Tauherenikau

Enough Christmas relaxation; time to get back into the bush. I'm a bit disorganised so head out Saturday afternoon for a not too demanding wander. The idea is to leave from Kaitoke, find a link to the Pylon Track, navigate down a spur to the mouth of Smith's Creek and head into Tutawai for the night. Next day; head along the Tauherenikau Ridge, drop down a spur at the south end and exit via the Puffer after visiting the Smith's Creek Waterfall. 

What:      Nav trip 

Where:    Tauherenikau area

Who:        Solo

When:     14 January 2017

Map:        Map

During the last year I have gone about getting into the hills on as many weekends as possible. In the course of this I have developed a strong preference for always doing something new, and gone to great lengths to avoid covering familiar ground. This weekend is no exception but - I will be covering a bit of ridge that was part of one of my first solo forays off the marked track. It will be interesting to see what I make of it this time.

It's 2pm on Saturday by the time I've got myself sorted and parked by Kiwi Ranch Camp. It's a bit overcast but there's good enough views on the way up the ridge.

View across Pakuratahi

On the map there's no track marked from the Puffer Saddle up to point 756 on the Pylon Track but it looks like an obvious route, and sure enough there is a pretty solid trail up through the bush, with occasional views over the Kaitoke/Pakuratahi Valley.

Pakuratahi from a little higher up

About 1 hr 20 from the car park, the track rolls over the top of the ridge and drops onto the 4WD track. There's little to indicate the intersection, but it should be pretty easy to find your way in reverse.

The well-formed road wanders along the ridge with views across to the Rimutaka Road and summit and beyond to Lake Wairarapa. The wind is getting up.

Rimutaka Hill Road

Gets a bit windy up here

I'm somewhat startled to come across a largish woman making heavy weather of it on the way up to 805. She is the tail marker in a family group that have come from the Rimutaka Summit, and are following the Pylon Track down to the twin bridges at the bottom. Shortly after, I run into the rest of the party who are lounging about on the road, waiting her approach. It's good to see people cracking into what is a bit of a grunt and somewhat of a logistical challenge.

My target is the spur that leaves the Pylon Track a few hundred meters past 805. At first I overshoot and find myself investigating the start of the Mt Frith Track; its marked with orange triangles from the 4WD track - I quickly identify the mistake and head back.

The going is pretty good down the spur, A ground trail comes and goes, but people have obviously been through before. There are a few view spots to look back towards the puffer saddle and up towards Marchant Ridge.

From spur looking west towards Puffer Saddle

I work down to point 714, which is where I figure it might get a little tricky. Sure enough there are some old markers, and it looks like there is a route running west down to Smith's Creek. I'm keen on trying to follow the spur further towards the junction with the Tauherenikau though.

The ground trail gets harder to discern, and a bit of casting about is required. Eventually, at about the 400m contour, there is no obvious spur and I end up just following a bearing and picking my own way down. Including through the kiekie-infested head waters of a few streams.

A bit of fungal flora

 Around 6.30pm I stagger off the bottom of the spur a few minutes up-stream from the Tauherenikau River. That part of the mission is accomplished.

Easy going on the track

The track here is wide and easy going. I amble along up valley to the swing bridge and then on to Tutuwai Hut arriving about 8.20 pm.

Last time I came through here was shortly before Christmas but in the opposite direction: pitch black and after a pretty tough day. It's kind of nice to  see the landscape this time.

There are a few parties at the hut but enough room for me. I'm a little unused to sharing with so many people and a dog though. I've brought the meths stove so heat up water for a dehy then turn in.  I may as well have stayed up given the noise as others sort out their sleeping arrangements.

The wind has got stronger during the day and it thrashes through the trees outside. The forecast for tomorrow is for more wind and some rain but I'll be below the bushline, so no worries.





In the morning I gather my things and head out onto the deck to pack, so as not to disturb others. I've decided to check out an old route onto the Mt Reeves Track, following a spur a little way up valley (true left Reeves Stream) that I've heard about.

I get away around 7.30 am and find the spur but don't identify anything like a track until I am well onto it - I suspect I left the main track a little early. It's pretty easy to follow up anyway and soon enough I've joined the Mt Reeves Track shortly before 646, about an hour after leaving the hut.

The bush is wet and the wind whips through overhead. I've brought a bush saw for the first time and soon have cause to use it to remove a windfall branch. As I potter up I think about the etiquette for hacking at the vegetation and work out a simple guide: only use it commensurate to the quality of track; - i.e. not at all if it is not marked on the map, through to use it lots to keep highly developed tracks easily navigable. Pretty obvious I guess.

This is the second time I have left the Mt Reeves Track to follow the ridge to Tauherenikau. The first time was my first real solo nav trip and I was somewhat nervous - I'm interested to see how the route compares to subsequent trips.

This time I find a more direct route onto the ridge and shortly a ground trail develops. I think I make slightly quicker progress, being a bit more confident about using map and compass. The ground trail is mostly pretty good, At times I found I've wandered off it, but there's no dramas. All up, no great difference to a lot of other ridges in the Tararuas really.

The top of Tauherenikau is every bit as underwhelming second time around. A pile of rocks, no view and, once again, wind whistling through the branches overhead. It's 10.40 am - time for a bit of Christmas cake soaked in whisky (thanks Iona!).

From here it is new territory. On the map I reckon there is a network of ridges and spurs that can be followed down to the top of the Tauherenikau Gorges. I'm planning to find my way along the ridge to 883, head west to 770, then west and south to the junction between Smith's Creek and the Tauherenikau River. It looks a little challenging, with plenty of opportunities to drift off down the wrong spur.

It all goes remarkably smoothly. The shape of the ridge is pretty clear at 883 and someone has put tape near the target spur. The trail at the start of the spur is a little unclear but pretty quickly becomes straight forward. I take some care to get to 770 and not head down the spur by Fan Stream. At one point I get a bit confused as there is an arrow indicating what feels like the wrong direction. Possibly a route down to the gorges. I soon work out where I want to be and unexpectedly discover orange DoC triangles at a couple of key points.

More fungi

Some open country

The bush is the normal mix but with a fair amount of open beech. Towards the bottom the ground trail peters out (or I wander off it), but there are occasional glimpses of the other side of the gorge so I just keep on bearing for the junction. As usual there is open beech that is easy to navigate but the lower slopes are lush and a bit more bashing is required.

High class pig wallow - wood lined

 About 1.50 pm I clamber down a couple of terraces and peer out at the river. If it's low enough I will find a crossing point. No such luck - it's up and a little turbid. I scramble back onto the terrace and start working up river to the swing bridge.

The Tauherenikau

I swap between terraces, and at one point some river flats, but it's fairly slow going. A little further along there are sporadic pink tape markers, and it gets easier closer to the bridge. A few minutes before it, I run across something called 'Camp Marchant.' Someone has taken time to set up a fire place and a bit of a camping area with a painted sign.

The bridge marks a return to civilised, wide tracks and somewhat quicker progress. With a lot of day left I figure I'm good to stay on plan and visit the waterfall in the headwaters of Smith's Creek.

At the last stream crossing before the climb up to the saddle, there is a flat spot after a wee clamber out of the stream.  I strike off into the bush, roughly south. A few minutes later I pop out at the stream, drop my pack and head on up.

The stream bed is pretty navigable although there are a few logs and pools to get around. The boulders can be slippery but I manage to keep my feet dry.

It takes about 40 minutes to get to the waterfall, halfway there the stream goes through a crumbling bluff requiring a wee scramble.

The stream drops off a bluff 15m or so high and down into a brown pool and that's as far as I'm going up stream. It isn't a particularly beautiful spot but streams and cliffs always have some drama about them, and there aren't that many waterfalls in the Tararua's so it's worth a visit.

I retrace my steps, pick up my pack, and head back to the track. Voices from down track indicate that someone is else is approaching the climb to the saddle, but they don't catch up so I'm left to my own devices.

A jogger passes on the way in and I take a few minutes to clear a couple of fallen branches but otherwise it is a sunny and uneventful trip out arriving at the car at 6 pm.

All up a highly successful trip. All milestones achieved and the weather mostly behaved itself.