Aruwaru - again

The top end of the Tararua Forest Park points like a shard of glass, north-east up the spine of the North Island. The edges are straight and pay no attention to the shape of the land.

The range itself dwindles northwards in all respects. The peaks are lower, there's only the single significant ridge between the farm land on either side, and the vegetation degenerates from forest to scrub to old pine plantation and finally farmland - a little further north a large windfarm clusters where the range is abruptly terminated by the Manawatu gorge.

I don't know many Wellingtonians that have bothered venturing this far up the range - and why would you when there's plenty of interesting places closer to home.

Angela and I made a successful sortie up here a while back. This time we're  back with the prospect of knocking off the remaining spot heights in this less fashionable part of the park.

What:    Navigation, spot heighting day trip
Where:  Northern end of Tararua Forest Park
When:   1-2 December 2018
Who:     Angela and me
Map

The whole trip

Close up of the interesting bits - purple dashed line  is part of our last trip

After a damn fine meal at Jano on Friday night, it's awfully hard to drag oneself out of bed at 5am. I'm mostly packed so am out the door before 5.30 with a cup of coffee prepared by the sleepy support crew.

Angela and I convene within a few minutes of each other at the Olde Beach Bakery - they're busy baking so we have a bit of a wait before the doors open and we are let loose on their oven-warm croissants.

Next stop the Kahutarawa road-end. As we approach the turn off I idly note the petrol is on the low side and keep an eye out for a petrol station. The fuel light comes on as we head up the road.

There's plenty of mountain bikers and utes as we leave Angela's car and head of for our starting point in the Carolla. There are no petrol stations on the way.

At the top of the Saddle Road South Range Road heads off ... well, south mostly.

About four kilometres in there's a solid gate and signs about needing permission to enter (contact the Palmerston North City Council). The west side of the range up here drains into the city's drinking water reservoir.

Heading out - not exactly beautiful countryside

We set out about 8.45. The road is good quality, winding through old forestry blocks which are regenerating nicely. To our right the catchment has better bush with punga and large emergents - there are lots of pest control tracks leading off each side and DOC 200 traps along the road. A few have been knocked over or sprung so we reset them as we go. Some have ping pong balls instead of eggs as lures - I guess for short sighted slightly stupid mustelids.

A 4WD is parked up off the road and as we approach a couple of older guys turn up and start loading themselves in. They're out for a hunt (deer). We chat briefly and they drive past a few minutes later heading south along the road.

At 10.00 our first spot height Marima is right beside the road and marks the furthest tip of the forest park. There's a high overcast and it's quite warm.




Angela looks south from Marima

A bit further along the 4WD comes back and they stop for a longer chat - still no deer. They have a key to the gate and a map showing a myriad of pest control and hunting tracks. They think we are slightly crazy when we say where we are going. They also mention a track down to Naenae road on the Wairarapa side which sounds like a promising option for getting in to this area.

There are a couple of spots off a side spur and we're hoping the scrub isn't too thick. Finding a break we creep in amongst the tight trunks and it turns out to be not too bad - a low canopy and close but we can squeeze through. 20 metres later we come across signs and triangles and a nicely cut track.

Angela getting to grips with navigating

That's a DOC pest control sign - no idea what the elephant reference is about

We cruise easily along over the first spot and through some clearings to the second which is on the edge of farmland with Pahiatua somewhere in the distance. It's a little before 12.00 so we stop for an early lunch. We sit with the map working out which lump in the distance might be Aruwaru.

Lunch on 'Farm ridge'

Working out the next steps

Back on the road it is decidedly warm for the climb to 622 and the point we leave the road for good.

There's a clearing off the road and a man taking a whizz - oblivious to the fact that he is no longer alone. We studiously examine the map with our backs turned although Angela catches a sheepish look when he wakes up to our presence.

He's out with a mate wandering some of the trails in 'the Basin' - This is the catchment of the Otangane stream - a bit notorious for getting people lost. He gives us a few pointers including labelling one lump 'the nipple.' They also think we're crazy heading up to Aruwaru.

Aruwaru on the right, the Nipple on the left

H1 track (the start is marked on some topo maps) takes us in the direction of our next spot and onto Old Hunter track which also turns out to be well marked and trod. This follows the spur over the target spot height (1.30 and 5 spots down) before taking a long drop to a stream. I fix a few more bait stations on the way.

Cruising along Old Hunter

Another spot down

At the stream we are not entirely sure where we are - but keep following the trail. Pretty soon it is clear that we are heading a bit further right than ideal but it's definitely heading to a main track so we keep on. We join toitoi loop just below 550 on the main trail to the Otangane loop. It's just after 3pm and Angela wisely decides that she'll head back to the car while I whistle off up hill to pick off the last two spots. We agree that Angela will head out to get cell phone reception if I'm not out by 9pm.

I truck off around the Otangane loop which breaks into wee clearings with views and find the top of Naenae road track on the way. It really is a good alternative to the Kahutarawa road end - probably quicker to get to Aruwaru if you're coming from wellington.

I try to keep a good pace although the new boots are still causing havoc with the left ankle. The 'turn off' to Aruwaru is not marked and almost invisible. I only find it by overshooting, taking a bearing and leaving the track when it veers from the bearing. Once off the track you soon see markers cut from orange plastic bags - but the trail is narrow, overgrown and easy to lose.

At 4.35 I'm at the top and call to update the support crew. Now time to see if there is a trail through the kilometre wide sea of leatherwood between Aruwaru and 716 - my last spot in this neck of the woods.

Aruwaru

No there isn't. This is going to be horrible.

There are a few open spots but it is mostly dense scrub with some truly delightful stretches with bushlawyer entwined through the leatherwood. Depending on the height of the scrub I wade, crawl, or worm my way along getting hotter, bloodier and swearier.

In the end I drop north to try to find higher canopy but can't say it's any better. After well over an hour I'm thoroughly fed up but not about to quit. I struggle to the crest again and am treated to some final more open scrub to get to the spot about an hour forty after leaving the trig. There's cell phone coverage so I call in that I'll be late and my changed intentions; there's no way I'm going back through that.

Pretty much had enough on 716

The plan is to take a straight line through a gully back to the track off Aruwaru. The bush looks better and it can't be any worse than what I've just done. Around about now I discover that my map has disappeared from my pocket. Again. Visibility is good so I'm not too bothered but download one on the phone just in case.

Once out of the scrub there's a steep scramble down to a stream with lots of animal sign. Despite the lateness I drop my pack to get a drink from the stream and a brief sit down. The scramble up the other side is a bit tricky in places but I get good height in an old erosion chute. The canopy is mixed but overall progress is ok. Finally a flash of orange plastic confirms I've reached the Aruwaru route. It's after 7 pm.

Vegetation on the Aruwaru ridge

A 9pm finish is looking unlikely so I try to keep the pace up resulting in wandering off line a couple of times and a bit of a slip on a hidden rock. The smack on the side of the face from a handily placed stump is a salient reminder to take more care.

Back on the track the going is faster but the light is fading. At spot 550 where I said goodbye to Angela xx hours ago I pause to make sure the head torch is handy. I have to switch it on at the start of the descent to the stream.

At 9.15 I limb into the carpark and am delighted to find a sleepy Angela who was quite relaxed about the time as she figured it was going to be tight. I've timed it perfectly as it starts to hose down as I chuck stuff in the boot.

We update each other on the tail ends of our respective days as we drive through the rain to the top of the saddle. The carolla is still there, it starts, and it doesn't run out of petrol on the way to Palmy (coasting down from the saddle might have helped).

It's been a long day and we head south in convoy employing various techniques to keep ourselves alert.

Postscript

The basin north of Aruwaru is nice walking with plenty of tracks, some of which are marked on some topo map versions. The route up to Aruwaru is not as well marked or trod. Access to South Range Road is by arrangement with Palmerston North City Council, they also issue keys to hunters on an annual basis (there are a number of conditions). The road is just a 4WD track along an open ridge - there are views east and west although it was a bit hazy so they weren't spectacular for us.

Off the side of the ridge there is some nice regenerating bush, particularly in the water catchment. It looks like a lot of pest control is happening so there could be good bird life although we didn't see much.

Once you get to the plateau north of Aruwaru (the basin) the vegetation is better but still patchy in places. The leatherwood section was not so much fun but left to it's own devices the bush is just going to get better.

With seven spot heights knocked off it was a productive day leaving 45 to go.

It was a long day on the feet and we were both getting about a little gingerly for the next few days. Angela had the good sense to exit at the appropriate opportunity and miss the scrub bash and gully. She was also relaxed about navigation in the basin when we weren't entirely sure where we were - all part of the fun.

The lack of cover along the road meant a bit of sun burn and doing a 12 odd hour day in new boots probably disqualifies one from complaining about sore feet ... But all up - a 100% successful trip with great company.