Dundas Circuit

There's been much talk of the 'SK' in tramping circles recently with some recent record times being posted for the trip from the back of Eketahuna to Kaitoke down the spine of the Tararuas. It's a trip that I would like to be fit enough to do over a weekend but I'm not in that ball park at present. I have however been aiming to pick off sections of the route on various excursions over recent years. The northern parts in particular I had very little exposure to until filling in the piece from Mt Crawford and Pukematawai over Easter this year. This weekend I am planning to fill in more of the northernmost part.

There are a few options for through trips but these always raise transport problems. Looking at the map there is a promising loop from the Putara Road end behind Eketahuna around the tops, dropping into the headwaters of the Ruamahunga and climbing over Cattle Ridge to exit at the same point. The ascents and descents look a bit challenging though.  

The Tararua Tramping Club (TTC) websites provides useful info with the route listed as the Dundas Circuit and being one of their three 'classic Tararua routes' no less.

"The Mangatainoka Herepai Dundas Cattle Ridge Roaring Stag Hut circuit tramp is a classic medium two to three day trip that involves travel above the bush line. Some experience is required including navigation skills, appropriate equipment, and reasonable fitness." (TTC website)

Their route notes include track times, huts and route-finding directions. With a bit of amendment these provide a guide sheet and route intentions for the weekend. Out of interest I noted my track times during the trip (off the photos) and have compared them to the TTC times at the end - in general they are pretty close with the exception of the section from Dundas hut to the Ruamahanga. 

In the grand tradition of Tararua tramping I'm at the road end and setting off in the pitch black at 8.30pm. Initial impressions are of a track that is wet, slippery, narrow and a little bit tricky. However on the return it is actually well benched with a good surface and easy going. Must have hardened up during the trip.

An hour ten minutes later a steady 370m climb ends with the choice of Roaring Stag Lodge or Herepai Hut. I stick to plan and head right for a short dip into a saddle then a climb to Herepai hut arriving at 10:15pm. The evening is mild, the moon is out although not helping under the canopy and the only hardship is steamy glasses from the humidity. The occasional roar of a stag floats up from the valley (unless it was hunters practicing - quite possible). All up, a straight forward torchlight track - certainly easier than getting to Te Matawai.

Choices in the dark

A corrugated iron wall looming into the headlight is the first sight of Herepai hut. Hopes of tip toeing into a quiet hut are dashed when I note mattresses and sleeping bags on the porch. There's a group of 12 fourteen year olds from Sacred Hearts on an outdoor adventure with three supervising adults - there is apparently not even floor space available at the inn.  I never dare to look inside the hut but accept the offer of a fly (rather than my bivvy bag) and pitch it over a section of flat track. 

Friday night campsite

It's a perfectly comfortable night zipped up tight in my bag but I have to admit to being quietly a bit grumpy about people that go into an area in groups big enough to completely use up the known hut capacity. Still, I appreciate the loan of the fly.

Up at 6am, I pack up, spread the fly over an Astelia by the hut to dry, fill my camel back and eventually get away at 6.40, just before sunrise. A slab of Iona's excellent cathedral window cake in my pocket provides breakfast and keeps me nibbling until lunch time.

Although at only 810m, the track above the hut is in scrub so when I turn around I have a good view of the rising sun above dark hills and misted valleys.

The track briefly climbs into bush again with intensely orange-red light filtering through the canopy which quickly fades into full morning light. 

Above the bush the wind is cool and steadily rises but it is clear and sunny around the tops. 45 minutes after starting I'm on Herepai (1125m).

On Herepai looking up to Ruapae

And 21 minutes later on Ruapae (1279m). Looking north from Ruapae the Tararuas dwindle as the range steps down towards the Manawatu gorge. In the east the Wairarapa runs south hemmed by rolling hills, north and east Woodville and Dannervirke are hidden in cloud which seems to stretch to the Hawkes Bay.  North and west is the Manawatu. The view south hasn't really opened up yet but it's already stunning.

South west along the range a cloud is lurking suspiciously in the vicinity of Pukemoremore which is on my intended route. It indicates strong winds from the west, probably bringing moist air off the Tasman that will condense as it rises up the range to form thick direction-confusing clag.

From Ruapae to East peak
Pukemoremore and suspect cloud behind

25 minutes later, on top of East Peak (1355m) the wind is strong and cold and the cloud is coming in from the north west. My fancy watch tells me that the barometric pressure is dropping fast. 

From East Peak looking east - nice day in the Wairarapa, a bit cloudy in Eketahuna

From East Peak looking south into the Ruamahanga catchment
Cattle Ridge on left - quite a nice day

From East Peak; Pukemoremore under cloud
Note the clag creeping in, upper right

It's easy to lose the track down and through the saddle as, like a fair chunk of the track throughout the morning, it's a bit overgrown by tussock and scrub but there is enough visibility to keep things going in the right direction without requiring the compass. It's about 55 minutes and a 200m drop and climb from East to West Peaks (1335m).

The vegetation hides what's under foot and at one point a foot disappears into a deep boot sized hole hidden in the tussock shooting a stream of cold, muddy water straight up the shorts.

From West Peak looking back at East Peak
55 minutes later, the clag has come in and is starting to lift again

After West Peak the cloud quickly clears and keeps away from me for the rest of the day. The view east and north opens up with the dark outlines of Ruapehu (lumpy) and Taranaki (a perfect cone) visible on the horizon. The Manawatu fades into haze and Horowhenua and the Kapiti Coast are laid out to the east. I can even make out the Waiopehu ridge (the route of Te Araroa). Some enticing spurs run from the main range east into the Mangahau valley, definitely something for another day.

West Peak on left, East on the right
20 minutes later

From Walker, East Peak in centre, Haukura ridge running to right
18 minutes later again

Still on Walker; it's a completely different day
The Manawatu gorge hidden to the north

From Pukemoremore south west to Logan along the main range

The wind is strong across the ridge making footing a little tricky in places but with the cloud cleared navigation is straight forward. The rugged looking Pukemoremore with its rocky outcrops looms ahead but turns out to be not such a bad scramble revealing a sudden view of Dundas hut, tucked down off a spur. Although clear now, later in the day when I look back up at the range the cloud comes and goes so my timing has been lucky.

At 1474m Pukemoremore is the highest point on my route so I take a few moments for photos and a wee sit to contemplate the views. It's easy to look at these hills and see them as bare and barren in stark contrast to the soft edged slopes below the bush line. But close up there's a plethora of plants; shrubs, grasses and ground hugging herbs all adapted for snow, scree, wind and searing sun - the sort of rockeries that gardeners would kill for. Makes you wish you'd paid more attention during botany.

I contemplate popping up to the next peak (Logan; 1500m) but the thought is forming that it might be possible to make it around the whole circuit by the end of the day so I decide to push on according to plan.

The turn off for Dundas hut is well marked at spot height 1415 and the DoC time to the hut is accurate (10min). I arrive 4 minutes under the 2 hrs TTC estimate for the trip from West peak to find a spruce wee 6 bunker nestled on a small terrace near the head of the valley below Pukemoremore. Steep rocky slopes hem it in.

Not so hard to find the turn off to Dundas hut now
Pukemoremore and Dome behind

Dundas hut

It's been a while since my pocket full of breakfast ran out so I crack out fruit loaf, salami and cheese. Sun is streaming through the skylight and I use the opportunity to dry out my sleeping mat while I munch and fill out the log book. Two and a half weeks since the last entry; either people aren't filling it in or there's been fairly light usage. It's also a chance to look at the map; as if I didn't know that there is a 700m descent followed by a steeper 600m climb ahead.

As I regain the spur above the hut I notice what looks like a very obvious fault scarp descending in a line like a scar across the face of the range. I could have sworn I saw horizontal striations on Cattle Ridge also, reminders of how tectonics and glaciers have shaped this place. Turning around, the scree below Pukemoremore indicates how erosion and water are continuing the job.

Spur above Dundas hut
fault scarp running diagonally up and left
from above the sign

The track is reasonably well formed and follows the spur between two stream valleys as it descends at a steady pace. Towards the bottom it gets into thick damp bush and is a little gnarly in places. Eventually it drops me at the junction of two streams; not quite as marked on the map but pretty easy to follow.

Confluence of streams below Dundas hut

It's a pretty setting with crystal clear water and graywacke boulders. A beech tree blazes in backlit contrast against the dark gullies where the streams emerge. I try to get some good photos but the phone and I just can't do it justice.

Another attempt to capture the scene
The track comes in somewhere on the bank in the upper left

Looking at the map the next section promises to be tricky and is. The track scrambles into the bush on the true left and staggers along in overgrown, unmaintained, rocky and slippery fashion. It's fairly slow and careful going. At one point I lean against a 10' diameter trunk which sways easily and unnervingly to the touch. It turns out to be a massive branch hanging by not very much from the tree it has snagged on. I get out from under quickly and am not game to go back to dislodge it on my own and without a rope.

First sight of the Ruamahanga

This is the roughest bit of track of the trip and somewhat slower going than TTC's time estimate to get to the Ruamahanga from Dundas hut.

I don't like crossing rivers on my own as I figure it is one of the most dangerous parts of tramping. The wire bridge has long since been removed from this crossing so I fully intend to return to Dundas if the Ruamahanga looks dodgy. I am pleasantly surprised - the river tumbles over large boulders forming deep pools and narrow, swift cascades and giving plenty of opportunity to leap across with dry feet. The catchment is still pretty sizable upstream with a lot of bare tops so I suspect it can rise and fall dramatically. The map indicates gorges up and down stream so alternative crossing places are probably in short supply. But I'm a little more focused now on the 600m climb straight up the steep side of Cattle Ridge. 

It's tough going with the track overgrown with scrub and tussock and difficult to follow in many places. The sun is shining directly onto the slope and it's decidedly hot. I find good reasons to stop frequently and look back up at the main range to note the gathered cloud, to spot where Dundas hut is and any other excuse to rest my sorely abused knees. The broad ridge top is a very welcome sight and the legs are quite wobbly for the short walk down to the turn off to Cattle Ridge hut.

From Cattle Ridge to the main range
The Dundas hut spur is the small one in the middle left of the photo  

The sadly neglected Cattle Ridge hut looking across the Wairarapa  

The hut is in a pretty rough state and the log book makes it clear what people think about a perceived DoC policy of allowing the hut to degenerate to the point it has to be removed as a hazard. It does suggest that the state of the track I've just been on may also be a symptom of the prioritisation required in order to fund the flasher, more accessible facilities. There is however a new wood shed, timber stacked outside and building materials inside signalling that someone has decided to invest. 

The hut provides another opportunity to eat and drink out of the cold wind and check the map and route notes. It's mid afternoon so I figure I may as well drop to the next hut and see how I feel about continuing to the road end. There is also cell phone reception so I text home command who promptly rings back.

And down again, Roaring Stag hut a speck on the valley floor

As soon as the track clears a knob below the hut there is a clear view down to Roaring Stag Lodge which is catching the afternoon sun about 700m below. The knees cringe at the insult about to be heaped on the injury already sustained.

It's quite a good track providing a quick descent to the valley floor which has by now lost the sun. A short, blissful stint across the flats (oh yes, flaaat!), noting where the down river route departs for future reference, and I'm wandering into an empty hut a little under an hour after leaving Cattle Ridge. 

Roaring Stag hut across the Ruamahanga River 

It is clear where the funding has been going. Roaring Stag is a large facility in good repair and sporting a meat safe. I figure I will still have day light for a chunk of the trip out so don't hang around after writing in the log book.

The track is wide and pretty well maintained. It is in fact strikingly wide; the TTC website refers to it as an "ancient pack track formation." It crosses river terraces and the occasional stream then gently eases up and along the ridge and eventually to the junction I had arrived at just last night. It's ever so considerate of tired knees.

Looks familiar - 20 hours later

The sun manages one final peek around the end of Cattle Ridge but the bush is dense and high so little filters down to the floor. It's getting dim by the time I reach the junction around 5.30 and dark by the bottom of the hill. I have an idea of what's coming so the trip out under lights is relaxed, ticking off the features that mark progress (swing bridge, wooden bridges, slip, swing bridge ...). The river is a constant but largely invisible presence, the sound varying with the terrain and occasional flashes of moonlit rocks catch the corner of the eye through the trees. I wonder how the large group from Herepai hut have gone given how long they took to get in. On the final section of track I note some foot prints recent enough that there are still wet marks on the rocks but it doesn't seem enough for a party that large.

At the road end a hunter is just heading off in his ute and stops to chat. He has been hunting on the ridge east of the track to Roaring Stag and has just got out (hence the foot prints). He is aware of the other party that came out not too far ahead of him and seem to have made fairly heavy weather of it. Hopefully the experience has not put them off tramping completely.

At 7pm with the moon above I'm in the car and finishing the weekend's tramping as I started; with another fine tradition.  This one is to descend on brother number one's house filthy, famished and looking for a comfortable bed. As always, he and Janne accept the imposition with good grace and a little surprise (they had been expecting the invasion for brunch the next day).

Coda

In good weather this is a trip of many and spectacular views. In clag? I think it might be a navigational challenge.

The track in is fine for torch light travel - a good option on a Friday night. On the tops you often have to push through scrub and tussock and there's a section where a bit of erosion is cutting into the ridge. The drop and sidle to the Ruamahanga crossing is pretty rough in places and took me longer than TTC estimates. The climb up to Cattle Ridge is overgrown through the scrub and hard work. From then on the going is pretty good. In general the ascents are not so bad - until you hit Cattle Ridge.

I wouldn't rely on Herepai having space so you need a fly or biv bag - Roaring Stag has a large floor space so should be able to cater for large crowds. Cell cover was good on the tops I didn't have any after Cattle Ridge until in the car and well down the road. I had no water problems with rain tanks at all huts. The odd tarn didn't look very enticing (one had been used as a wallow by some animal).

All up a great wee trip and doable in a day if you are of a mind, have good conditions and cast iron knees.

Times

For future reference; Tararua Tramping Club times and mine are noted below. They provide a good estimate of travel times although I suspect that some are based on tracks that were once better maintained. I have not counted time spent at the four huts but included the time spent farfing about taking photos, gawping at views etc.

	TTC	Me
Road end to junction	1:20	1:10
Junction to Herepai hut	00:30	00:25
Herepai hut to Herepai	<1:00	00:45
Herepai to Ruapae	00:30	00:21
Ruapai to East Peak	00:30	00:25
East Peak to West Peak	1:00	00:54
West Peak to Walker	00:30	00:26
Walker to Dundas hut	1:30	1:30
Dundas hut to Ruamahanga	1:15	1:38
Ruamahanga to Cattle Ridge hut	1:47	1:34
Cattle Ridge hut to Roaring Stag	>1:00	0:56
Roaring stag to road end	2:30	2:20

Mt Matthews

Mike is the consummate organiser. His latest idea is a weekend reunion for those that had gone trekking in Nepal with him in 2014 and with Angela, Toby and him in 2015. And what more appropriate way to do it than heading in to Mt Matthews in the Rimutaka Forest Park.  At 941m it is hardly the lung squeezing altitudes they had experienced on the trek but it is the highest point in the Rimutakas and higher than any other hill around the Hutt or Wellington.

He wasn't averse to the odd gate crasher so - as I didn't have anything else specifically planned; and it looked like an interesting bunch of people; and last time I went up Mt Matthews I didn't spend a lot of time looking at the views (link) - I signed up.

Mike's teaser e-mail proposed two groups: the JCVDs (Jean Claude Van Dams) and the Paris Hiltons. The JCVDers would walk in to Waerenga hut on Friday night, up Mt Mathews on Saturday and out via Cattle Ridge on Sunday.  The Paris Hiltons would amble in Saturday, relax in the sun, swill Moet in the evening with the peak baggers and potter out the next day the way they came in.

With a stop for Maccas, Pete, Mike and I are at the park entrance bang on 6.30pm to discover the gates had locked at 6. Bugger.  Isy turns up shortly after to find us kitting up for the extra 2km walk along the sealed road. We're not keen to leave the cars by the coast road all weekend but there's a public phone with free local calls at the DoC station (no cell phone coverage) so Mike organises for Angela and the other Paris Hiltons to ferry the two cars up to the main carpark when they arrive in the morning. All going well the other JCVDs are already at the hut.

It's a pleasant walk along the road on a mild evening.  The stars are out and the lights of campers are scattered along the way.  And it's not much different once we get onto the track - wide, smooth, and the odd possum crashing off into the undergrowth.  Pretty soon we hit the halfway bridge and stop for a bit with the lights off.  A few wisps of cloud means the stars are less in evidence but the forecast is good, so no worries.

The Orongorongo River is as low as any of us have seen it, Pete changes into his river crossing foot wear and the rest of us skip across with dry feet. Then it's a short amble up to the hut to find the rest of the peak party already in bed and it's barely 9pm.

Waerenga hut belongs to Tararua Tramping Club - it's a good size and well looked after with plenty of room for the 10 of us. Mike elects to sleep on the porch, Pete on the bench seat and Isy and I settle into the top bunk sauna.

In the morning there's the usual cheerful chaos as everyone arranges breakfasts and day packs. The value of having nursing and trekking experience in the party is soon evident with advice and medications available to pretty much any query that comes up. And it's a pretty efficient bunch as we are heading off on time at 8am, after the obligatory group photo.

Saturday morning; about to leave base camp
Isy, Jacquie, Pete, Tony, Mike, Fliss, Chris, John and Lorraine

And they're off in a flying V formation

The stroll up the river is easy going.  There's quite a few 'river' crossings but the water is barely over the ankles and is almost warm. The morning sun accentuates the gold in the bush and spills across the wide shingle river bed.  The odd plume of smoke filters up from one of the many camp sites and huts hidden in the bush.

Chris and Lorraine safely across, Jacquie and Isy about to risk wet ankles
Turere Lodge behind

A couple of hunters sitting on the shingle, staring intently at the bush along the flats, are the only people we see (hopefully they weren't thinking of shooting anything in the area, given the number of campsites).

I have a good chat with Tony on the way hearing about the enjoyment he and Lorraine are getting from coming into tramping relatively recently and managing to knock off most of the great walks. It makes it a short hour to Matthews Stream (or, more accurately, shingle fan) where we pause. Pete stashes his river-crossing-shoes-and-socks and changes into his mountain-climbing-socks-and-boots.

Matthews Stream - preparing for the climb.
The flanks of Mt Matthews in the background

Pete changing footwear

We pick our way up the stream bed and onto the terrace at the foot of the first rise. There sure is a lot of rock coming out of this catchment.

After a few easy preliminaries the scramble starts. We are soon using roots, rocks and branches to heave ourselves up. The damp and slippery humus near the valley floor is quickly left behind for hard dry clay so the footing is pretty good.

With a large party the pace is measured giving the opportunity to note Warblers, Tui, Wax Eyes, Kereru, probably some Rifleman and possibly the odd Bell Bird. There's a few Rata flowers about and mercifully few wasps.  It's also a chance to chat to others in the party - as expected it's a varied and interesting group. Jacquie takes a keen interest when she notices that I'm keeping an eye on the map for practice - so we take opportunities to identify some of the surrounding features. Fliss meanwhile is happy to be tail end Charlie; setting her own pace but keeping in touch with the group ahead.

Lorraine and Isy taking a breather on the way up

And another

We reach the clearing above the Mukamuka Saddle at 10:40 for snacks and a breather.

Ridge to Mt Matthews on the left, Mukamuka Valley to south, coast centre, ridge to McKerrow on right
Note Chris managing to be in three places at once

Mt Matthews really is a perfect day tramp.  There's a physical challenge without needing particular technical skill or equipment, and the reward of quite special views.

The physical challenge is the steepness and Mt Matthew's reticence about giving up the final summit. There's a steep scramble from the Mukamuka clearing before the grade eases and the track meanders up the ridge with the odd dip. When you think you're on the final approach there's one last little twist, as the track dives around the south side to approach the top via a somewhat greasy scramble through a jumble of fallen trees. Here the alert are rewarded by a last stunning view behind: Seatoun, the Wellington south coast, the city, and the South Island.

On a good day the beauty about Mt Matthews is the way the vistas open up as you climb above the surrounding hills, with just glimpses granted through the trees. The clearing above the Mukamuka Saddle at 640m provides a sudden and perfect view in a westerly direction between the southern part of the Rimutaka Range and Mt McKerrow to the city surrounding a still harbour and with Mt Kaukau, the turbines and serried ranges in the South Island behind. This vista develops the further you climb, but is not visible from the top.

With a map (or some familiarity), the immediate surroundings become clearer with the somewhat unremarkable McKerrow across the valley (it's even less impressive when you walk over it), the more dramatic Papatahi further up the range (and the Papatahi Crossing) and the catchment where a fair chunk of Wellington's water supply originates. Occasionally the shingle fan where Matthews Stream joins the Orongorongo River is a reminder of the height gained (and yet to be descended).

On a particularly pleasant section through goblin forest, the track leads to a mossy balcony framed by beech trees with the first view across the jagged spine of the range to the Wairarapa Plains. The bottom end of Lake Wairarapa is just visible as are the curves of the Ruamahanga River in the distance.

John takes in the first view of the Wairarapa

It's a little after 12 when we reach the cleared area at the top, to be greeted by a stunning view. A gentle curve of white surf draws the eye across the blue and green Palliser Bay to the dry coast sweeping south to the cluster of houses at Ngawi. The southern tip of the North Island; Cape Palliser is just out of sight beyond. The dark bush on the Aorangi Range rises behind and runs north across the horizon. The Putangirua Pinnacles are not visible but you can see just how they can be produced by this steep and eroding land. In the middle distance Lake Onoke marks the Ruamahanga's final pause before it passes through a break in the shingle bank and into the sea, with the small cluster of buildings at Lake Ferry just visible near the mouth. Closer still, an orderly patchwork of trees, buildings and paddocks marks the genteel and ever so expensive Wharekauhau Estate.  The terrace it sits on is cut deeply by streams and crumbles to the beach below.

Palliser Bay

It's a pretty satisfied party that sit in the sun sharing lunch looking across the bay.

The trip down may be a little hard on protesting knees but you pick up a few view spots that you missed on the way up and gravity is helpful.  We note a hunter perched on a bluff looking down into the Mukamuka Valley but he has disappeared by the time I poke my head cautiously into the saddle, after a short detour off the main route along a considerably less well traveled track.

John rockets on ahead from the clearing to put the beer in the river, while the rest of the party takes a more leisurely pace, lowering themselves gingerly down the steep bits. A short pause at the bottom sees Chris and Flissy reunited with the group for the final walk down the river.

There's a few more people about, including a bunch of Mike's former work colleagues eyeing up a river terrace for their survival weekend. This seems to involve a short walk in and lots of beer, bacon and vodka. For some reason the Lord of the Flies crosses my mind.

Tramping the Paris Hilton way
Phillipa, Angela and Toby

The Paris Hiltons have had the scheduled easy day, some of them starting off with breakfast at the Dowse. Margaret, Graham, Phillipa, Angela and Toby are now enjoying the last of the sun when we arrive around 4.30. Toby has kept himself busy burning off excess energy in the productive pastime of splitting fire wood.


The party shows its generous nature with a large wheel of Camembert appearing for sharing (thanks Margaret and Graham!) along with dip, salami, crackers and other goodies. A bottle of bubbly and some select craft beers have also been lugged in.


There's no shortage of conversation, with coolish drinks flowing, and tales from Nepal and Mt Matthews and future trips to plan. The conversation, food and company are most excellent.

Phillipa gets into the cheese

Mike has clearly had a few beers when he rashly offers to take Angela and Phillipa up Mt Matthews tomorrow. I volunteer to lift this onerous duty from his shoulders on the pretext that as trip leader Mike should really see the other punters safely out.

The hut is full but Toby, Mike and Angela are keen to tent so everyone gets a mattress, although I only last 'til midnight, when I figure the porch will be cooler and quieter.

With just three of us we are up and off by 7.30 and are a little quicker up the river. The slightly earlier start means that we are treated to the sun breaking onto the valley floor although we do note a few suspicious looking clouds lurking around the tops. Surely they will burn off as there's no rain forecast.

Morning in the Orongorongo River valley

The climb and the views are the same with a little more cloud to the north, but it is pleasing to know what's coming and see Angela and Phillipa enjoy the surprises. At 10am Phillipa elects to stay at the clearing soaking up the views while Angela and I push on for the top. There is increasing high cloud and more to the north but Phillipa has a coat and we leave her spread-eagled in the sun with agreements about panic times and what to do if we shouldn't turn up.

Above the Mukamuka Saddle.
McKerrow behind Angela, Wellington and the South Island beyond

Wellington emerging above the ridge to McKerrow 

Phillipa preparing for the afternoon

In the end I have hopelessly underestimated the pace of two compared to 10 people as we get to the top and back in about 2 hours (largely due to Angela's practice cycling up Wadestown Hill every day I suspect).

The clouds are gathering in the north; around the Aorangi Range in the east and spilling down the Wairarapa, so the views today are little more restricted but still stunning. At the top a bit before 11, we pause for a quick bite and photos but don't linger long. There is still no wind but the odd prickle of moisture in the air.

Angela blown away by the view

Day two - a little more cloud

Just off the top we are surprised to see a solo chap in a red bush shirt coming up - he's the only other person we have seen on this track since yesterday morning. We continue down but soon run into a French couple, then a mad German, then a large party that claims ownership of the mad German and includes a friend of Mike's, then the tail end of that party, and probably some other people I've forgotten. It's getting crowded.

We exchange hails with Phillipa who is stunned to see us at 12; almost two hours earlier than our panic time. Over lunch we compare notes and confirm that we all heard three rifle shots - hopefully well away from the busy track.

We scramble back down and along the river bed to arrive at the hut around 2.15. It has been immaculately cleaned so we tiptoe in, gather our packs and out again to avoid leaving any mess. The full pack is less fun than ambling about with a day pack but it's an easy trip out with pleasantly tired legs. We take Angela's favourite route which passes through a delightful grove of punga just before reaching the carpark before 4pm.

Mike informs me later that the other trekkers, after a superb tidy of the hut, headed out along the easy route rather than Cattle Ridge, so are all well home before the time we get out.

On Monday morning I look across the harbour from the train to see whether the top of Matthews is visible but it's shrouded in cloud. I have to say I have quite a soft spot for Mt Matthews now, I've only been up three times but have thoroughly enjoyed each experience and have seen it at its best.