Pohehe

I've made a number of forays around the dams on the Mangahao river and further up stream - it's past time to visit the neglected part of the range where it exits east to farmland.

The river is significantly modified by hydro in the hills and farming on the flats. Here's the perspective of one of the local iwi.

I'm not intending to visit the river itself, rather a couple of ridges to the south - however, let's see how that works out. There are few (none) formal tracks in the area and it's prone to scrub.

The run up to the trip is not propitious - attempts to find a contact number for access across farmland to the ridge with Pohehe on it are fruitless - I decide to go up and have a look and if there is no other option, walk up the river bed.

What:     Navigation weekender
Where:   Mangahao River, Ngapuketurua Stream and Pohehe
When:    24-25 November 2018
Who:      Solo
Map

Large scale view

Closer view

I follow the usual route towards the Putara Road end but at a key point head right to get to Mangaroa Road. At the end is a closed gate so, back track and stop at a house to see who is the owner - they direct me around the corner to a farm. The chap hosing the yard is less than helpful and mentions that there are hunters up the hill - the unavoidable subtext being: "I'm not about to let you across the farm to the forest park when my mates are up there hunting."

Further north on Kakariki Road West - a young chap on a quad listens to my enquiry and replies that "We don't allow access across our farm to the ridge and neither does the neighbour." Not even to trampers. I ask if there is access down to the river - again; not across their farm but the people up the next road might allow it.

There's no one at home at the indicated property so, with some teeth grinding I drive around a long road loop to get to the bridge over the river by Kopikopiko Road.

It's about 8.15 when I park near at the start of Kopikopiko Road and find a way down to the river. I wade across and start the long walk.

Road bridge by Kopikopiko road

Paradise ducks and Canadian geese complain as I trudge up the wide river bed. It's a long way and I'm in no mood for anyone to challenge my presence - so when a man beside a ute hails me just before I reach the hills I head over ready to exchange words.

Leo turns out to be a hunter who has permission to come across a farm to the river (the one where I got no answer). He asks for a hand to heft a large stag onto the deck of his ute. He has a kayak in the water and gives some good tips about possible routes out of the river. He also confirms that the farm by the gorge that was so unhelpful have their own track up into the park.

We chat for a bit then I leave him to it. The hills close in and the water gets deeper and darker.

Nameless waterfall

Most of the time the river is wadeable but there are four or five long swims required. The water is dark and the bottom far below my flailing boots - fortunately it is mostly without much current as I scrabble along the smooth sides relying on my pack for flotation. By the time I get to the fourth swim I'm shivering despite the mild day.

In attempting to climb around one pool I find a wire loop indicating the route has been used but it's too dicey for me so I retreat and tackle another swim.

It's a bit daunting - and the warning on the map doesn't help "Riverbed subject to rapid flooding." Even though the farmland is not too far behind it feels pretty isolated. However, there's nothing you can't tackle if you lack the imagination to comprehend the possible consequences.

My pack floating is very inelegant - tips? wrap everything very well, stick to the edge to pull yourself along, recognise you'll get cold if it's prolonged, oh and I blow air into my camel back. Every bit helps!

I've been counting the streams and it's 11.30 when a high waterfall on the true right marks where I need to find a route out of the gorges to pick up spot 456. It's a scramble but I find a way up.

There's lots of animal signs on the spur and an old cut branch at the spot-height indicates previous use. The altimeter says I'm below the spot height; the compass says I'm above it. I go with the compass and find the correct spur back down to the river. It deposits me on an old terrace above the river requiring another scramble down. The detour has skipped a section of river but taken two hours.




456 - first spot for the day

The river is less gorgy now with some terraces that would be good for camping. I potter along to the intersection with Ngapuketurua Stream, one of the bigger tributaries of the Mangahao. There's a large terrace opposite and I take a few minutes to have a good wander around it - sure enough; lots of hunters' rubbish.

Ngapuketurua Stream mouth

At about 2.30 I've headed a short distance up the stream to find a rounte onto the toe of the true left spur. Away from the river, a little unnoticed tension drains away as the risks of gorge travel are replaced with the physical challenge of grinding up a hill. There are two spot heights about 400m above at the end of a ridge that require attention - although not far into the Tararuas as the crow flies, they are pretty inaccessible, so I'm determined to knock them off today.

There must be a better route onto the spur than I chose - either in the main valley or closer to the intersection. My choice sees me grovelling up through dense kiekie.

A short way up there's a terrace above a slip face giving a view into the main valley. And shortly after that - more hunters rubbish confirming there must be an easier way up.

Above Mangahao / Ngapuketurua intersection

More plastic - just what the environment needs

It takes about 50 minutes to plod the rest of the way up the spur to a false top then the actual top and for some reason I make it surprisingly difficult to navigate to the other spot. The cover is mixed so I climb a tree and pop my head above the canopy to sort things out. There's some blue sky and sun and I can briefly see some of the surrounding ridges.

Near 564

The top of the ridge is reasonably navigable - it runs SSW all the way up to Taramea near Burn Hut - from bitter experience I know the top end is not pleasant country. These two spots were left behind when I ran out of time on that trip so it's a pleasure to knock them off at last.

The day is hot - I take a bearing and find a usable spur down through good bush - there's even the odd ribbon which I wouldn't have expected. I come out where I had planned and head upstream.

It's late in the afternoon and I'm a little wary that there might be a hunter staking out one of the periodic terraces. I'm wearing my orange 'don't shoot me hat' but that's no guarantee. I keep my eyes peeled but don't see any deer or hunters.

The stream is quite navigable, and before long I reach a side stream that is large enough to be the one running off Pohehe. At 5.45 it's well past lunch so I take a break before tackling the last climb of the day. It's started to get overcast again but still calm with no rain.

Still life: map, log and lunch

The plan is to climb the side of a spur to spot 558 on the valley wall then drop to find a camping spot further up the unnamed stream. Then, by morning I will have hatched a cunning plan to knock off the remaining 7 spots for the weekend, exit down the river and find that no-one has pushed my car into the creek with their tractor.

Ngapuketurua Stream

The stream is tight and slippery with a jumble of rotting logs. It's a short clamber to find a spot on the true left to start climbing the spur. A wee window above a slip gives a brief view up Ngapuketurua Stream then it's back into forest for the climb. The only thing of note is an old terrace covered in animal sign around 400m.

As usual in this neck of the woods - where this is a high canopy the going is generally pretty good with plenty of animal trails (except where there's supplejack). I work along the spur top and take a bearing down a sharp, steep spur. This deposits me onto a steep face which unexpectedly opens to a wee rocky knob. I can check out the start of tomorrow's route and confirm that the main ridge is going to be miserable. It takes a tricky clamber to get down to the creek.

It's about 7.30 and starting to get dim under the canopy when I reach the unnamed stream again. I'm expecting NE rain in the night so find a flat spot and pitch the fly accordingly.

My back is to the creek so I'm surprised when I hear someone splashing vigorously down stream. Turning, I'm confronted by a large deer, about 3m away. Deer are so shy that it is unusual to be so close and have it completely oblivious to my presence. I do the only thing one can do in the circumstances - screaming 'Boo!' at the top of my lungs I watch as it explodes into a gallop and crashes into the distance.

As I unpack I start coming across damp things in my pack - it seems that my liner has a leak.  I burrow down to my sleeping bag with a sinking feeling.

Taking stock - I have a damp but not soaked sleeping bag, all my spare clothes are wet and it's forecast to rain.  On the plus side the temperature is mild.



Waking up

I wear some of the wet stuff to get it drying as I cook tea and climb into my bag. Once the rain starts I climb into my bivvy bag. It rains steadily for a chunk of the night but by morning everything is tolerably dry apart from the foot of my bag.

The great thing about fly camping is that everything that crawls comes by to visit - especially if you have your head torch on.  Tonight a large puriri moth takes an interest in proceedings. It is covered in beautiful green velvet and it's eyes gleam a mad red in the light. It has the look and elegance of a vulcan bomber and takes some dissuading. Fortunately it doesn't seem to want to fly and the dehy packet is slippery enough to form an impassable barrier.

The rain has stopped when I start stirring at 6.30am. 

I heat water for breakfast in bed before leisurely breaking camp and packing





The penny stove does its thing

There's nothing elegant about the plan; smash up the side of the next spur to two spots, drop into a steep stream gully, smash up the side of the next spur. This is pretty much straight line navigation based on the assumption that steep scrambling under canopy will be easier than heading up into scrub country.

A little after 7.30 I start up the slope and into supplejack. The top of the spur is much better going and I pick up the two spots before taking a bearing to pick up the merest suggestion of a spur down into the gully to the north east.

Top of the morning spur

It's a bit of a grind up out of the creek with the cover degenerating into scrub before reaching the target spur. I end up where I intend and there's even some clearings and trail along the flat top. A short deviation down the spur is required to knock off 573 where there are clearings and heavy animal sign - also a little bit of view under a low cloud ceiling into the Mangahao river and the bottom end of Ngapuketurua stream. It's 10.00 and feels like the rain is only just holding off.

Low cloud - south of 573

Climbing the spur towards Pohehe (692) I gird my loins for the scrub.

I can't find much of a trail above 660m. There is higher canopy to the south of the spur but I quickly lose a sense of location as the top flattens. The occasional clearing is no help as it is well clagged in now. I reach a leatherwood covered crest but no idea where - there are some old cut branches which I follow until compass and logic say it must be the wrong direction. About turn - the trail disappears so I follow the compass through dense leatherwood to where the top of Pohehe must be.

After some thrashing around I'm confident to say there are no higher points in the vicinity and set course north east. As usual it is more scrubby than the map indicates.

It's hard country - the bush is higher to the east of the ridge but carries the risk of dropping down the wrong spur periodically. I drift back to the ridge top as it drops to some small clearings then degenerates into a truly horrible scrub bash towards a wee knob (about 640m) 1km NE of Pohehe.

After the knob I drop east again and follow along below the crest in higher bush. This soon degenerates into a scrub bash up to 623. From here the map shows a large flat area which looks like a nightmare to navigate- if the scrub continues it's going to be well dark before I get out. I set my compass and thrash on, checking it every five metres or so to keep on course. Mercifully the canopy starts lifting and I suddenly pop onto a 4WD track. 

The track cuts a wide swathe through increasingly mature forest. It's a well cut track and looks like it is maintained. Things are looking good although it's a bit tricky monitoring the bearing as it winds across the plateau and it feels like it is taking me east of my intended route.

The rain starts and, although the going is now quick, my new boots have developed an interestingly painful pressure point on a single tendon on my left ankle. I limp damply along until the track starts dropping in the definitely wrong direction. Just at the point of cutting losses and turning back I stumble onto a hut.

It looks like it is on the intersection of two tracks and outside the park boundary. I suspect the local farmers have it as their hunting lodge, although it isn't getting a great deal of use apart from by rats.

Still, it's dry and I have a bite and a break while I study the map out of the rain. It's 4pm.

I reckon I know where I am and figure to head back up the road until it starts veering more south.  I pick a point to leave the track and bear towards 582 and immediately find some markers. And shortly after; another 4WD track - this one a little less used. I briefly leave it to pick up point 582 then follow it northish towards 574. It peters out just short of the knob.

From 574 I take a bearing - there's supposed to be a track down here according to Leo. Sure enough, there is an old 4WD track but it is long since impassable to vehicles - there's enough foot trail to indicate regular use. 

I don't have permission to cross the land but with the rain overnight there is no way I'm going to risk the gorge route.  I skulk down the spur then sidle on the gorge side of the farmland. Leo said there were a couple of access routes to the gorge from the farmland so I find my way to the edge of the lowest terrace and work along the edge looking for possibilities.

A large erosion chute catches my eye - at first glance it is impossibly steep. But I note a foot trail leading to the far edge. Following it, I peer over to map a possible route down. Working down the crumbling surface it becomes apparent that it was probably a goat track. There's a bit of a crux in the middle where it gets somewhat sketchy and I am triple testing each foot and hand hold, but my new boots grip the gritty surface well and cut in when they need to. I'm soon scrambling down the wee waterfall at the bottom to reach the river.

The river is up but clear and passable. I find a river stick and wander down - sticking as much as possible to the easier going at the edge of the farmland. It's a long limp back arriving at the car around 7pm.

Postscript

11 spot-heights is a good haul for the weekend - 52 to go. 6 more to clean out on this ridge but access is the problem.

The area has it's attractions - Ngapuketurua Stream is a good wander, the Mangahao River gorges are a bit of an adventure, there are some nice camping spots ... and then there's the scrub. If you want to visit - do your research and pick your route with care.  I can give some excellent advice about where not to go.

The new Zamberlan boots are holding up but it felt like a long time on my feet. The pressure point on the left foot better start coming right ahead of a 6-day tramp over Christmas. Living in wet clothes for two days resulted in a bit of chafe including a raw patch on my rib cage from the PLB in my pocket - weird. Otherwise the usual scratches and bruises - the most spectacular of which is a zombie eye from another twig finding a way around my glasses. It looked spectacularly bad for three or four days before fading but oddly didn't hurt that much after the first two days.

Mt Frith

New boots. Despite there being oodles of life left in the old ones I pick up a new pair on Saturday.  Sunday therefore demands a trip to try them out.

The only nearby candidate for giving them a good workout, whilst knocking off a bunch of spots, in a day trip is the dreaded corner of the Tararuas near the Remutaka hill road.

All going well I will knock off the last 10 spots in this area and never have to go back again ... ever. And all without blisters or feet deformities from doing a good day's walk in new boots.


What:    Navigation, daytrip and spot-heighting
Where:  Tararuas around Mt Frith (above Featherston)
Who:     Solo
When:    11 November 2018
Map

Previous trips in purple - If it's got a number and I haven't visited it then it isn't in the park

In the hills behind Featherston (north west) is Boar Bush Gully Road. It's the service road to the source of the town's water supply. They are reasonably keen to discourage visitors as you go past a couple of signs indicating it's private property, no dogs etc. I don't have any dogs so drive as far as I can and park by the road at a locked gate (very little parking space). 


It's overcast with a few wisps of cloud around the top of the hill. at 8.25 I follow the road up the gully looking for an ECNZ road that hives left and up the hill, giving a free ride to pt 361 where the fun will start.











The scrub is pretty thick with generous lashings of bushlawyer for a start, but opens a bit in the saddle after 361 before the climb. There are a few old cut branches on the way up but I lose any trail - the crest of the spur is mostly fairly scrubby and slow going. Towards the top it becomes proper forest and I hang off the east side of the spur under a high canopy.

Near 361 - view south to Remutaka hill road

More open manuka scrub in the first saddle

Boar Bush Gully - reservoir

Final approach to Frith - a better quality of forest

My route joins the DOC track shortly before the top, where the forest gives way to low scrub - possibly an old burn. There's lots of dracaphyllum and some interesting white lichen. There are views up the Tauherenikau, and south to the Remutakas but not great views across the Wairarapa - I suspect you might need to go further along the ridge.

Towards the Remutakas

Just a corner of Lake Waiwararapa

Lichen 

This is my first assessment point - it's about 10.50 so time is good. I continue with the plan of exploring some of the northern slopes above the Tauherenikau gorge. A bearing takes me to the right spur which splits to two spot heights. I'm back in forest again quickly - this side of the ridge the bush is more mature with large beech trees and mostly fairly open.

Half an hour from the top there's an old bit of corrugated iron near 450 but little else to indicate people.

Beech saplings at 450

Rather than pop back up to the ridge to get to the next spot I crash down into the intervening stream gully. There's some plenty big trees on the slope and at the bottom (an hour from Mt Frith) nikau are mixed in with ponga. I stop for a bite and refill the camelback, enjoying the bush.

The climb up the opposite slope is steep but straight forward, the bush starting to break into more recent regrowth near the top. A short diversion to 472 and it's time to head back up towards Mt Frith.

470 - note the hi-tech gloves

This spur is on the boundary of the extensive regrowth vegetation on the south side of the Tauherenikau River. Part of the route up is through old man gorse and scrub but it eventually re-enters more mature forest.

Just short of the top I follow some animal trails to sidle around and pick up the DOC track off Mt Frith. It's 1.15pm so still good timing to pick up the last four spots.

It's straight forward travel from Frith to Finis on the track. There are a few view spots and an interesting marked track down into Boar Bush Gully.

Three way intersection - the mustard tin says Boar Bush Gully

Approaching Finis, the bush degenerates then breaks into open scrub. The good thing is that this gives great views of the Wairapa plains, it's about 2pm.

Cest Finis

Featherston and Lake Wairarapa

Remutakas

At the top there is a cut trail heading down towards the reservoir in Boar Bush Gully. I'm hoping that people will have also headed down my spur. There are some cut branches at the start and things look promising but it quickly degenerates into high scrub, old man gorse and young forest species. Surely at 345 there will be some local access tracks - nope.

The route down from 345 starts with a weed library - most noxious plants of a spiky nature are represented: gorse, blackberry, hawthorne (or barberry?) as well as bushlawyer. There's no sign that people come this way - however, my final and 9th spot for this leg is just below 238).

238 is bang on the park boundary and could be outside - I have decided to assume it is in which adds some aggravation to the end of the trip. At least there is a strip of farmland I can skulk along before plunging back into gorse and blackberry.

To get off the hill from here there is a band of farmland which I haven't asked permission to cross.  The map shows what looks like an ECNZ road but this turns out to be long disused - it provides a route to the flats though and I head furtively across the paddocks to the road.

It's a hot walk back along the road and through a reserve to Boar Bush Gully Road. The car is still where I left it (I had been wondering).

At about 5pm there is still plenty of daylight and there is just one spot height (343) left on this benighted ridge. Rather than leave it to fester I park by the bridge at the bottom of the hill road and follow the ECNZ track up hill, around the slope and to the pylon. The sun is finally angling in under the clouds.

The top pylon gives a view across the gully to 361 from this morning and the route up to Mt Frith.

361 ahead with Finis behind to the left

Finis on right - spur up to Frith in middle somewhere

The spot is off the pylon road and marked with a triangle - which means there is a trig and hopefully a track to it. This comes to pass although it's a long time since anyone has had line of sight to the trig from more than 2m away.

Back at the pylon I take a moment to look at some of the territory covered during the day and appreciate the colours from the setting sun. Then - it's a downhill trot back to the car and I've finished with this bit of countryside.

Remutaka hill road

Postscript

The new boots labour under the somewhat grand title of Zamberlan 1006 VIOZ PLUS GTX® RR WL. And I'm sure every letter is important. My old set were a slightly lighter weight model and have done me proud. Basically everything wore out at the same time but they kept going despite half the soles gone and massive holes in one of them. Although the soles were not as hard wearing as some other brands, they were comfortable from the get go and they put up with everything I chucked at them (including neglect).

Surprisingly, after 10 hours in new boots my feet are a bit tender but are free from blisters. I applied tape to one foot half way through as a precaution and this seemed to do the trick.

Finishing the spot-heights in this neck of the woods is the highlight from the day. There is one remaining nearby but this is in Dobson Creek near a marked track so will be straight forward.
The count now is 63 to go. 39 of these are in the northern most reaches of the park so there is a bit of work (and travel) still to do.

Makaretu and Te Araroa

Perusing the map for weekend possibilities I'm surprised to find what looks like a new chunk of Forest Park. It's possible it was always there and I missed it - it's also possible that its status changed and someone got around to updating the map. Anyway - it has six spot heights and it looks fiendish to navigate - flat and with possibly pretty marginal bush.

It looks like a challenging day or overnighter so I figure to also pick up a cluster of four spots in the foothills behind Levin where Te Araroa briefly exits the bush before heading up to the Main Range. These were a step too far on a previous day trip.

Oh yeah - and the weather forecast is rubbish. The are no rivers but a couple of the streams could get gnarly.


What:     Navigation and spot heighting weekend trip
Where:   Makahika and Makaretu
When:    3 - 4 November 2018
Who:      Solo
Map:

Makahika - around and off Te Araroa 

The wipers are on for most of the drive up, but at least the Waikanae bakery is open for breakfast. There's a very old and battered camper van by the style as I leave the car at 8am. Someone slept here last night judging by the chock under the front wheel - no sign whether they are in residence or not at the moment. I head of across the farm land under steady rain.

Last time through was by headlight (also in the rain) - distances are shorter and I smile at seeing how close to the trail I was when I staggered into a pool full of farm rubbish. The stream crossing I was worried about is a non-event although not as high today.

There's a bit of stock about and a pair of paradise ducks take more umbrage than my presence surely warrants.

A wee camping spot with a long drop marks where the trail starts its transition into the quiet of the bush. It's very pretty here with some lovely groves of ponga. The old tramway is a great platform for the track as it meanders back and forward across the stream. Water drips through the canopy but down here the weather becomes a secondary consideration.

It's the usual challenge to find where to leave the stream and hive up to the first spot height (293). Once on the spur there's a trail with old tape markers which I didn't expect to see - I overshoot the spot height to be sure I've passed it then drop to scramble down a stream to the track.

Where the track crosses the watershed between the Makahika and Mangaore Streams is my signal to follow a stream north and down (pretty good going - no tricky gorges).

The Mangaore is discoloured and up but not an issue. The climb onto the next spur is a bit steep though. I don't see any markers but further up there is a light trail that misses the worst of the supplejack. The odd rewarewa flower on the ground or growing like dark red coral from a black trunk give a clue to the specie of some of the trees. The rain keeps raining.

At 493 the forest looks like every other bit - it's 11am and two down for the day.

493

I blunder back down drifting off the spur a couple of times on the way, then dropping further upstream in an effort to miss the steepest bit (successful). The Mangaore is as brown as before. It keeps raining.

A short way downstream a wee cascade marks the point to start another steep scramble which eases up to 371 - near the top another taped trail crosses my path. I strike a different line down to pick up the track again and start heading out.

As I climb to 370 I'm not 100% sure I'm in the right place (a familiar feeling throughout this weekend). The top is broad, flat and generously supplied with supple jack (also to be familiar). I nominate a lump and call it 370 and take a bearing to get out. If I'm in the wrong place it will drop steadily to a stream; if I'm right I will follow a gentle ridge down into scrub.

I blunder onto another taped track - this one looks like an old logging trail - it's quick going and there are a lot of foot prints. It descends as gently as hoped.

Just as clearings start to appear the tapes head off to the left and start descending - this suits me fine as I suspect there would have been serious gorse ahead.

I lose the trail towards the bottom but the vegetation stays ungorse like. I wade across the stream and join the trail again at the camping spot at the edge of the bush. A fresh set of prints show someone has walked out since I came in - probably slightly unhinged to be out in this weather.

It's 2pm, the campervan is gone, as are the first four spot heights.

The area has better bush than I expected. There are lots of informal trails and plenty of opportunity to wander about off track. No views to speak of though.

Makaretu - tricky navigation and supplejack

With the weather forecast as rubbish as it is, the troop needs some encouraging not to stay in the car and just keep driving for home. Common sense is confined to the glove box and I turn off at Poads Road.

The park by the narrow bridge has the scattering of "bourbon 'n cola" cans associated with the sort of place you don't want to leave your car.

It's almost 2.40pm as I head for Makaretu Stream - overnight-pack sitting comfortably (and more heavily) on my back. The stream is usually no problem but it will be up today and I'm not sure if the gorgy bit will be passable. However, although it is flowing fast and discoloured, a river stick helps with the myriad crossings and there is only one cascade which has me temporarily stumped. (I find a taped route on the way out which bypasses most of the sketchy bit).

The stream route is the way I've been before but it is across private land with a sign warning off hunters (to little apparent affect). I think there must be other access points but haven't investigated. The block of land is the toe of a long ridge that runs into the depths of tiger country. Lots of informal routes but no DOC tracks. With the area regenerating from logging and farming there are flats by the Makaretu stream and clearings that attract hunters.

At 3.15pm I'm at my side stream. A short scramble up and I'm confronted by a 5m waterfall. The pool at the bottom is ale brown with a foam head to match. The true left is impassable so I find a way to clamber up a sharp spur on the true right to rejoin the stream higher up.

The stream is well worth an explore - there are terraces with an old tram route and a good track. I reluctantly leave it to follow a wee stream up to the 'plateau' (not strictly a plateau but relatively flat for the Tararuas).

Not for the last time I know I am in one of two places and little to tell which. It's mucky work following the creek and the top end is choked with rotten logs and supple jack. I work my way up to what I think is point 314 - there are no views and I can't swear I'm not at 311. There is another marked route though.

The bush up here is mixed - lots of ponga groves, some rimu and other tall emergent but mostly mixed forest species in the process of recovering from old clearance. The understory varies from ambling easily over ponga fronds to scrambling over rotten trunks or tangling through vines.

Navigation becomes a series of questions - if I'm here and go in that direction I will see the land do this and if I'm in the wrong place I will see it do that. The land keeps doing 'this' until I get to what I think is 311 by which stage it is getting dim. Meanwhile, the rain rains.

I get a bit muddled after 311 and decide to work it all out in the morning. My chosen spot for the night is on a flat area near a trickle. I find a log and pitch the fly against it, scattering some dry ponga fronds - more for effect than padding.

It rains heavily during the night - I manage to keep dry and try not to think about what may crawl out of the log and into my sleeping bag.

In the morning the rain has stopped but I can't see the sky yet so the jury is out on the weather. The plan is to head norwest to get to the edge of the plateau (and hopefully a view) then follow the edge upwards to the next spot. I drag on sopping clothes and head off about 8.20am.





Home ...

I cross a few other ribboned trails on the way and drop in and out of gullies that may or may not have been on the map. It's all very confusing but eventually my route starts climbing as expected and I figure I have got to 370 (9.30am). There's a well formed track nearby which takes me quickly to a marked clearing and finally I can confidently say I know where I am and I was always around about where I thought I was (if you follow me).

I suspect the trail I found would take you up to Panatawaewae if you were of a mind.

The clearings turn out to be old pasture slowly being eaten by the bush. Pigs evidently find them a good source of nourishment. The day has even got the odd bit of sunlight going on.

Looking back - 370 on the left.

The next spot (415) is going to be a challenge. The land forms are confused and it looks indistinguishable. I reckon I can find it if I sidle along the slope for a while then pop up to the low ridge. It's a bit tricky but this is pretty much what happens - apart from a few false starts and a bit of clambering across unexpected gullies.

There's plenty more opportunities to get involved with supplejack

From 415 there are two spots to go. They are on the way out and are on an intriguing looking ridge.

My bearing takes me towards a creek but I immediately blunder into more tape which is going in approximately the right direction so I follow it. In retrospect, when I finally lost it, I strayed right and dropped into the wrong creek. I find myself sitting at a junction of two streams working out that I am at one of two quite different spots (again).

The choice is simple - climb the hill on the right or the left? I think it is the left - it also happens to be gentler and will more quickly tell me if I'm right or wrong.

Back on the correct ridge I find more markings - possibly the track I lost earlier. In this manner I find myself pottering along a narrow top with a stream in a gully below on each side. I also cross the next spot height (295) and head for the final for the weekend (280).

It feels like the end is in sight - it's a long straight ridge and pretty good going. The trail becomes very well established with a lot of marking and all the indications of having been cleared at various times in the past.  There are at least a couple of points where you could drop norwest into the unnamed stream I came up yesterday.

As the ridge starts dropping the track heads left and I want to go right (1.20pm). There's no trail but it's a pretty straight forward scramble down to a large terrace above Makaretu Stream, and another track.

I'm back at the mouth of the unnamed stream at 1.45pm. The Makeretu is still up but running clearer.




Entrance to unnamed stream

I keep my eyes open on the way down and find some interesting tracks on terraces on the left. Including a long diversion which leads up to the edge of farmland and skips the cascade. I find a way back down to the stream and follow it back across the farmed flats. The day has continued fine but windy. It takes about the same time to get back to the car (40ish minutes) but a lot easier than the trip up stream.

Postscript 

The only thing left to report is that, aside from 10 spot heights down (and 73 to go), myriad informal tracks and trails, and heaps of polythene left by hunters - I stumbled on a hut. I'd heard tell of a ponga hut somewhere in the northern Tararuas but never thought about trying to find it.

There's a few references on the intranet but I couldn't find one with a location - so I'm not 100% sure this is the same one. I'll not make it too easy - if you want to retrace my route (bearing in mind that a chunk of it is estimated on the map) you might find it. Or if I know you I'm happy to divulge.

There's carpet on the dirt floor, plastic walls, some ponga posts and wall cladding, tin roof, potbelly with chimney, a long drop, a bench outside, even old sleeping bags on the beds ... It's rough but dry and comfortable inside.

Wasn't expecting this ....

"The Ponga Whare"