Mt Matthews to Papatahi Crossing

Another rainy forecast so another weekend that a trip to the tops around Mitre Peak is not a goer. It's starting to feel like I'm running out of plan Bs. The Orongorongo River is normally not too bad after rain so I work out a trip that takes in a chunk of new track, as well as a bit of a bash through tiger country.

What:    Mix of on-track and nav.
Where:  Orongorongos: Mt Matthews and Papatahi
Why:     Check out some tracks and fill in a gap on the Rimutaka Range
Who:     Solo
When:   5 November 2016
Map:     Map

At 6.40am the cheerfully named Sunny Grove in Wainuiomata is predictably quiet. I leave the car at the curb hoping that no-one decides that it is either a derelict for towing, or sets fire to it as a jolly Guy Fawkes prank. 

The route I've planned is a 500m climb following the Whakanui Track over the ridges from the back of Wainuiomata to the Orongorongo River, climb 800m to Mt Matthews then navigate the jagged ridge line north to Papatahi, descend to the Orongorongo River again to bash up to the East Whakanui Track to cross back across the ridges to Wainuiomata. I'm carrying a bivy tent and supplies for a night out on the way.

A discrete DoC sign board indicates the way to the Whakanui Track and I'm soon out of suburbia and climbing through bush. 40 minutes later, breaks in the cover give views across hills patched with sun and cloud shadows towards the Hutt. 

North west over Wainuiomata 

Kiwi country

Near the top, signs put up by a local trust provide a friendly reminder about the programme that has reintroduced kiwi to these hills. You can only hope that the locals are careful about their dogs, because Sunny Grove is less than 45 minutes away.

Whakanui Track follows the ridge between Whakanui Creek and Turere Stream. It is pleasant going on the ridge top, with the clag lurking and the rain holding off. This part of the range is somewhat nondescript. It lurks shyly between the harbour edge hills and the more dramatic main Rimutaka Range, with its highest point a modest 800m. But the bush is regenerating nicely, trapping programmes are making inroads on the predators, and if you're around at the right time of day the call of kiwi once again echo through the low valleys. On a clear day, it can also reward with rare snippets of views across the harbour and the Wellington hills.

At 497 the Track leaves the ridge and drops down a spur to the river. I imagine the rest of the ridge down to the Turere Lodge is completely navigable and probably used for trapping.  Just before the valley floor, a gap shows Mt Matthews with its distinctive erosion scars and a puff of cloud on top.

Mt Matthews with its head in the clouds -
my route along the ridge to the left

About 2:10 after setting out I'm at the bottom and contemplating how to cross the Orongorongo River with dry feet. The flow is pretty modest so I opt for the one-boot-hop. This involves selecting a suitable stretch of river and, after removing one boot, hoping daintily across resting boot-clad foot on handy rocks whilst the naked foot takes it's chances in the cold water. It works in that I have dry boots for the climb up Mt Matthews, but I don't recommend it.

This is the first time I've seen water flowing at the mouth of the Matthews Stream - normally the water has drained into the shingle fan well up the gully. Still, it has that slightly odd characteristic of getting bigger as you follow it up.

No-one seems to have been up this way yet this morning and I potter on up enjoying the quiet and the bush, and frequent pauses for breath. 3:15 from Wainui and the clearing above South Saddle is a welcome stop. The weather is turning out pretty much perfect - no wind and overcast.

South Saddle, Welly in the distance and McKerrow behind the hat.

20 minutes later there's time for a pause for yet another forlorn attempt to capture the gnarled, muffled softness of goblin forest.

Beech forest, Mt Matthews

10 minutes later the balcony gives the first view of the Wairarapa and a glimpse of the ridge north. But there's a better view of what comes next a bit further along.

View from the balcony 

There's a route through there somewhere ... north towards Papatahi

Just over 4 hours after leaving the car I've navigated the slips on the back of Mt Matthews to be rewarded by that stunning vista across Palliser Bay.

Lake Onoke, Palliser Bay and the Aorangi Range beyond (more about those hills next week)

Now things get interesting. I have no idea what the ridge will be like - the map promises it will be dramatic and the vegetation indicates it will be tough. From what I've seen so far it looks like it will be both. There's a sign at the top pointing to north saddle and I scramble into the scrub to see what the route down is like.

The route drops 200m off Mt Matthews into a saddle, and someone has thoughtfully marked the way with wee orange triangles and cut away the more annoying branches. It makes it somewhat easier but it is still steep and treacherous: a lot of the branches are rotten and the ground is pretty loose in places. I'm quite comfortable but I hope no-one follows the markers that isn't up to this type of travel.

On the way down I note an orange tent in a clearing on point 616 and wonder idly if there are hunters about. The markers drop me into the first wee saddle and a view down one of the eroded gullies towards the coast.

Typical south coast eroding gully -
headwaters of Corner Creek

There's a small bushy knob to negotiate in the saddle, and as I make way up a series of nearby rifle shots boom and echo around the steep gullies. I quickly work out that they are coming from the other side of the knob, so I'm not in the direct line of fire, but it's a little unnerving.

Letting out some loud whistles and checking that my orange cap is at its brightest angle I edge around the knob and cautiously check out the other side. The shots have stopped but I can't see anyone - not surprising - that's the general idea when hunting. However, a low whistle confirms that I've been seen so I make good pace to get along the ridge and out of the area, stopping for a couple of snaps on the way of course.

From the knob looking at the next section of ridge

The other side of the knob reveals another saddle with a sharply eroding top and some tricky little scrambles. One option is to straddle the knife edge and wriggle inelegantly along, but an orange marker indicates that some of the apparently crumbly face is a bit more stable than it appears.

Looking back at the knob with Mt Matthews behind

The other side of the scramble puts me on the ridge above the 616 spur, and I come across three hunters and a dog relaxing on the track. They are the owners of the tent and the shots. We chat for a bit.  They've come up one of the streams from the south coast, pinged some deer yesterday, and were just potting at some goats when I came through. They're a little surprised at the distance I'm planning to cover and, as always, I'm amazed by the weight they are carrying. Discussing their route out, I'm surprised that they intend to follow the streams, whereas I would stick to the ridges.

I leave them to it and head on through North Saddle. The markers continue for a while but then dive west into the gully. Probably dropping into Matthews Stream. After this point there is little indication that people come this way although they surely must.

Looking south from North Saddle

It's a bit of a grovel up out of the saddle with little indication that anything over three foot tall travels through the bush hereabouts. A goat trots away in front, in confirmation of the theory. To make it even more enjoyable, two of my favourite plants are in plentiful supply: bush lawyer and ongaonga.

It's quite tricky travel now - there is a mix of forest and scrub and it is frequently difficult to work out exactly where the ridge runs.

Making some progress - Papatahi in the distance
Probably from around 830

Looking south, Orongorongo River on right

The mixed scrub and forest is draining travel, the animal trails are often over loose or boggy ground and there are frequent low and rotten branches. Coming up to 819, I manage to drift off to the left a bit and pop out on the edge of a fairly startling scarp. It's a bit of work to get back up to the ridge, only to drift on to a knob off to the right of the main ridge. Taking a direct line back to the ridge sees me struggling through chest high scrub, at one point plunging one hand into a healthy nettle bush.

It's hard work getting around and down to the saddle past 819, where to my relief there is a small stream trickling out of the hill. This is taking longer, and is hotter, than expected.

In amongst the bush it is sometimes quite tricky to work out which steep sided ridge or spur is the one to head for, so it takes a little while to get to the final saddle. After starting up the final steep spur the bush opens, and there are spectacular views south along the tortuous ridge. There's a choice of thrashing up through impenetrable low bush or edging along a steep drop. I elect for clutching handfuls of grass whilst navigating up along the precipitous edge. The ground is dry, and the grip pretty good, so it's a question of being careful rather than scared.

Looking south from further along ...

and looking down

It seems to take a long time, but is about half an hour to work up the 200m into mature forest, and along the flat topped Papatahi, to eventually and inevitably stumble onto the Papatahi Track.

Been a while since seeing one of these

The top is a minute from where I hit the track. It's 4.25, almost five and three quarters hours after leaving Mt Matthews: that ridge was indeed tough! The weather is changing, but I take the time for a celebratory tin of sardines, before turning to the 700m  descent. At least there are no branches, nettles and brush lawyer to push through.

Top of Papatahi - and there goes the weather

Half an hour later I've dropped down the last of the steep scrambles into a stream bed, and topped up with water, before following it down to North Boulder Creek, then the Orongorongo River, on the way down disturbing a family of goats. The billy keeps a weather eye on me whilst letting the others go ahead.

I've been this way once before with Mike in the opposite direction. The river has a different character to the wide shingle bed down the valley. Upstream is the warning sign about entering the drinking water catchment, and downstream is the domain of huts, tracks and people.

Orongorongo River - up stream

There's no where to cross the river with dry feet, so I do the one boot hop again. Rather than follow down to the mouth of the Whakanui Stream, I pick a likely looking spur which turns out to have an old route up to the East Whakanui Track (with occasional tin markers). It's slow going, so it is 6.45 by the time I finally emerge on the track, 200m or so short of 502.

The track is well trodden - mainly for pest control by the look of it (traps and blue triangle markers apart from one section where they have left orange for some reason). On another day it would be quite a pleasurable amble, but it's been a long day now so I plod along and up into cloud and gathering gloom.

I'm quite interested to see what's at the top. I had tried to hit this track on an earlier visit to the area but discovered by accident an old and very well made trail that deposited me way off course behind locked gates in the water catchment. I'm keen not to repeat the experience.

At the top of the evocatively named 'spot height 800'
With stoat trap

It's 7.45 before the track tops out and turns firmly left with, to the right, a sign warning about the water catchment. That's pretty clear then - no danger of wandering off in the wrong direction. It's nice to know that the climbing is all done, but the cloud is piling in from the west and a raincoat is in order, followed not too long later by a head torch.

The track drops 200m into a saddle and is easy to follow. After climbing 100m I miss the Whakanui Track joining from the left, but manage to identify where the Nikau Creek Track drops off. I saw no signs and I note afterwards that, although marked on my map, it is not on the web topo map. I'm interested to follow this down, so as to complete the loop on a different track.

As I descend in the dark the sounds of Guy Fawkes and frightened dogs drift up from Wainuiomata and the massive booms rumble in the background from the Wellington display. The track is not as well traveled, and only sporadically marked, so there are quite a few points where a strategic retreat to the last identifiable marker or section of trail is necessary, in order to find the way forward. This is particularly problematic where there is the odd tree fall or a lot of leaf litter obliterating the foot pad. It is painstaking work but I'm not keen on trying to bush bash in this country in the pitch black.

It's the sort of situation where you pay attention and realise just how much you rely on visual clues and peripheral vision to maintain a sense of direction. The odd marker, glimpse of distant street lights, and the compass needle are the only things that can really be trusted.

It takes a long time to work down the spur. At last the sounds of water drift up from the creek and, after navigating a final tree fall, I'm crossing it to try and find a path on the other side. The track I find is wide and very well made. The last 10 minutes or so are much easier going on the flat without having to worry about branches in the face or dodgy footing. It spits me out in the car park at the end of Hine Road beside the Garden of Remembrance.

It's less than a kilometre under orange street lights to where the car waits. I am totally relieved to throw my pack into the unburnt car and head for home; near as dammit to 16 hours after setting out.

Post Script

This was a bit of a stretch for a day trip with a weekend pack. The Whakanui Tracks are both well worth doing and Mt Matthews is always a crowd-pleaser. The ridge from Matthews to Papatahi is not for the faint-hearted. Although initially marked, most of it doesn't seem to get much in the way of traffic and there are some quite steep, exposed and unstable sections. I ended up covered in bruises and scrapes from the tough scrub (legs particularly) along with numerous nettle stings and scratches to hands and face from bushlawyer.  Later in summer, water will be a concern, not to mention overheating. I probably shouldn't really have bashed up the spur to East Whakanui Track, as that part of the park doesn't really need people going off track too much. And, although taken carefully it was fine, I wouldn't recommend doing the stretch down to Nikau Creek for the first time in the dark.