Aorangi Range - Southern Crossing

Another rubbish forecast for the weekend so this time I line up a trip to the Aorangis. The range lurks in the south east corner of the North Island, a block of rugged hills frequented by hunters and skirted by the bleak south coast seas. The main settlement is Ngawi, which, with its back to the hills, looks over a rank of rusting bulldozers on the grey beach to the sea, where its fishers still seem to make a living. Most Wellingtonians hardly know it exists but there's a pretty staunch community that lives, or spends weekends, as well as a good number of tourists (they're the ones in flattened tents in the camping ground wondering how they hell they ended up here).

What:    Aorangi crossing on marked tracks for a change
Where:  Putangirua Pinnacles to Mangatoetoe Stream
Why:     Check out the area and trial some new kit
Who:     Solo
When:   12 November 2016
Map:      Map
DOC website:  DOC

Parts of the park have been logged and there is still stock on a lot of land that shouldn't rightly be farmed. The coast is famous for large chunks of it falling into the sea, and also for providing landscapes for various Peter Jackson movies - remember the zombie monkey that bit Bill Ralston?

The track of interest runs through the park across a number of ridges and stream catchments. For a through trip a drop off is required (or take a bike and hide it somewhere like the DoC accommodation at Kopi - which I seriously thought about). The support crew agrees to get up at 4.30am and drive for two hours through heavy rain in order to ferry me from the DoC road end car park at Mangatoetoe Stream, a few kms short of the Cape Palliser lighthouse, back to the Pinnacles.

The rain has settled in with a vengeance but the road crosses all the streams I will be crossing as they hit the coast, and none look that bad.

Putangirua Road end - at the campsite

Traveling light

At the pinnacles I reluctantly leave the warm car and pose briefly beside the signpost.

I'm trialing a new light weight pack (from the Taihape outdoor shop of course) with the minimum of food and gear for an overnight trip. The bush cocoon is also thrown in, in case I get stuck on the non-hut side of a stream. It's all below the tops on marked tracks, so I've gone with running shoes and a lighter weight coat.

The track passes four nicely spaced huts, which I'm looking forward to as good milestones to mark progress - and as indicators of the type of people that frequent the park.

At a little before 7.30am I follow the track to the Pinnacles Lookout, up through manuka and regenerating bush. The clouds are low, so there is only the odd glimpse of the eroding pinnacles, and they are not spectacular.

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It's impossible to miss the right turn where the track intersects the ridge. There's mature beech and I'm now on an old vehicle track.  It climbs gently up to the top of a knob, then peters out with the foot track following markers along the ridge south and east. It's not cold but the cloud is settled and it rains periodically.

A glimpse of pinnacles

You really can't miss it

The bush is quite open with a few grassy patches. I assume it was mostly cleared for farmland in the past. The track tops out at 700m and is not particularly note worthy - it takes a sharp right and starts dropping. Looking at the map, it looks like heading left would link across to the Aorangi Crossing MTB track to Sutherland Hut, plus some other interesting looking options.

On the way up, warming up despite the weather

It's quite nice to be tramping without having branches in your face. This gets me thinking about what makes a track difficult. Someone has probably already done this, but I idly speculate about the elements for a grading scheme: surface (stability, slipperiness, rocks, roots, humus), steepness (including step size), exposure (width, drop off each side), knee zone (vegetation that hides the track surface), face zone (stuff that occludes vision and knocks your glasses off), and vegetation (stuff that you have to push through).

The track drops gradually than reaches around 500m and drops steeply to pop out suddenly at Washpool Hut in a clearing above the valley bottom. It is somewhat reminiscent of going down the east side of the Papatahi Track.

Washpool is an old but tidy hut. No roof water but a stream nearby and plenty of Ongaonga. It gives the impression of being reasonably looked after with a log bog that has been there for almost 9 years.

Washpool Hut, nestled into its clearing

It's a bit before 10am so it has taken about 2 and a half hours from the Pinnacles. Time for a bite to eat and to check the map.

The track drops the last 50m or so to the stream, which is up but not particularly turbid. A short way upstream the next climb starts steeply.  This is the second highest climb of around 500m.

My nav brain is well and truly off, and the track is clear enough that I tuck the map away and enjoy the walk. There is an interesting section of beech of the same age: the thin trunks are competing for canopy space and the ground is completely covered by stacks of poles from those that couldn't make it.

At 11.45am the orange Pararaki Hut emerges out of the bush. It's been about 1:50 from Washpool Hut and I'm thinking it's near the halfway point, so it's looking good to get out in daylight.  The hut is not too flash from the outside, but again is tidy for its age with fairly light use judging by the log book. It sits in a clearing on a terrace above the Pararaki Stream and I could well imagine waking to morning mists after a comfortable night.

Pararaki Hut 1966

The track crosses the stream, which is almost knee deep, then scrambles steeply for a 100m before working its way up the headwaters of a side catchment, crossing a couple of active little streams cascading through the bush.  The saddle scrapes in at barely over 400m before dropping and sidling along track that is sometimes a little ropy under foot.

The descent looks fairly undistinguished on the map, but surprises me with a most beautiful little passage of trail.  After the sidle the track starts dropping down a knife edge ridge through mature beech and looking down on Rewarewa. On each side of the narrow foot trail is a steep, deep plummet to streams 100m below. Te Urewera-like mists shroud the valley sides. Underfoot the gritty track provides good purchase and is flecked with tiny beech leaves.  On this day, in this weather, it is a place of distilled perfection, like a painstakingly crafted bonsai garden.

It's a shame to reach the bottom even though the stream itself is delightful enough, providing ample camping spots on grassy terraces. And nettles. A kilometre and a half (or so) later I'm pretty much ready for the next hut which is Kawakawa.  The weather is as wet as ever and is getting colder. It feels like the southerly is coming in.

Kawakawa Hut

Around an hour 20 after leaving Pararaki Hut, Kawakawa Hut shows all the symptoms of being too accessible. There are large grassy flats around it and vehicle tracks indicating 4WD access via the Otakaha Stream valley. The hut looks like it sometimes gets a rough time and the last visitors were clearly convinced that beer cans burn, so you don't have to carry them out.

After the obligatory pause for a photo, bite, entry in the log book etc I've cooled considerably and am eager to get away again. The track sets off at good pace up a 4WD track into a rapidly narrowing stream valley running SSE.

The stream has quite a different nature to the streams I've seen so far. At this point it is rushing through a narrow solid rock channel and is of sufficient size and power that I elect to scramble across a log for the first crossing. The rock has variations in colour with greens and pinks that are brought out nicely by the rain.  

Handy bridge

It takes a little while to get used to the stream travel. The track sidles around some bluffs then drops to the stream bed. I waste a bit of time looking for markers before clicking that you make your way as best you can, with a weather eye out for markers that indicate an easier line. There are a couple of significant junctions that are well marked, and in a few places someone has used tape to indicate the paths of least resistance. Although the stream is up, and initially a bit of care is required, it is well within my comfort zone.

The climb out of the stream is a very steep scramble up a spur, which eventually sidles up beside a massive erosion wash out to become a somewhat scrambly sidle to the last low saddle (370m) and down into the head waters of the Mangatoetoe Stream - the home straight.

I follow the stream down (it's pretty clear considering the amount of rain) crossing and recrossing, following terraces, and forgetting to avoid nettles. The rain comes and goes and the wind, although not strong, is in my face.

After a short section away from the stream, I rejoin it to be surprised to find it has turned a startling milky white. There is clearly a bit of active erosion in one of the side streams. It has also increased in size and is looking like quite a different proposition.

Mangatoetoe Hut - a bit damp

Shortly after, about 2 hours from Kawakawa Hut, I come across Mangatoetoe Hut. It, like Kawakawa, suffers from the attention of dick heads. Similarly, it has 4WD access up the Mangatoetoe Stream.

It's supposed to be an hour out from here but I'm not so sure. I have a suspicion that before long the stream will be a river and too energetic to risk. A fairly old sign in the hut says there is an unmarked track on the true left but I'm a bit skeptical, given the age and the fairly active looking nature of the stream.

On leaving the hut, the obvious route runs to the stream (may as well call it a river now) and I see some pink tape on the other side. It doesn't look too bad here, wide enough to dissipate the energy of the flow - it's just that you can't see a centimetre into the milk. A handy branch turns out to be unnecessary as I edge across, watching the surface for clues as to what's happening beneath. On the other side there are stoat and possum traps, ribbons and a good track, that might be from stock.

Three sheep trot off ahead but around the corner this side of the river runs out. The sheep take to the water to avoid me and I note that they have no trouble. There is plenty of old flood debris around so another branch is called into action and again the crossing is much easier than expected.

This continues for a while with some sections of 4WD track providing very good going. However it reaches a point where I'm not game to cross so I take to bashing through lupin, then scrub, and trying to find stock tracks.

All the while the strengthening southerly is chucking rain up the valley and I'm looking for signs that the next bluff will open to a view to the sea. I'm somewhat resigned to it being a wee while yet, and am tucked into the true left working around the foot of a spur, when to my delight I am suddenly looking at the front of a disreputable red car.

I make the transition inside as rapidly as possible and turn the heater on full.   At about 4.30pm, it's almost exactly 9 hours after leaving the pinnacles and plenty of daylight left. Don't know what I was worried about.

'View' up valley from inside the DRC (disreputable red car) 

The last order of business for the trip is to stop in at the Pirinoa Store for a pie and drink.  I don't really need it but it's a bit of a tradition now, and it's a small token of support to an important local service. They are getting ready to close up for the evening after a reasonably busy day.

Post Script

This is the first fully on-trail trip I've done in a while and I was surprised how genuinely enjoyable it was. I was expecting it to be a slightly shabby wee park not yet recovered from the indignities and damage of logging and farming. Sure you have to pass the scars of land mismanagement to get in, but it is thoroughly delightful once you do. It doesn't offer the scale or heights of the Tararuas, but then the Tararuas can't hold a candle to South Westland.

The huts are great - full of character and mostly well looked after. It's just a crap shoot as to whether the dick heads have been through the 4WD accessible ones before you.  The tracks are a little variable. I have no complaints about them but some will find them a bit of a challenge. DoC does get a little coy about markers in a few places but if you're keeping half an eye on the map you can generally pretty quickly work out where to look for the next one.

The bush and scenery is a delight and I didn't even get to see the views which are apparently quite impressive. My spot for the Aorangis is softer than it was and I already have in mind a few more adventures that might be had.

The gear was all good. The shoes were pretty light for the terrain which means your feet get a bit sorer than in boots (after a few hardish weekends they both felt like they had stress fractures). The Tatonka Spot 30 Pack did the job - comfortable enough and just big enough - I was conscious I was stuffing it a little bit. I don't think it is tough enough to handle full on bush bashing but that's not what I will be using it for.

My Macpac jacket was good - can't remember what its called - it's orange and has a short length zip, is lighter and shorter than my proper raincoat but it was fine for the conditions: below the tops, very wet but not too windy.

The body held up okay. Any gripes are the result of accumulating wear over recent trips including somewhat sore feet, the still numb left thigh and fading bruises from being beaten up by the scrub between Matthews and Papatahi. The nettle stings are briefly irritating but nothing more.