping tops of the Tararua Peaks route. Aside from their obvious visual intru- The final visual look of the book has been greatly enhanced by chapters provide treasured memories of many trips in the hills with a was dying, but happily this has not come to pass. sion, the poles detracted from the long tradition of the Tararuas being Colin Monteath, Nick Groves, Gottlieb Braun-Elwert, John Rhodes fine man and good friend. The new edition still offers a diversity of landscapes—including coastal a place to develop navigational skills and hone judgement. and Jeannine Tuffin who generously allowed us to use some of their Department of Conservation staff Ted Brennan, Stephen Robson (Hollyford), volcanic (Pouakai) and alpine (Copland)—to supplement Perhaps the most compelling reason for sharing these special places is photographs. and Jason Roxburgh provided useful comments on chapters, for which the more traditional ‘bush and tops’ trips like the Kaweka–Kaimanawa to inspire people to care about them. When our population is becoming For a number of quotes used in the book we are grateful for permission we are grateful. and Nelson Lakes tramps. The tramps reflect a range of length and increasingly sedentary and urban, anything that encourages people to from Brian Turner, Bob Brown and Dorothy Pascoe. The excerpt from From Shaun: many thanks to my parents Karen and Grant Barnett difficulty, which trampers may choose to progress through, and are be active in the outdoors, and reconnect with wild landscapes, is surely ‘Poem in the Matukituki Valley’ by James K. Baxter is reproduced by for their ongoing encouragement. I would also like to especially thank presented roughly in order of easiest to hardest. As an added bonus to a good thing. We live in worrying times where some campaign hard to permission of Oxford University Press Australia and New Zealand and my family, Tania, Tom, Lee and Lexi for their support and for their frustrate those who did manage to ‘tick’ the last line-up, this new and convince us of our collective poverty, despite obvious evidence to the con- Mrs J. Baxter from Collected Poems James K. Baxter, Oxford University patience while I was absent in the hills. completely revised edition of Classic Tramping offers two fresh tramps: trary, all for the purpose of justifying misuse of New Zealand’s remaining Press 1980 © The Estate of James K. Baxter. From Rob: thanks to all those back-country people and DOC staff one in the North Island’s Ruahine Range, and the West Coast’s Toaroha– natural landscapes. Increasingly, our treasured parks are being eyed up Many people accompanied us on our initial tramps, and more on who continue to work so hard at preserving what is special about the Frew Saddle circuit. by corporate interests for uses such as hydro-electricity, roads and even trips completed since the first edition was published. Many thanks to network of huts and tracks we have inherited in New Zealand. The obvious omission of a Stewart Island tramp is covered inClassic mining; all forms of exploitation that are simply incongruous for areas Walks; a profile of the gloriously muddy North West Circuit. set aside primarily for nature conservation and public recreation. In the first edition we were acutely conscious that by describing these In that context, tramping is something of a political act, a sustainable About This Book tramps we would encourage more people to visit, and possibly degrade and appropriate form of recreation that does not compromise our role some of their remote or wild feel. We wrote: ‘It is perhaps a naïve wish, as custodians of these places for future generations. Classic Tramping contains 14 chapters which explore some of New It is a book that doesn’t easily fit into any one category. Yes, it is a but we hope that this book doesn’t encourage people to treat these Zealand’s best multi-day tramping journeys through our national and guidebook of sorts, but not in the traditional sense of providing a basic tramps merely as a tick list, and instead encourages them to plan their Shaun Barnett and Rob Brown forest parks. The first edition of Classic Tramping (1999) evolved as a route description and not much else. The size and prominence of the own variations to the standard routes.’ companion volume to Craig Potton’s book Classic Walks, which evoca- photographs suggest it is partly a coffee table book too, or at least we tively profiled New Zealand’s most popular tracks. InClassic Tramping hope that it finds a pride of place in some people’s homes. we have included lesser-known and harder walks, culminating in some Through the writing and photography a conscious effort has been made that contain trans-alpine or off-track terrain. to convey not only the essence of the 14 tramps, but also to celebrate

6 7 Introduction hills. Yet when we reunited further up the valley, our friendship in the day, when a bush robin hopped up and began to check me had never seemed so important. out from all angles. Deciding I was no threat, the robin hopped Finally, tramping seems to offer a greater chance of experiencing onto my bare feet and began to feast on the sandflies gathering moments that engrave themselves in our minds, even more than on my longjohns. I doubt I will ever adequately find the words words or photographs—they could be an event or happening to describe the sensation of its spindly feet on my skin; there was Our friends across the Tasman call it bushwalking. Visitors from us deskbound, so it is no coincidence that at weekends or during that turns around a difficult day; a moment that presents itself certainly no possibility or desire to bring a camera into the moment. the Northern Hemisphere refer to it as trekking or hiking. In New holidays the majority of trampers are from the city. Most of us so strongly it becomes the memory. That is the way with many such instances. They may be fleeting, Zealand, heading off into the wilds with packs loaded for several live with varying degrees of dislocation from the land; tramping One of these occurred for me at Daleys Flat in the Dart Valley yet they feed the memories that make the hard slog worthwhile, days has long been referred to as tramping, a term which might then has become a pastime which taps deep desires to renew our after a cold wet day’s tramping. The evening turned out sunny inspiring us to head back into the hills time and again. seem mildly eccentric—until you visit the landscape. It is the contact with nature. and I found a spot to sit among some beech trees. In the warmth rugged nature of the land which has shaped New Zealand’s tramp- Secondly, and in a way related, trampers seek an experience I was beginning to forget how damp and chilled I’d been earlier Rob Brown ing culture and which also dictates the slow plodding movement that is the converse of their urban lives, one where they get by sometimes necessary to move steadily through the back country with less, limited by what can be carried in a pack. A week in on foot. Stumbling over tree roots, easing along a craggy ridge, the hills is one of minimalism where you go without electricity or scrambling up a streambed of boulders is not everyone’s idea or television, live on a simple diet, and even reduce your fossil of enjoyable travel, but such is the nature of New Zealand tracks fuel consumption to virtually zero (cooking fuel excepted!). It that tramping is a more apt description for it than others. is, as Tasmanian environmentalist Bob Brown has expressed, an Shaun and I had been heading off into the hills for a long time experience ‘where we reach to the mossy edge of a stream for before we embarked on this project, often without thinking too refreshment rather than across a counter’. much about why we did it. Then, as we were struggling, with Once in the hills a third motivation can be felt—the desire to diminishing enthusiasm, through the thick forest of the Otoko see new landscapes. I have rarely been tramping with anyone who Valley in the Hooker/Landsborough Wilderness Area (a tramp did not enjoy the view from a high point or who, despite being not in this book), we began to wonder what possible purpose tired and out of breath, did not keep climbing to see the view the challenge of tramping could serve—particularly in a place down the other side. Some say maps and guides have destroyed our without tracks or huts, labouring under 30 kilogram packs in ability to explore, but for many this does not hold true. Looking heavy rain, and with the river boulders getting larger and more at maps and photographs for hours beforehand never seems to and more difficult to get around. dull the actual experience. Seeing the landscape firsthand always It’s during these sorts of experiences that you ask the ques- stirs the explorer in me. tions most obvious to non-trampers: Why go tramping? Why Solo trips are inspirational for some, but friendship continues leave modern comforts for an experience which is sometimes to be the cornerstone of the tramping experience. In an environ- much less than comfortable? The answers are as diverse as they ment stripped of urban ‘bunk’, friendships form without artifice. are changeable. What draws me back to the hills involves many At other times friendship is heightened by adversity. As Shaun and different thoughts and emotions; when I’m in the hills, I find I continued our epic up the Otoko we were separated for an hour Open fire in Museum Hut, Hope Valley, Canterbury (SB) these changing in intensity day by day. or so. Looking back there was no real problem in this. We both One of the more elemental reasons for going tramping is for the knew where we were going, we both had a map and compass and sheer joy of exercise in a natural setting. Our jobs keep many of both of us love the moments of solitude that can be had in the

8 9 Tararua Forest Park The Tararua Peaks The traditional home of tramping

In the early part of the twentieth century, much of New Zealand would be on the back of a truck and trampers would be bounced was still wild and largely unexplored. Those heading off into along rutted roads into the hills for weekend excursions. Otaki the hills faced formidable barriers: a lack of tracks and huts, Forks, inland from the township of Otaki, became a focal point equipment that was woefully substandard for mountain weather, for many of these trips, and here one of the classic North Island and limitations of access and transport. It was not until the tramps begins—a traverse of the Tararua Peaks. formation of clubs that tramping started to become a more Starting from the prominent river junction at Otaki Forks, common pastime, and in 1919 New Zealand’s first tramping club a well-gravelled track climbs steadily through bracken scrub was named after a series of mountains just north of — before entering the forest. The three-hour climb to Field Hut the Tararuas. is not difficult, but try to imagine the back-breaking effort of Clubs attracted like-minded people and provided a chance for lugging an iron water tank up here. In 1924 Fred Vosseler and novices to learn from more experienced members, a process that Bill Denton did just this, as the load was too awkward even for still continues. In the early days, people like Fred Vosseler, Edwin packhorses to carry it up to the newly built hut. Commissioned Boyd-Wilson and Sam McIntosh were all club stalwarts who helped by the Tararua Tramping Club, the hut was built by Joe Gibbs move the experience of wild country from the exclusive domain of using timber pit sawn on site and horses to carry the corrugated hardy explorers into the grasp of everyday people. A quick glance iron for the cladding. at the Tararua map reveals that their contribution to the culture Having considerably lighter packs than the early hut builders of tramping has been appropriately remembered, even if it was you are able to appreciate rather than curse the forest, which is at just the naming of a small bump or knoll on a ridge. first dominated by dense groves of kamahi (Weinmannia racemosa), Over the years, clubs were instrumental in establishing a mod- sprouting upwards like pitchforks. Each time gales push one ka- est network of tracks and huts in the range, firstly by the Tararua mahi over, new branches sprout from the fallen trunk, resulting Tramping Club and then latterly by some of the other local clubs in dense thickets. Further up are moss-encrusted beech and totara such as the Wellington Tramping and Mountaineering Club and trees, with the ubiquitous crown fern (Blechnum discolor) on the the Hutt Valley Tramping Club. Clubs became adept at organis- forest floor. At the edge of the bush on a flat shelf hacked from ing trips. More often than not transport to the start of the trip the ridge is Field Hut. This historic shelter (the oldest surviving hut in the Tararuas) serves as a lunch stop, or even a place for the Opposite Evening light on the Tararua Peaks (RB) night if you’ve walked in late on a Friday evening. In the 1990s,

11 the Tararua Tramping Club installed a series of photographs and Unlike many South Island trips, travel in the Tararuas is largely information panels to commemorate the history of the hut. on the tops, which are one of the range’s best features. On a Above Field Hut, the forest merges into subalpine scrub. The fine day, views unfold of ridges rising like rows of ship prows Tararuas have ill-defined bushlines and instead boast a large band right out to Kapiti Island off the coast. More often, however, of tough, woody-stemmed plants known (not so affectionately) the Tararua Ranges are subject to savage winds and thick cloud, as scrub. The dominant plant here is leatherwood (Olearia col- and this has earned them a terrible reputation for bad weather. ensoi), an exceptionally hardy tree daisy with leaves like cowhide Statistics do nothing to dispel the reputation; on the tops storm and branches boasting the density and resilience of a bonsai tree. conditions are experienced for an average of 200 days per year. Trampers have been known to curse its existence when forced to In tramping terminology, such weather is referred to as murk or travel through it in untracked terrain as the stout branches are crud, and blamed on the most fickle of deities, the weather god Above Late evening over the main from near Bridge Peak (SB) Opposite Moss-covered silver beech forest near Anderson Memorial Hut (SB) too dense to crawl under and just weak enough to defy climbing Huey. Huey has an evil sense of humour and likes nothing bet- over. Fortunately, a well-defined track leads through the thick ter than smothering trampers in the worst of weather, tempting subalpine band to the tussock tops, and you can enjoy the diverse them with just enough snippets of blue sky only to later dash any array of plants without needing to battle them. hopes of a clearance.

12 13 Except on one of Huey’s nastiest days, reaching Kime Hut on a a certain urgency, as if the wind’s energy was being blown into angles threatening to work its cold fingers up under your coat, track with liberal snow poles placed at short, mist-defying intervals us. Suddenly, where the route dropped abruptly to the lee side of travel on the ridge is more a case of pulling the balaclava low, should present few problems. Situated in a partially sheltered tus- the ridge, the wind vanished. Having got used to the resistance, I tightening the pack straps and forging on with your head down. sock bowl, the 20-bunk hut is actually the second version, built stumbled off balance, while my coat’s movements eased to gentle This sort of traditional Tararua weather may be unpleasant, but it in 1978, long after the previous one fell into disrepair. During rustling. On the ridge crest above I could see the wind-whipped is certainly good for improving the stamina necessary for harder the 1930s, the original Kime Hut was popular with skiers, but tussocks, but five metres to the lee we walked in a calm, quiet wilderness trips. less reliable snow in later years saw the demise of skiing. Although world where every breath could be heard. Kime now has mattresses, an unheard-of luxury in times past, its After passing the summit of McIntosh, the silhouettes of the high ceiling and lack of wood stove make the present hut a very Tararua Peaks loom ahead, and invariably cloud adds to the cold place on some winter days. alarming profile of their sharp cones. This section is the crux of The route north towards the Tararua Peaks requires backtracking the route, with a challenging traverse that requires a good head a short distance to Bridge Peak, where a pole marks the start of for heights. In March 1930, eight young men from the Tararua the descent on to the main Tararua Range. From here the route Tramping Club pioneered the route over the Tararua Peaks after follows the ridge, with a progression of sharp climbs and drops an earlier defeat. On the first trip the impressive gulch lying negotiating a series of tussock knolls between 1100 and 1400 between the peaks of Tunui and Tuiti had thwarted them. Bet- metres in height, each named after some of the early trampers who ter prepared on their second attempt, they negotiated the notch explored the area in the 1930s. Once this was just a vague route using a rope in the same place where an aluminium ladder now with only the occasional cairn and a modest ground trail lightly allows trampers a safe descent. Beyond the ladder is a narrow sidle worn over the years by trampers’ boots, but recently blue marker around the base of Tunui, the second cone-shaped peak, and a poles have been installed over the whole route. In misty conditions, series of sharp climbs and rock scrambles leads the short distance these poles may indeed prove a blessing; but philosophically I feel to Maungahuka Hut. The original Maungahuka Hut, replaced in 2006 (SB) they were a mistake for what was such a remote-feeling stretch of Maungahuka Hut is positioned in a sheltered hollow beside a tops. Traditionally, the Tararua Range has been a place to learn tarn on tussock tops and is one of the best spots in the Tararua The notorious Tararua murk is tempered by rugged and magnifi- navigational skills, a training ground to test map and compass Range. On a good day the views stretch from the Pacific Ocean to cent scenery, and it is this combination that causes some trampers skills on murk-ridden—but not overly serious—tops. Once, in the Tasman Sea, with the main range unfolding into the distance to have a love-hate relationship with the range. One writer, John an appalling cold fug of winter weather, Rob and I failed to locate ahead. Such scenes are easily captured by camera, but it is more Pascoe, damned the range in his 1952 book Land Uplifted High: the onward ridge north of Bridge Peak. We retreated to Kime, difficult to record the sounds of the high country, ‘the rattle of ‘For sheer miserable monotony of contour, rigour of weather, tails between our legs, humbled. I wonder whether the poles have scree, the thump of falling rock, … a nor’wester screeching…’ as and bleakness of outlook it is hard to beat the Tararuas. They are since reduced the challenge to a ‘join-the-dots’ experience. poet Brian Turner writes. Inside the hut after dusk other sounds to Wellington trampers what oatmeal is to Scottish people; dull Even if you’re lucky enough to have a clear day, there’s likely to predominate; the purr of the burner, the spatter of a flickering solid fare which gives them staple virtues.’ The opinion of Pascoe, be a brisk wind whipping in from the coast. Walking in a strong candle and the creak of timbers as night cools the shelter. a respected climber and author, amused many and angered some, wind often requires a compensatory lean, with shorter strides After a night at Maungahuka Hut, the third day involves a long but proved a remarkably persistent image of the Tararuas. It took to avoid overbalancing in the irregular gusts. While traversing traverse of exposed tops leading eventually to Anderson Memorial two later books, John Rundle’s The Tararua Book (1981) and Vosseler, my coat flapped wildly and the gusts sometimes snatched Hut. If the clouds part there are fine views over two of the most Chris Maclean’s Tararua (1994) to restore the range’s somewhat Ascending the aluminium ladder between the Tararua Peaks (SB) the breath from my lungs. The incessant westerly helped push us impressive gorges in the Tararuas; the Otaki to the west, and the battered reputation. up the climbs, the continual buffeting lending our movements Waiohine to the east. However, when rain lashes in at horizontal If the conditions are rough, it may indeed be with some relief

14 15 from which to watch the roar of the torrid, muddy waters when the Otaki is in one of its frequent floods. Built in 1990 to replace the original hut and situated beside the river, Waitewaewae Hut is the largest and most comfortable on the trip. There are places to camp not far from the hut, and at weekends the area is usually a hum of activity with groups of trampers enjoying the river and forest. In the early days of the Tararua Tramping Club, large parties of 30 to 40 people were not unheard of, and tramping must have been a festive occasion. Imagine the lumpy stews concocted in cauldron-like billies over the campfire to feed groups of this size. Later in the evening, as night fell around the embers, tramper-lore recalls these parties erupting into raucous songs of sometimes dubious lyrics. Moving along the main ridge near Simpson (SB) The last day is spent almost entirely sheltered in forest, with a climb over a swampy plateau followed by a descent down Saddle Creek to Waitatapia Stream. Beyond Saddle Creek, the track that you pass over Kahiwiroa and, after a further kilometre, reach emerges onto an old tramline, dating back to the 1930s when the shelter of the forest. This section has a ‘Lord of the Rings’ timber (mainly rimu) was hauled out to Corrigan’s Mill near Otaki ambience and is the sort of place you might expect an elf or goblin Forks. In places the rusting iron tracks are still in situ, and the to appear. Because of the altitude, the tree limbs are twisted at well-benched gradient is a delight to follow. Beside the track in arthritic angles and moss hangs in great dripping clumps from one section is an old steam log-hauler, restored to fine condition, every surface. If there’s mist about, the poor visibility reduces making an interesting reminder of the logging days. distant trees to a colourless grey, with only the foreground retain- When the mill was still in operation the rapidly diminishing ing any shades of green. forest stirred people, many of them trampers, to lobby the gov- After walking through this almost monochrome world, the ernment for protection of the Tararua forests. There were even bright roof of Anderson Memorial Hut comes as a bold finish unsuccessful proposals for a Tararua National Park in 1937, and to the day. In 1946, the predecessor to this hut became the first again in 1952, but two years later the New Zealand Forest Ser- to be airlifted into the ranges, with the prefabricated sections vice, who managed the area, decided to instead create the first parachuted onto site by pilot Oliver Anderson (who was tragically ‘Forest Park’. later killed on a flight in Fiordland). National park legislation was too restrictive for the Forest Past this hut are some wonderful tussock tops, an occasional Service’s multiple-use concept, which embraced production as tarn and a steady rise to Junction Knob, appropriately named as well as protection. Forest parks were created to protect forested The Tararua Peaks viewed from the east (John Rhodes/Wairarapa Visuals) it is here you leave the main range and begin the forested descent catchments and encourage recreation, but they also allowed some to the Otaki River. Once down in the valley, a long swingbridge areas to be planted in exotic trees for timber. Tararua Forest Park, crosses the Otaki River, affording a giddy view of the current below. established in 1954, was the basis for a successful model eventually Suspended high above on the wire structure is a great position extended to another 20 forest parks stretching the length of the

16 17 W

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e w r a ve e Ri w ki country. Like national parks, or the newer conservation parks, five days of foul weather, you have, as John Pascoe did, formed a ta e O

R

forest parks represent part of the history of how our conservation unfavourable first impressions of the Tararuas, remember that the i v

e estate, now managed by the Department of Conservation, was range can be painfully shy in revealing its more subtle charms; r Shoulder Knob established. even Pascoe had to concede that the park offers a ‘variety of bush Junction Knob Despite the removal of the rimu, the last few hours of the tramp and river scenery just as pleasant as the beauty of the Maori names pass through forest with a pleasant diversity of trees, the domi- it compassed’. to OTAKI nant varieties being beech, kamahi, hinau, mahoe and rewarewa. Beneath the canopy, tangles of supplejack and tall tree ferns shut Shaun Barnett Waitewaewae Hut out the light, giving the forest a cool, damp atmosphere. If, after Anderson Memorial Hut O ta ki Ri ver

m k ree a le C e add r S t e S g The Tararua Peaks r a i o p G Kahiwiroa Tararua Forest Park a r t e a v it i a R W i k a Length 46 kilometres summer. Winter trips are possible, but are a serious undertaking when t O Time required 4–5 days snow covers the tops. A Department of Conservation Back-country Otaki Forks Hut Pass covers fees for all the huts. Camping is limited, but possible Nearest town Otaki at Waitewaewae and Kime. Access to the round trip begins and ends Aokaparangi er Parawai Best time to walk track October to May at Otaki Forks, inland from Otaki township. At the forks there is an iv R Lodge overnight carpark, a ranger’s house and emergency phone. ru Fitness Good fitness required u ta Aokaparangi Biv io Maps (NZMS260) S26 Carterton; (Topo50) BP33 Featherston a Approximate track times W Otaki Forks to Kime Hut (20 bunks) A classic Tararua trip with a mixture of bush ridges, open tops and 11 kilometres, 5–6 hours valley travel. The track from Otaki Forks to Kime Hut is well marked and, Kime Hut to Maungahuka Hut (10 bunks) Tararua Field Hut r although exposed, should not present experienced trampers with any Maungahuka Hut e 8 kilometres, 4–6 hours Peaks iv R difficulties unless the weather is truly horrid. However, between Bridge Tuiti e Maungahuka Hut to Anderson Memorial Hut (6 bunks) in Peak and Shoulder Knob travel is on an exposed route requiring some Tunui Maungahuka h 9 kilometres, 6–7 hours. io navigation skills in bad weather. One section (around the Tararua Peaks a Anderson Memorial Hut to Waitewaewae Hut (16 bunks) W themselves) negotiates a ladder and some rock steps. Parties with 8 kilometres, 4–5 hours concerns about the steepness would be better to do the trip in reverse, Waitewaewae Hut to Otaki Forks giving an ascent (rather than descent) of the ladder. From Waitewaewae 10 kilometres, 4–6 hours Vosseler Hut the track is well marked and largely sheltered in the forest. At the Bridge Peak beginning however, is a choice of routes: the shorter dry weather route which requires low river levels, or a longer wet weather one that sidles Information high above an old slip before both routes merge in the forest. Department of Conservation, Kapiti Area office, Waikanae. Kime Hut The weather is notoriously unpredictable and parties should always be Phone: 04 296 1112 well equipped with warm clothing and wet weather gear even in Mt Hector

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0 1 2 3 4 5km