Waitatapia

If you look east from Otaki forks, across the terraces towards the track into Waitewaewae hut, you will probably pay no attention to the scrubby and thoroughly unremarkable ridge behind. Waitatapia, at 862m, is not the highest but is the only named point on the ridge. It doesn't exactly tower over the landscape but it is an intriguing island - surrounded by the Otaki river, the Waitatapia stream and Plateau stream. It doesn't connect to any major ridge system so isn't really on the way to anywhere. But there is the odd trip report on the internet which indicates that people do sometimes visit.

This weekend the weather looks like it will make the proposition a little more challenging with snow forecast down to 300m. The plan is to commute over the ridge to Plateau and head on to explore a couple of other locations, but in the end I cut the trip back to a day.

What:   Day nav trip
Where: Waitatapia (Pt 862)
Why:    Just  happened to notice it
Who:    Solo
When:  29 July 2017
Map:     Link

The start is not particularly auspicious. I've pottered across the wide terrace and just got to the edge above the Otaki River swing bridge when I remember the compass is still in the car. A helpful DOC sign informs me that it's 1.4 km to the car park - making a 2.8 km wasted round trip during which I can curse my mental lassitude.

The air is still but cold and the clouds are low around the hills - not so low though that they hide the snow powdered bush around 4-500m.

Waitatapia Ridge

Across the Otaki river the track zigzags up to the opposite terrace and I immediately start looking on my right for a way into the bush. A trail of sorts heads around the slope above the Otaki River and I figure it is a good place to start - it looks like there might be better bush that way. I don't notice any marking and eventually leave it to follow a promising looking trail heading up. It's a steep scramble through bracken and soon degenerates into animal trails but there always seems to be a route through.

There are plenty of chances to look back across the flats and down to the tiny swing bridge. Where possible, I work further south along the slope and eventually end up in reasonably open bush with a high canopy - periodically breaking into clearings.

Otaki River flowing to meet the Waiotauru River at the forks
Waitatapia Stream joins from the right

After a large grassy clearing on a knob, a spur takes shape and there's a bit of a foot trail. There are one or two old green plastic tape markers but soon these are invisible as the snow gets thicker under the canopy.  Occasionally there is a gap to peer out through the snow clad bush.

Otaki forks but smaller

Looking up from the grassy knob

View down the Otaki River towards the coast

The wet foliage on the way up means my boots are well on the way to being water logged by the time I'm walking in snow.  Perfect for cold feet. Snow periodically drifts down through the trees but the wind is mercifully light.

It's roughly three hours from setting out when a metal post in the snow indicates the top of Waitatapia. It's slowish going but reasonably straight forward so far. The snow makes it a little interesting trying to follow trails but with the aid of a stick I'm managing to shed most of the snow off the surrounding foliage before it dumps on me.

Waitatapia

Waitatapia and cold feet

There's a few tricky moments trying to stick to the ridge as it curves into the saddle above Gorge Creek. However the clouds clear momentarily to show glimpses of a monochrome landscape and the foothills of the main range - enough to orient and keep on track.

Approaching pt 876 I manage to drift off the ridge but twig when it starts dropping steeply. Shortly after, the ridge veers gently right to another high point and I have to back track again when a compass check reveals I've overshot my spur down.  The snow is masking some of the signs you usually pick up.

It takes a little while for the spur to form but after a while it becomes well defined and the snow starts thinning. Large dark holes in the white blanket covering the ferns indicates that water is dripping from above.

The air warms and although the trail comes and goes it's an easy trip north and down towards the plateau. Soon, there is a familiar looking swamp and sure enough, an orange triangle soon after as my spur finally coincides with the Waitewaewae track.

It's a little before 2pm and later than I had been anticipating getting to this point so the next part of my plans are no longer a goer - the prospect of walking the track to Waitewaewae hut and back the next day doesn't appeal so I make the call to pull the plug and head back to the car.

Heading back out along the track is pleasant going, more so as I start to thaw and dry. The weather has improved and the sun breaks through - it's a completely different day.

Looking up Waitatapia Stream, Waitatapia Ridge on right,
plateau behind the notch on the horizon

Waitatapia - a different proposition without the snow

It's uneventful and seeing as there is plenty of day light left I decide to drop in on Parawai hut. It's less than 300m off the main track and only minutes from the carpark, but I have never quite got around to dropping in.  There's a large family group having a BBQ with the fire going so I stay long enough to note that it is in surprisingly good nick for being so close to a road end.

Parawai Hut

Postscript

Although it was a somewhat truncated trip, I was pretty tired the next day. It shows how being cold and wet can take it out of you.  I would have made Waitewaewae hut easily and out the next day, but the extra day just lost all appeal when there was no longer time to head on to some more interesting territory.  Happy to have got up Waitatapia and there were some interesting perspectives on the Otaki flats on the way up - all up though, it is one of those spots that you feel that having been there once there is no particular rush to do it again.

Ruahines Trapping - Oroua River

Killing stoats - a sure fire recipe for an enjoyable weekend.

The tramping club runs trapping lines in the Ruahines as part of the Whio protection programme - I'd always been meaning to go along on a trip or two but keep missing the trip schedule. This time there's space in the van heading north with a trapping trip and an easy trip sharing transport.

It starts with the usual Friday afternoon rendezvous at platform 9 and the inevitable 10 minute late punter holding everyone up. Still, the traffic up the coast is pretty good and, with dinner in Levin under our belts, we are soon in the rural hinterland north and east of Fielding. 

After Apiti we head east to the hills and start seeing broken branches in the headlights. Trees on the road banks have been flattened by the snow in the previous week. A few clumps of snow remain.

It's dark and wet when we arrive at Janet and Graeme's bach near the road end and decamp to their floor. They are members of the Palmerston North Tramping Club and Janet seems to do a fair proportion of the organisation behind the Ruahine Whio Protectors. There's a bit of uncertainty about what we are in for tomorrow - DOC has spent a couple of days clearing fallen branches on the 45 minutes of track to Alice Nash Memorial hut so it is anyone's bet what the next four hours up to Irongate hut will be like.  

We hatch a plan for the morning and hit our pits after a cuppa tea and a natter.  Bruce the dog is in heaven as he potters around sequentially snuggling up next to the comatose bodies. Outside it's wet and windy - the occasional sortie may, if you're lucky, give a glimpse through shredded mist of lights on the plain below. Probably Apiti.

It's a short walk in the morning to the Alice Nash hut on a well cleared track with plenty of snow about.  Overcast and trying to rain but not too bad.

Illona gives us a run down on how to check and re-bait a trap - surprisingly easy - and the five of us divide into a trap checker and a track clearer team. I'm starting on the clearing and have my saw so rip into the fallen branches.

We have three saws but one soon becomes dead weight when a critical nut is lost on the track - still, one person just clearing branches is useful.

It's slow and hard work but we make reasonable progress and soon decide that it is a goer to carry through to the hut before dark, but unlikely that we will have time to pickup any traps past the hut.

At some point we regroup for lunch and swap roles. We regroup again at Tunupo creek which is sufficiently up to require a linked up crossing. After that, Gareth and I have our technique sorted and rip ahead with the traps - the down side is that we have to find our own way through the tree falls - mostly no problem but the river flats towards Irongate have a lot of damage to navigate. The snow is a foot deep in places.

The track clearers give up as dark approaches and head straight for the hut arriving about half an hour later.  The snow is deep amidst the trees and around the hut.

The hut fire pretty much defeats us - there's not much in the way of dry wood and even when it gets going it soon goes out without constant attention. I give it away in favour of Sharron who announces she has some firelighters - she manages to get something going after awhile but it makes little more difference than the 5 bodies in the small space.

Dinner is a good solid tramping club recipe - filling and followed by fruit cake. A lot flasher than I'm used to. Illona collects the trap stats for entering on the website later - all up 16 rats and no mustelids. We're in bed with lights out by 8.30pm with a plan hatched for a first light start. No-one is game to find out where the loo is in the cold.

After breakfast Ilona heads out with Gareth for a rapid return to Alice hut and hopefully enroll a few of the easy trip in clearing more traps. Paul, Sharron and I tidy the hut and turn to clearing the track on the way back - starting with the buried track down to the hut.

We discover that the night before we had been wandering on and off the track because of the amount of branches down. This time we pretty much clear the track with the exception of some big trees that defeat our small hand saws.  We deal to a number of falls that we had just bypassed yesterday and by the time we get to Alice Nash around 12 - the whole route is navigable with just a few areas where large falls have to be bypassed.

Approaching Alice Nash hut a glint catches my eye and there's the nut that fell of the saw yesterday. Unbelievable.

At Alice hut the fire is going and a couple from the other trip are there, the rest having headed out to do some trap clearing. We get a hot cuppa and a muffin while we find out that they drove to the nearby glow worm cave which had a veritable galaxy on display - otherwise they seem to be having a very relaxed weekend. Soon the others are back having cleared a few more traps, we tidy up and head out.

It's worth mentioning that Alice Nash memorial hut is run by the local deer stalkers and is in immaculate condition. It takes cash or DOC tickets and it appears that the hut is checked pretty regularly.

Back at the van wet gear is stowed and we head off for a snack in Fielding and a long drive home - in daylight which is pleasant.

Post script

Although the conditions meant we checked fewer traps than planned, it did feel in the end that a reasonable contribution was made with the track well cleared apart from a few major falls and 70 traps re-baited. Being sociable had its moments - the food is definitely better and there's a lot to be said for division of labour. The pace was somewhat slower than I'm used to but that's not such a bad thing and it meant more energy for cuttin' and haulin'. Being a captive audience for other people's driving had it's moments.

Waitewaewae headwaters

The trip plan is a little audacious - explore as much of the Waitewaewae river headwaters as possible in a weekend. The design is efficient whilst leaving some scope for future exploration (i.e. the east branch which looks a bit daunting).

The Waitewaewae is one of those rivers whose story is subsumed by a larger river. Most people never get near it as there are no tracks or huts marked. On the map the whole system looks like a rose - the flower consisting of three tributaries: Prout Stream in the middle with the East and West Waitewaewae Rivers curling around on each side and delineating two spurs between. These join to flow south down the stem - about 5km to be swallowed by the Otaki river.

I've pottered across the top of the catchment on a couple of previous occasions but it's time to get off the tops and have a good poke around.  And it went mostly to plan, the bit that didn't was accommodated within the contingency plan and provided a useful reminder about confirmation bias.

What:    Weekend tramping trip in western Tararuas
Why:     Navigation and hut bagging
Where:  Waitewaewae headwaters
Who:     Solo
When:   8 and 9 July 2017
Map:

It's pitch black at the second gate at the Manakau Road end - a couple of pig hunters are collaring their dogs by torchlight. They set off ahead while I fluff around with a recalcitrant head light. At 7am the light is necessary as I stroll along the road, over the slip and to the, now isolated, road end.

Road end clearing

I continue straight past the redundant bollards. A short way along an old sign marks the turnoff to cross the river and climb the spur to Mt Thompson (where I came down a couple of weeks back - but turned down river and missed the crossing in the evening light).  

The track drops to the stream bed just before the Panatewaewae forks. Crossing with dry feet is easy followed by a few meters up to a clearing at the foot of my target spur. A track heads off up the true right of the Waikawa stream valley but I quickly find an unmarked route heading directly up. There's an obvious trail.

The pig hunters are polite when I catch up but, I imagine, not best pleased that a tramper might disturb the game. They are heading for another spur though so hopefully not too much loss.

After a bit over an hour on the go I reach pt 708 and veer SSE to keep climbing - this is clearly an old route with one of the markers embedded deep into its tree.

The climb is steady but not steep - I'm enjoying the exercise and the prospect of the unknown territory ahead when suddenly I'm conscious that my sense of my surroundings has altered. There is sometimes a breath that you take when you start on a trip - by the time you've exhaled, your awareness has shifted from driving and work, to a wider landscape and the sounds and smells of the bush. It's not always noticeable but it's pleasant to be conscious of the change.

Just past a turn to the ridge to Thompson, I'm on Waitewaewae, still not much to see but at 0900 it's a good start to the day. 15 minutes more pt 969 gives some views and marks the turnoff to the convoluted ridge into the headwaters that I'm after.

There is no obvious track to start with but as the ridge forms, a trail of sorts comes and goes. It's generally pretty good going. There are a few clearings giving views north and east. It's irresistible to pause and identify the ridges and points from two weeks back in the near ground; and behind ... Oriwa, Waiopehu; and beyond again, the peaks of the main range dusted with snow.

Pt 955 in the near ground with ridge to Panatewaewae running left

A little further on windows open southwards; Judd ridge and Hector on the horizon with the characteristic jagged Tararua peaks to the left. Periodically a flock of whiteheads twitter in the low stunted trees - I chirp at one of them and it comes over and we cheerfully shout at each other for a bit. Occasionally a kereru blunders loudly off. There's little wind - a perfect tramping day.

Probably one of the Pt 1030's in near ground - southern and Tararua peaks behind

Main range on the horizon

By 11.25 I've followed my nose with no significant problems to pt 957. The ridge top is fairly flat here so the start of my spur NNE is not immediately obvious but with a bearing it soon starts shaping up. There is a bit of trail and occasional pest control markers, an old vegetation tag and some other Venetian markers with measurements on them. All quite old but clearly DOC has been in the area. 

The trip down the spur is pretty straight forward - it gets mucky at the bottom for the final drop into Prout Stream, about 40 minutes from the top. Travel upstream in the tight, dim and damp valley bottom is somewhat different.  However, Prout stream is pretty - mossy with a few minor water falls and pools but pretty navigable.

Prout Stream

I follow up the diminishing stream until it starts getting clogged with mossy logs then take a spur up to just short of pt 969 - the climb is pretty mucky and I'd have to say it's not until I'm on the ridge heading west towards the top of Waitewaewae that I actually know exactly where I am. At 2.25pm I'm on Waitewaewae ... again.

The spur isn't obvious immediately but before long I'm pottering along with sporadic views towards Kapiti Island. I expected the trail on this ridge to be more obvious but I'm not sure that it is really. There are the usual trails that could be animal or tramper so I keep an approximate line with the compass.

Daylight is waning as I get to the flatter sections below pt 650 - the key, I figure, is to head more east and not pop out on the edge of the gorge on the West Waitewaewae. I drop into the head of a wee stream and follow it down to the top of a cliff over Prout Stream and eventually find a place to scramble down. A little after 5 and it's pretty dim.

The game plan now is to head downstream to Island Forks (Prout and West YTYY), through the gorge and up East YTYY to Island Forks hut. Except in the dark I miss the West branch confluence and bowl through the gorge and past the East confluence.

In retrospect it probably took 25 minutes to get from where I dropped into Prout Stream (for the second time) to the East branch forks but confirmation bias ensured I shot past looking for something that wasn't there. I just assumed that I'd dropped into Prout Stream further up and had traveled slower than expected so just kept going.  Eventually the penny drops but by now I'm a fair chunk of the way to the Otaki confluence so figure it is best to keep going to YTYY hut.

Sure enough, about 7.30 a large river joins from the left and I know it's a short stint downstream to find a swing bridge and the track to the hut.

At 8.10pm I'm pleased to arrive and not too disappointed to see I have company. A father and son have a radio set up listening to the All Blacks draw with the Lions and another chap has already turned in. I eat dinner, and warm icy feet by the fire before also turning in.

Otaki river from the hut

In the morning the third hut guest turns out to be a chap I shared Elder hut with one night over a year ago. To his credit he makes the connection first. It's good to catch up.

I'm first away a bit after 0800 - the advantage of the extra distance last night is that I can nick up to the ridge behind the hut and follow it north to a spur I've had my eye on (it was one of the possible permutations for the weekend). I head along the track towards Otaki Forks leaving it about 10 minutes later when it climbs to it's highest point on the spur. The top of the spur has a long, wide top that is easy to get mislaid on with lots of very large, old logs scattered about. Once it starts climbing it's easier to follow but there's not really much of a trail.

At 0940 I'm on the ridge and turn north (after notifying home command of the plan change by text). I've come down this ridge before but it looks completely unfamiliar - no snow for a start. The trail is easy to lose and there's not much view until further north. I'm keen to keep moving as I don't want to be caught by darkness too far from the road end.

Tantalising glimpses of ridges from yesterday

This ridge forms the true left of the Waitatapia stream in the valley below (west). At the top end there are a few clearings and it's easy to find yourself struggling through leatherwood rather than under a high canopy. Still - the clearings give great views west.

Tangata Maunga Ridge with Kapiti behind

Towards the top end of the ridge I find a trail on the east side which avoids the leatherwood. It get's pretty flat and a bit hard to tell where my target spur starts to diverge but someone has thoughtful laid some pink ribbons out and I follow them north east, through a clearing and down through open bush as the spur gradually forms. It's taken about three and a half hours to get from the hut to the turnoff to the spur.

The ribbons seem to be relatively new but are a bit sporadic so I keep an eye on the compass and manage to follow the somewhat messy spur down to the flat top near pt 650. From here it's steep and I can't really tell if I'm on a trail or not. Whatever - I'm chuffed to emerge at the top of a bank bang on the forks. An hour 20 from the top.

Waitewaewae Forks 

Island Forks hut is about three minutes up from the forks. It's a tidy little number - low door, bunks and bench. That's pretty much it. There's a loo in the bush behind and a picnic table and fire place out front. The five visits recorded in the hut book in the last year might explain the tidiness - not frequently visited.

Island Forks hut

After a bite to eat it's only 10 minutes before I'm heading out again and, in 15 minutes, through the gorge above YTYY forks - a much easier proposition in daylight.  A pool that was up to my midrift last night proves to have a shallow pass on the other side.

Not-really-an Island Forks

The rivers must be low as island forks island is connected to land. The reason I missed it in the dark becomes apparent - West YTYY feeds into a deep quiet pool which I must have just assumed was a backwater. I scramble around on the true right and head up into the next gorge.  

I head up the valley counting the side streams, painfully aware of the time but not wanting to rush on the lethally slippery rocks. The weather is  overcast with patches of sun - precious little of which reaches the valley bottom. Like Prout Stream there are scrambles up little water falls and some quite deep pools to sidle. A few large slips and log jambs are reminders of how active this landscape is.

At long last the stream rounds a bend and takes a bearing that I am waiting for - it's 3.40pm and time to look for a route up to a low saddle above the Waikawa catchment. A tree in the river bed has an old marker and there are more on the bank - there's not much trail and the markers run out but the slope is not too steep or high so before long I'm standing in the lowest point on the ridge between YTYY and Thompson.

West YTYY upper headwaters - a bit messy

There's a spur running down from near the saddle so I sidle around and take a bearing down. It's a little hard to follow at first but some very old ribbon soon appears, almost invisible but enough to keep me in the right direction.  I lose it toward the bottom and end up in supple jack but eventually bash down to a stream and start following it down.

There are occasional terraces which could have had old logging tracks on them and once I get to the Waikawa this is more common although there are still periods in the river. It's worth casting around for them as the pace is considerably faster than the stream bed.  There's an old sawmill site marked on the map - I find a large grass clearing with lumps on it but don't hang around to see if any of these are old machinery. The track is now reasonably well formed and each time it opens out I'm hoping it's the clearing where I headed up yesterday morning.

It is well dark under the canopy but light enough in the clearings so I keep plodding without a torch until I reach the original clearing. From here on it's more open and I'm on familiar territory again so I eschew the light to arrive at the car in the pitch black just before 6pm.

Post script

The Waitewaewae head waters caught my intention some time ago and I had heard about Island Forks hut, but didn't really have the confidence to take the trip on until now. A few previous trips near the area provided the necessary familiarity (and possible escape routes) and the weather indicated low flows and no rain - perfect for thrashing around in gorgish streams.

Missing the forks in the dark is a salient reminder that if you're relying on reaching somewhere and stuff your navigation up you could be in big trouble. In this case I knew the river route was navigable, had considered the possibility of travelling to YTYY hut, knew how far it was and where it was (although about 1cm off the bottom of my map) and was therefore quite happy not to turn back when I finally realised what was going on.

Despite the lesson (and discovering a wee gash on my forehead when I got home - apparently from head butting a log), it was a really pleasing trip - a little bit of unfinished business in the shape of East Waitewaewae river but I have to say it doesn't look entirely pleasant ... maybe I've seen enough of the reclusive Waitewaewae headwaters for now.

Panatawaewae

The lack of daylight at this time of year makes ambitious day trips somewhat fraught - with a high likelihood of finishing in a thrash down a strange spur or stream in the pitch black. So the trick is to find something where this is possible - but avoidable with a bit of application.

The weather forecast indicates tops and rivers are not a great prospect this weekend so the options rapidly dwindle to the area around Panatewaewae which, although not high on my bucket list, is one of the larger areas of real-estate in the Tararua's I haven't blundered around at some point.

The idea is to try to get around the edge of the Panatewaewae and Waikawa catchments in a day and pick up a couple of bits of business left unfinished the last (and first) time I was in that neck of the woods - namely, find the plane crash site I didn't find and not find the wrong spur off Waitewaewae I did find.

I reluctantly give up the idea of traveling anticlockwise which, although a more interesting proposition, would be just a little rash given available daylight and ability. 

What:    Circumnavigation of Panatewaewae and Waikawa catchments

Where:  Tararuas behind Manakau (north of Otaki)

Why:     See if it's doable - new ridgeline and hopefully find plane crash site

Who:     Solo

When:   24 June 2017

Map:     Map

The Mighty Red Gallant by dint of still being within its warrant period has survived to see another road end. This time I hang a right across the railway line just north of Manakau and follow a narrowing road south east into the Tararua foothills. It's raining and so claggy that it is still dark at 7.30am.

The road turns to a potholed track with a grassy mid-strip after the first gate. The car handles it ok but after the second gate it gets a bit hairy - at one point a wee uphill rocky patch sees the tyres spinning and scrapes the mudflaps - I hope there's somewhere to turn around on the other side. About 1.5km after the second gate there's a small slip over the road and no way through - after reversing half a K or so there's a spot wide enough to do a multi point turn and park the car off the track.  Lesson - park at the second gate.

At 7.50am and wrapped up against the rain I head along the road and past the first slip (missing the bottom end of the ridge track on the way as I find out later). The road drops down a bit and very shortly comes to a massive slip that has taken the entire road and chunk of hillside with it - DOC won't be repairing this one anytime soon (ever).

A sort of track scrambles up across and back down to the road on the other side for a short walk to the original road end. The toilet is still there and both ends of a loop track.  My map is a bit vague on the details so I follow the loop up the hill figuring that there will be a way to get on to the Panatawaewae ridge track. There is, but it isn't that pleasant.

The loop track veers left, climbs, veers right and flattens - shortly after flattening a pink ribbon promises access upwards. What it delivers is a scramble up a crumbling slope through rotten vegetation and supplejack.  Still, after a bit I'm standing on an old logging track which wends upwards in a most civilised fashion.

The rain rains and the cloud obscures everything at the occasional open spots. The track is wide and solid though so it's quick work to get to the ridgeline and some open areas under old pines. Someone has been up here on a quad a good wee while ago and there's a few foot prints showing the way.

There's one junction where the track continues downwards to the right but otherwise the route is obvious and the logging track continues well after it is marked on the map - in fact it's a bit below Pt 635 (around 550m and 09.30am) that plastic tape indicates a foot track on the right leaving the logging track to keep heading left to goodness knows where.

The markers disappear as far as I can see apart from some old spray paint on Panatewaewae (10.10am). The slope up to Pt 635 would be easy to get lost on on the way down and there are a couple of moments dropping into the saddle past Panatewaewae where the trail is not so obvious. The 'peak' itself is thoroughly unremarkable.

I have had no success finding where the name comes from - waewae is foot or leg, pana could be to evict ... but the most likely association seems to be with Te Waewae Kapiti o Tara rāua ko Rangitāne - the boundary between Ngai Tara and Rangitāne to which the name 'Kapiti' refers.  The nearby Waitewaewae hill and river system are surely related to the same roots.

Progress is satisfactory despite another bit of uncertainty finding the way off Pt 775 - I'm guessing that most people turn back at Panatewaewae.

After Pt 890 the ridge flattens and I start looking to follow around to my right - a single white plastic marker on a tree below the ridgeline indicates I'm in the right place (12.00). In theory this is familiar territory as I have been through once before. More to the point I am close to Pt 955 and the location of the plane crash - this time I am armed with a better idea of where to find it.

There are regular white plastic markers now and, on the way up to Pt 955 (at about 915m) I note a yellow one, and then a white one off the ridge to the north west. I follow these into a dip where a trickle forms and starts heading steeply down - sure enough there are a few more markers and pretty soon bits of plane start turning up.

You can read about the crash here. The short version is that an Air Oxford crashed in 1941 and was found by hunters in 1980 (the same type of plane crashed at Kaiparoro). Bits were removed and are in the Wigram museum but there's still a fair amount here, including the pilot; Selwyn Sinclair, aged 20. A bronze plaque was apparently set up but I couldn't find it.

The first substantive thing I find is a yellow aileron and a wooden cross - this must be where the pilot is buried. The cross was painted white once but the stainless steel plaque, once wiped clean is still neatly etched and easily read.  Nearby is a wheel assembly and northwards around the slope is a wee gully with a trickle and more bits of plane, including the remains of a radial engine. Other bits are scattered about, moldering into the landscape.

After 20 or so minutes I've seen enough and leave the wreckage to continue its slow dissolution into the headwaters of the Panatewaewae stream.

Pt 955

Back on the ridge I follow up to Pt 955 and the marker for the plane crash that I had briefly searched near to no avail last time (now 12.45pm). The route from here is reasonably easy to follow east along the ridge line with a brief moment of confusion near Pt 969 when I misread the compass and head off in the opposite to correct direction. This is quickly identified and rectified but is a reminder to be wary of confirmation bias and to check twice.

Waitewaewae

Waitewaewae is a welcome sight (2.05pm) with some canopy openings where the cloud can be viewed and an opportunity to take the correct route this time.

There are plenty of white plastic markers - one set looks to indicate a route south down a spur (I assume to Island Forks - noted for future reference).  Another indicates the 'Road End' can be reached by heading straight ahead and northish via Pt 708 (another candidate for exploration), whilst another indicates my route dropping down the ridge to Pt 739.

My direction is a bit overgrown with little in the way of markers until a section with splendid reflectors  adorning every second tree - the last marker from both directions announcing that fact in a very useful fashion (I think these mark a route from the spur up from Pt 490 along the ridge to the saddle either before or after Pt 673 - before, I think - but I wasn't really paying attention).

With the markers drying up again and the ridge being fairly broad there is a bit more casting about but it's fairly open so travel is good. The light however is starting to wane.

At Pt 730 I stumble suddenly onto a wide and solid 4WD track. Hopefully the going now will be open and quick. I turn right and trot the down hills.

4WD track and getting a bit dim

A bit dim?

Judging by the puddles and tracks the area is infested with 4WDs. There are also more roads than marked on the map but there's only one point (before the right turn near Pt 595) where I follow a dead end briefly - a gorse patch convinces me that my turn off is a little further along. Sure enough the correct turn has old signs in the bush pointing towards the road end.

There are more clearings and less canopy so I am treated to the sun setting fire to the clag in the west. The vehicle tracks are left behind and my route follows large grassy clearings down the spur (with the occasional side excursion before finding the correct route again). In the open, the track is largely grassed over and can be missed - it has had some traffic though.

Last of the light

Near the bottom the track enters the bush again and sidles down hill and up valley to drop into the stream. Standing knee deep I'm relieved that it is not too high despite all the rain but I can't see any indication of whether to turn left or right. For various reasons which seem sensible at the time I head down river looking for an opportunity to climb the opposite bank.

This doesn't eventuate until I reach what I suspect is the bottom of the big slip crossed in the morning. Getting out of the river and through the shattered trees to the toe of the slip then scrambling up the steep loose surface is tricky in the gloom but not being able to see the drop below helps. Eventually I grovel on my belly over a lip and roll onto the road.

At 5.40pm the car is still where I left it and it even starts. There's a bit of a graunch from underneath navigating the rocky bit but otherwise the trip out is uneventful. The speedo says 0.9km from where I parked to the second gate so it's really not worth the hassle driving in.

Just about time for the head torch

Postscript

The trip was an interesting challenge and it is somehow satisfying to have skirted the entire circumference of the headwaters of the Waikawa Stream with (in theory at least) dry feet. There is a fair amount of old logging tracks and a lot of ridge travel so navigation is not overly taxing. Just a few spots where you can wander off but I would think somewhat trickier in the opposite direction. I would pick a day with a few more hours of light though.

The roads and the age of the tree's provide evidence of the logging history, and I suspect for those with the eye, there will be signs of the impact of the 1936 storm. I can't say much about the views given the weather, but the highest you get is Pt 969 so there is no open tops. On a good day though I suspect you will get some vistas across the coast and of the surrounding hills.

The main problem with the day is that the area suggests plenty more interesting trips to be had.

Some links

TTC trip 
Start of ridge track
MTB ride down ridge track
TTC Footprints - Waikawa Valley

Ohau River

Ohau river - Te Araroa track skirts part of the catchment and it is a traditional gateway from the west into the heart of the northern Tararuas.  There are a couple of huts in the headwaters that I want to visit but have tended to steer clear as solo river travel doesn't strike me as the smartest survival strategy.

This time however, Rodger has posted a Meet-up trip to Te Matawai hut via Gable End. The weather is uncharacteristically settled (in a good way) and I figure we can share transport. My plan is to meet him at the hut in the evening having found my way there via North Ohau hut and the ridge to Girdlestone saddle.

What:    Meet-up trip to Te Matawai hut
Where:  North Western Tararuas behind Levin
Why:     Explore Ohau River, huts in the catchment and Girdlestone saddle
Who:     Rodger, Scott and me
When:   Weekend 17-18 June 2017
Map:     Map

Scott has also signed up for the trip so I pick him up Saturday morning and we hook up with Rodger in Tawa to travel to the (now very familiar) Poads Road end.  With three to organise it is a bit after 10 when we finally kick off on a sunny morning.  We head across cattle churned river terrace paddocks to the gorge.

The pace is fairly leisurely so it's about 11.20 when we reach the bottom of the Gable End track. Scott is keen to see North Ohau hut so we agree that I'll visit South Ohau today and we'll all exit via North Ohau tomorrow.

Route to the river is unmissable - bottom of Gable End

Rivers are generally best avoided - what with drowning, slippery boulders and the a generally slower pace of travel. However, today I have a walking pole and fear nothing.

The river is at normal flow and clear apart from the deeper pools which have that cool blue/green tint. The sun catches the wider flats and progress is pretty good, seeing me at the junction between the north and south branches in a bit over half an hour. Apparently trampers have missed the branch in the dark and ended up at the north instead of south hut - in daylight however navigation is pretty straight forward and I don't note any side streams that might cause confusion.

North Ohau to left, South to right - foot of Deception Spur between

The flow is much lower above the forks and the river bed a bit tighter in places, but it's still good travel and very pretty. At one point a pink ribbon looks like it marks a short cut across a terrace but turns out to lead to a polythene bivvy - complete with a couple of plastic garden chairs.




Old timer biv

It looks like two someones have been in before me - a pair of foot prints precede me up river and look to be fairly fresh.  On some of the straight stretches of river the winter sun on my back is as strong as you get it at this time of year.

About 1.10 I'm at South Ohau hut for a bite to eat. It's getting the sun but I suspect for not much longer - in summer it would have a very pleasant aspect for a comfortable evening on the deck.

South Ohau hut - Butchers Creek enters from right,
South Ohau comes from left (route to Girdlestone saddle) 

The hut is clean and tidy and, with the sum streaming in, exceedingly pleasant. A couple of chaps have signed through the log book last night - it looks like they have come in by torchlight and headed up to Te Matawai for the night before embarking on the northern crossing.

After a quarter hour break and a deep breath I gird my loins for the steep grunt upwards. Yeates track leaves from behind the hut and climbs straight up the spur for about 300m before leveling. Along the top there's a fair amount of wind thrown trees giving a few views across to the ridge that Rodger and Scottt are sweating up.

In about 45 minutes I reach the junction with Dora Track (Te Araroa) and turn left to reach Te Matawai hut in 20 minutes. All up about 4 hours 20 from the car (and I reckon you could trim a bit off that).

Pt 810 

At Te Matawai you can see up to the main range, or at least the bits not covered in cloud. Pukematawai is hidden and there's not much sun to be had for the rest of the day. The inside of the hut is decidedly cool.

Te Matawai in its normal attire

The experience of being at a hut in the mid-afternoon with no more tramping for the day is weird. I potter around and get myself thoroughly cold before finally having the sense to get out of river sodden boots and into dry clothes and sleeping bag for a snooze. This keeps boredom at bay for a while, and a hot drink for a little while longer.

There's a good stack of fire wood so I undertake another unusual activity and get a fire going. I wouldn't bother on my own but figure Scott and Rodger might be late and cold.

Reading the log book passes a bit more time - some pages are 80% Te Araroa walkers south bound (SOBO) or north (NOBO) - not so much during winter though.

It's just on dark around 5pm that Scott and Rodger wander in. The grunt up Gable was not so bad but the ridge was fairly muddy and the route from there a bit up and down. They settle in and we prepare our respective meals - Rodger takes over the fire and keeps it going all evening - maybe something to do with everyone having three season sleeping bags.

I'm first up in the morning and reasonably keen to get going as I anticipate that we might be pushing light by the end of the day. At this point the down side of using the fire kicks in in the shape of the two chores; dousing and disposing of the ashes, and getting more wood. I get on with this while the others break their respective fasts.

The day is grey but the cloud is about 1000m so there are views to be had. A helicopter buzzes over the ridge to Pukematawai just below the cloud ceiling and shadows the main range before nipping through a saddle into Park Valley.

It's about 8.40 when we leave the hut and, after about about 3 minutes walking, Scott wipes out in a bog - leggings and gloves are thick with the noisome stuff. The track through here is somewhat soft in a few patches.

Mangahao valley ahead - Girdlestone Saddle to Ohau on left

The scrub gives way to forest as we drop into the saddle, arriving about 0930. The route to South Ohau is well marked but I'm surprised how little ground trail there is leading out of the saddle in the direction we're going (northish along the ridge). There's a bit of casting about required to find the best way through old logs (possibly from the 1936 storm) but it's pretty easy going over a lump in the saddle and then the gradual start to the climb up to Pt 865. Somewhere around here we start seeing markers and the ground trail becomes more pronounced - I suspect there is an old route down to the Mangahao river about 100m below (this would make sense as it would come out opposite Pt 630 at the base of Triangle Spur).

Rodger and Scott contemplate leaving the road most traveled 

Rodger applying walking poles to the defenseless flora

With a breather on the way up it's an easy climb to Pt 865 which marks where Deception Spur comes up from the Ohau forks. There's a cairn and lots of tape marking that route which I mentally add to my list for investigating at some point. We follow the sharp topped ridge north east through open forest for a short climb to find more orange tape marking the top of the spur down to North Ohau hut.

The track down is a bit overgrown but there's a reasonable amount of old markers - without them I suspect it would be easy to lose the way as the shape of the spur is not always obvious.

Scott stops part way down to do arcane things with cell phones and satellites - something to do with the game he was involved in when we went up Hector last year. Rodger and I listen to his explanation about defining a node at the hut and the complicated technology required to capture it because it has no cellphone reception - and understand about one concept in seven.  We leave him to it and head on down.

At the bottom of the spur we stumble on the toilet then the hut - it's about 1.30. The hut loses the sun as we arrive, although the loo is still basking. It's a wee four bunker with a fire - quite damp in the narrow, sunless valley (the deck is lethally slippery) but I imagine pretty cosy once the fire is cranked up.  The hut is on a terrace above the valley bottom with the sounds of the river drifting up.

I'm keen to get going as the map indicates that the river could be a bit gorgy - the more light available while we are traveling the better.

The flats can be followed for a while (albeit boggy) but soon enough we are in the river (well, large stream) slithering over boulders and skirting the deeper pools. It's a steeper and more gorgy river bed then the South Ohau so is slow although not bad going. I wouldn't like to be here if the flow was up.

The sun occasionally lights a hillside above or glances into one of the wider flats but we are mostly hemmed in, in cool, damp air and dim light.

Someone has been through ahead of us - there are wet foot prints on the some of the boulders but in these conditions it is difficult to tell how long they have been there. I am guessing not so long although the person didn't note their presence in the log book.

Scott's boot gives up the ghost and upper separates from lower but not so that we have to actually apply duct tape and he keeps the pace up. It's about an hour twenty to the forks and another hour down river to the large orange triangle that marks the exit near the foot of Gable End.

At 4pm it's getting dim in the bush so we keep a good pace up to hit the farmland as the last of the sun set warms the top of Square knob. On the way back through the paddocks we stop at a large boulder - there's a bronze plaque on it commemorating the Levin Waiopehu tramping club (1927 to 1977), no idea if they still exist - but the plaque will be around for a while.

There's plenty of light to see us across the flats and back to the car but it wouldn't have been long before we would have been cracking out head torches.

Postscript

The Ohau River is a good way to commute into Te Matawai. Probably tricky if the river is up at all but it's pretty and our non-scientific comparison indicates it's quicker. Not much in the way of markers (apart from the exit point on the way out I didn't see any).  A few deepish pools but nothing above mid thigh, and one or two rocky scrambles.

The forks are obvious - I didn't note any side streams that could be confusing. South Ohau hut is obvious above the river - North Ohau not, but I think there was an orange triangle marking the track which follows along and up to the terrace the hut is on.

Yeates track is a steep scramble up at the start but it's over and done with reasonably quickly. The ridge from Girdlestone north had a bit of ground trail but easy to miss and I didn't note any markers until the start of the slope up to Pt 865 where the trail was also more obvious. The spur down to North Ohau would be tricky in low light and is a bit overgrown but there are quite a few tape markers.