Turere stream daytrip

This is a trip from a couple of years back - in the times before I got sucked into working in the great COVID machine.  There are a few others on the drawing board from around that time that I haven't quite got around to tidying up .... 

Another weekend with just time for a day trip.  This time Mike is too slow to find an excuse and is roped in alongside Angela.  

Using the same old map as last time, the plan is to visit a waterfall on the Turere stream in the hills between Wainuiomata and the Orongorongo Valley.

The waterfall came to my attention by accident some time ago when trawling through TTC trip reports. Someone had identified that the waterfall was marked in the wrong place on the map (downstream) and had taken a trip to visit its correct location - it has been subsequently moved (on the map that is).

Our starting point is a track up a spur by Nikau Stream.  It's shown on the old map and I vaguely recall coming down it in the dark so have absolutely zero confidence of finding it again. 

What:    Navigation day trip
Where:  Turere Stream 
When:   30 August 2020
Who:     Mike, Angela and me

About 8.15 we leave the car at the end of Hine street and head across the field to Nikau Stream.  A pause at the map board where the team estimates how far up Nikau stream before we look for the old track hiving up the side of the gully - about 12 minutes is the consensus assuming a leisurely 2 km/hr.

The regen bush in the gully is cool, manuka is being topped out with the exception of some big old specimens.  

After (fairly close to) 12 minutes a faint path looks like it heads left, closer inspection reveals an old mossy cairn and piece of faded tape.  We follow to where it ducks across the stream and starts scrambling upwards.  It looks familiar - but when I came through here in the opposite direction it was pitch black after a long day.

The track takes us up to the spur where a good foot trail with markers heads on up. About 400m past pt 492, just before the spur steepens, the old map shows a sidle track heading south around the hill side.  We can see a foot trail so follow it.

It's rough but a good wee bench for a short stretch - until we hit the first tree fall. After that it's pretty variable - in and out of gullies, quite a few large treefalls and our time estimates blow out. The odd marker and section of benching confirms we are in the right vicinity. Eventually we reach a spot where we can duck a short way up to the crest of the ridge and the modern track.  Not a recommended diversion. 

Angela notices a sticky damp spot on her trousers which, on closer inspection proves to be blood not sap. A closer look reveals blood on hands and other places but no obvious source. A quick down trou determines that the blood is from a tidy hole in her leg, probably from bush lawyer.  

We should be near an intersection with one of the routes to our ridge so head in the most obvious direction to find it (right).  It doesn't turn up so we return and continue up to where we know our ridge track starts (looking at Angela's Strava log later we must have stopped metres from the intersection).

At the top we join the Whakanui track (west) and head south along a long flat topped ridge through pretty goblin forest. 

After a while the newer sidle track joins from our right - and our first and only other tramper for the day potters into sight from down ridge.  He's spent the night by the river and is heading out again.  

This section of ridge is flat and long so we are keeping an eye on the clock to estimate when we will need to start looking for a point to drop west to the stream valley below.  We're close when the track breaks into an area of dead trees and regrowth - it allows the sun in and gives us views across to the opposite ridge.  It also allows a stiff cool breeze in but it is the perfect spot for lunch.

After lunch, and Mike stepping up to the Jelly bean challenge (in a blind taste he guessed the colour of most correctly), we take bearings off a couple of bumps on the opposite ridge.  Much to everyone's surprise the bearings meet at one point on our ridge, giving us an accurate fix.  

It's surprising how seldom this technique is useful as it relies on: a break in the canopy, no clag, identifiable point(s) roughly parallel to the feature you're on, those points being not so far away that they're on a different map or you can't draw an accurate line from them on the map.

Happy that we know where we are, we potter down trail, and back into forest. The ridge top broadens for a bit before we reach a junction of sorts where markings indicate a route down an obvious spur above our target waterfall - we want to arrive below the falls so continue on the track.

The map shows the track going over some knobs on the ridge but these are not really apparent.  We know we're about in the right place so strike west and scramble down a steep face through messy bush. It gets a bit hairy at the bottom navigating a bit of a loose face but we get to the stream edge in the end.

Angela negotiates the last few meters ...

... with moral support

Regrouping, we head up the respectably sized Turere Stream.  A few bends later we reach the base of the falls - it's not the most picturesque spot but the water cascades over a bit of a drop into a greenish pool.

Men with sticks

We want to continue up valley but there's no climbing the water fall or up the sides near it - we retreat to the first side stream (true left) and find a cairn opposite it.  Sure enough there is a steep scramble up the true right onto a spur which we follow up to drop over the other side, just upstream of the waterfall. 

Waterfalls are nowhere near as interesting from the top so there's not much point hanging around here.  Shortly upstream there's an impressive and recent erosion scar on the true right - the different ages of surrounding bush indicating it's not the first in this spot. 

The stream is a good size and wide enough that it's a pretty straight forward ramble most of the time, barring the odd log jamb.  There's also a few cascades - I climb around these in the interests of dry feet while Mike and Angela elect for the safer but wetter direct approach (mid-rift for Mike and chest high for Angela) .

About 3.30 we figure we could head up stream for a little longer but note that the spurs on the true right for the next kilometre all reach the ridge at the same point - i.e. we may as well head up now.

We clamber onto the chosen spur.  There's little sign of a trail for a start but after a while we start seeing the odd piece of old old tape then a faint foot trail.  This gets stronger as we climb with marking at strong side spurs. Towards the top there are traps, tunnels and we're obvious in an actively managed area.

Soon enough we pop out on to the McKerrow track.  Wainuiomata is already losing the late afternoon sun - hills fade to the horizon and although we can pick out the South Island, the air is so hazy we can't even see any details on the Hutt hills.

Mike pauses to check face book and we potter along the wide albeit a bit muddy track.  

Ignoring the route down to the Boys Brigade camp (and possibly access to Sunny Grove) we follow the main, and very large, benched track that drops us all the way back to the car right on the edge of dark.

Another good day in the local hills.  From subsequent visits I've found that Turere Stream changes noticeably as logs move and shingle backs up behind the jambs.  And the TTC website notes that there are lots more wee waterfalls in the surrounding creeks - so there's plenty more scope for exploring.

  

 

Wainui to Whitemans via Waiorongomai

The scratches from last week are healing nicely but the unfinished business is dwelling on the mind somewhat. The Rimutaka range between Papatahi and Waiorongomai remains stubbornly on the 'to do' list.

It doesn't help that it is a kind of tricky area to get to without having to commute through familiar territory. However, after a bit of thought I come up with a plan that will knock off three areas I've been itching to get to. Crudely speaking, I want to find an interesting route from Wainuiomata to Papatahi, follow the ridge north to Waiorongomai hut, head up into the Waiorongomai Saddle and to Orongorongo, then north along the range to drop down to Whitemans Valley.

The weather has been a bit wet and rain is forecast so I'm aiming to cross the largest river en-route at a bridge and avoid others.

What:    Nav trip
Where:  Rimutaka Range
Why:     Fill in three missing pieces
When:   18 February 2017
Who:     Solo
Map:     Map

Saturday - Wainuiomata to Waiorongomai

 



 

Wainuiomata is dark and quiet at 6am as I study the map board in the park at the end of Hine Street. My torchlight reveals a somewhat different lay out of tracks to my map but I quickly hatch a plan - head up a spur just short of Jonah Lomu track, follow it up to 492 then 644 and the Whakanui track. Somewhere along the way I should meet an unmarked track that I struggled down in the dark in November. 

 

There's no indication of a turnoff from the public track but once into the regrowth there seems to be a bit of a path of least resistance. Something called the Sledge Track is marked on the topo map but it must be sometime since it was used. After about an hour it's light and I've joined a track with markings that I'm pretty sure is the route up from Nikau Creek. And a little under an hour from there I'm at the main track.

I hadn't entirely meant to come down this track last time and in daylight I see why - the main track takes a left turn and the Nikau track goes straight ahead. In the dark I had missed the markers and had walked past a stoat trap and onto the wrong track which has quite a strong ground trail at that point.

Whakanui track goes left - step around the trap for Nikau Track 

It's a claggy day and the forecast is for a bit of dampness but not too bad. On Whakanui East track the going is quicker as it drops to a saddle then climbs to point 800 arriving about 8.40.  There's some pretty clear notices around here about the water catchment so I carefully avoid these and take a vaguely described route that follows one of a number of possible spurs eventually arriving at the Orongorongo river near the marked bridge about an hour later. 

  The river is a translucent brown and significantly up.

Orongorongo River - a bit up and coloured

After another bit of vagueness it's 1020 and I start up a spur for 434. It's steepish but not too bad apart from a bit of Kiekie. The spur flattens after about half an hour then gently climbs again before turning east of south east along a narrow neck to climb steeply up to 769. It looks pretty daunting on the map but in the end it wasn't such a bad scramble.

View south - probably into Boulder Creek

A little under 2 hours after leaving the bottom I'm pleased to be rolling over the shoulder onto the flat ridge top near 890.  I take a bearing for the track but in retrospect should have headed a little further onto the ridge as I end up sidling along and through a bit of scrub and windfall.

My route is north from here so heading south to the Papatahi Track is a bit unnecessary and it's 6-700m out of my way (and back). However, it would be sort of irritating to know that there was that little bit of ridge that I didn't traverse. 25 minutes later I hit the track and follow it up to the top of the ridge.

Papatahi Track near the ridge line

It's 12:50  and almost 7 hours in when I leave the track and start working my way north. The route starts in open, mossy beach with a bit of a ground trail but pretty soon there are tree falls and clearings where tracks seem to vanish. I follow the compass and generally get along alright although it is slow going. There are a few tricky bits where ground trails lead off in the wrong direction and with no visibility I'm completely relying on the compass and retaining a healthy suspicion of my sense of direction.

There is a tricky bit on the wide flat ridge top leading to 860. In the clag I mistake an area of tree fall for the edge of the ridge and waste time skirting around it and veering left. I sort myself out, head through the fall zone and am soon worming through tight high scrub near 860.

My technique, if it could be described as such, is to keep towards the east of the ridge. It probably makes little difference - no matter what line I follow it eventually ends up struggling through scrub and climbing over fallen trees.

Just an aside about this - 'climbing over fallen trees' may sound sort of innocuous - but imagine that they have been piled up by a crazed loon on a bulldozer and left to rot amidst tight scrub. You can easily find yourself perched on a slippery trunk 10 feet in the air facing the prospect of plummeting into a patch of bush lawyer.

After sidling around 815 I take a bearing to find the correct spur down but manage to veer off and start down a spur towards a tributary of the Manganui River. Fortunately I work out what's happening after only losing 50m height.

Heading towards 720 there is quite a strong ground trail and evidence that at some point (a long time ago) someone even trimmed a bit of scrub. This a a decision point. I plan to drop into Oreore Stream but there are a number of options. I note where the bush edge is marked on the map and decide to follow the spur to the saddle before 480. It's about 6.40 - just under 6 hours from Papatahi Track and a bit over 12 hours from setting out.

Near 720 - not much view today

My route departs from the ground trail and pretty soon there is absolutely no indication that anyone has been this way before. I struggle through dense scrub and low bush but  make progress and eventually am looking into the narrow slot saddle - left to the Orongorongo River catchment and right to the Waiorongomai. I drop in and head right.

It's not too bad travel at first. A few steepish scrambles but pretty soon there is a trickle and I can top up.

Pool in the upper Oreore - possibly not normally present

Travel down stream is slow. There are frequent rotten tree falls and scrubby branches blocking the way. At one point I find myself climbing through large fallen pines clogging the stream - sure enough on the hillside above are tall pines. There are also patches of buddlia. This place is seriously weed infested.

I try not to watch the clock as daylight wanes and the stream torture continues. There's little to mark progress as the valley runs straight between undistinguished sides and it's impossible to tell which side streams are marked on the map. With all the rain during the day the stream is up but not large enough to be a worry.

Eventually the ground to the right of the stream flattens and there are options to find easier routes - not that there seems to be any. Arriving back at the stream after one such diversion it's double the size. This is good news indeed as it means I've reached a major confluence and the hut is less that half a Km away, although in the pitch black I figure I will take the more straight forward but slightly longer route of following the stream down to the river and around to the hut.  Let's not dwell on the fact that in the end with the parsimonious marking I manage to circle completely around the hut before eventually homing in. Mercifully it is empty.

It's just after 9pm - 15 hours on the go. I've been in a stream for the last two hours and rained on intermittently all day - everything apart from the inside of my pack is saturated. It's not cold though so I don't bother lighting a fire and just hang things up after wringing the worst of the water out.

Someone has put a bit of corrugated iron in the fire place to protect it from the rain dripping down the chimney but it is awash and the floor around the fire place soaking so it's lucky I'm not after a bit of heat. The ping of drips on the iron are a rhythmic accompaniment to getting a dehy dinner together.

Sunday - Waiorongomai to Whitemans Valley

It's not raining in the morning but still cloudy and dim under the trees as I head out about 6.50. The plan is to climb the spur towards Waiorongomai Saddle then up to Orongorongo then further north. I don't fancy wading in the river for a start so I take a bearing from the hut and strike out through the trees. I soon hit the buddlia and scrub around the stream and swear my way west to the base of the spur.

At the confluence I pick a spot and sure enough there are a few bits of ground trail that come and go through the messy lower slopes before reaching more open beech and some solid trails heading up. It's steep but pretty good going. The valley to my right is drowned in clag but the sounds of streams and waterfalls drift up. There is a apparently a large water fall and at one point there looks like a ground trail heading down across rocky outcrops and the sound of crashing water - I have no idea whether you can see the water fall from the spur but it would be good to be up  here on a clear day.

I'm not racing up but trying to keep a steady pace and minding my business when a section of track in front of me suddenly scrambles to its feet and bounds away. A large billy goat with horn tips about a meter across stops about 7m away and we look at each other for a few moments trying to work out who is more surprised. Had I been a hunter his long pause would probably have proved fatal.

As the spur flattens at the top I bear right with the aim of finding a spur up to 589. I had thought to head through to the saddle itself but figured there wasn't going to be a lot to see. I don't see any particular indication of tracks but it's not too bad bashing up. The trees are quite low at the top so I can easily climb through and spot where the next section of the spur runs.

A strong ground trail runs most of the rest of the way up but I lose it short of 805 and end up bashing across the scrubby clearing and into tight low trees and scrub. After this however there is a reasonable ground trail and if you keep your eyes open it often by-passes some of the scrubby bits. In this fashion I potter happily along promising myself a bit of a break at Orongorongo.

Orongorongo

It's 10.30 and time for a bite. The 'peak' is thoroughly unremarkable and with the cloud there isn't even a prospect of a view. I still find it intriguing - it is not the highest spot on the ridge (by 4 meters) but it bears the name of the river which gives it some significance.

There's a very interesting spur running south east with a faint trail - I figure it would be a good option to come up from the hut although fairly steep at the bottom. Maybe another day.

The plan now is to head towards 791 (where I left this part of the range last week to cross to Bawbaw) and find a spur to follow down to Whitemans Valley.  I keep heading north along the ridge with generally few problems finding the route.

It's about 12.15 when I realise I must be just past 730. This is the point where I gained this ridge on a previous occasion having walked across from NaeNae. Since then I've done a bit more navigation and it's interesting to think back on how it was almost intimidating to reach this point and contemplate the completely unknown territory ahead.

Looking north to a clearing past 730 - they don't make names like that anymore   

The ground trail comes and goes as I drop to the saddle then start climbing up the ridge towards 791. It takes a while but eventually I know I'm on the long flattish part of the ridge. The only challenge now is to find the right spur down. The day has cleared so there are occasional views which help but doesn't stop me from making a rooky mistake.

My original plan had me passing 791 and taking a spur down to a ridge above Huia stream then dropping to the stream to exit to the road. On the day though I decide that the faster route would be a spur short of 791 to Narrow Neck Stream. Here's how it transpired...

Looking NNE down the length of Narrow Neck Stream

I was over relying on my altimeter which you can normally get away with but when you are on a long very shallowly climbing ridge it is a pretty crude way of finding a spur. I was too lazy to do what I should have done which was to head along to 791, calibrate, take a bearing and back track to the correct spur. So I ended up heading down what became a rapidly descending, untracked scramble to drop into a creek way earlier than intended (have I said before how creek travel is much slower than spurs?).

The creek descends steeply through a narrow rocky bed but mercifully no waterfalls. As I get lower some strong animal trails develop which speeds things up somewhat. Soon there are old logging tracks, stands of manky pine and what looks like stock tracks. It definitely has the feeling of being on the edge of farm land. Soon I'm stepping over a fence and pottering along on smooth grass.

Just before I hit the marked 4WD track down the gorge I wander across a paddock with a pervasive smell of rotten carcasses. Then I notice the bones scattered around and shortly after that a muddy patch delineated by boulders where some large pigs are mooching about. It looks like someone has figured that feeding old stock to the local pigs makes the hunting a bit easier.

The 4WD track is wide and well formed. It winds up and down above the stream and eventually crosses to deposit me by a series of gates to a house.  I'm a little nervous at this point as I would have liked to ask permission and I couldn't help but notice that one of the gates threatened to prosecute anyone with the temerity to trespass.

Oh well. I head up and knock on the door to apologise for my trespasses. They are somewhat bemused (you've come from where!?) but fine with it and I guess they figure there is bugger all to do about it now. Duty done I walk the final few meters of manicured gravel to the road through a light rain. All going well the support crew understood my directions from the top of the ridge and is waiting by the bridge - otherwise it's going to be a long walk (she did and she was).

At 4 pm it's taken a bit over 9 hours - but I reckon you could easily trim a few off that by taking a more direct route and not taking the wrong spur.

Post Script

The ridge north of Papatahi is nowhere near as bad as the bit between Papatahi and Matthews but it is a bit of a proposition.  It's pretty much like the rest of the range - the established beech forest is easy going but there are a lot of wind fall clearings with fallen trees and scrub that is hard to negotiate as well as areas of regenerating bush that is low and tight.

I didn't really like Oreore Stream very much. It is quite navigable with no appreciable drops but doing this trip again I would probably head through Waiorongomai saddle and down the spur - the scrub, pine, nettle and buddlia was just not that pleasant.

Climbing up  the spur towards Waiorongomai saddle was fine and I would be quite happy repeating this at some point. First though it would be good to take the more direct spur from the hut to Orongorongo. There's plenty of other options to check out in this area.

The route north along past Orongorongo is pretty good going - better than a lot of the rest of the ranges with the usual caveat about clearings etc.

The drops down into Whitemans Valley are probably best done after consulting with the relevant landowner if you can work out how to contact them. Failing that it's not too far to the Mt Climie road.

South Saddle to Tapokopoko

Mike has organised a trip to Paua hut in the Orongorongos with options for the adventurous and not so adventurous. I have some ideas about a reccy along the ridge south of South Saddle in the wake of a suggestion from Tararua Tramping Club that a track be put through.

As usual, punters express interest then can't make it and on the Saturday morning Mike isn't quite up to the early start. Accordingly, the main assault party which is planning to climb to South Saddle then follow the ridge south to 797 and down the spur to Waerenga hut consists of me. This suits fine - the company would have been welcome but a smaller party opens the door to some variations that I have up my sleeve - depending on how the day pans out of course.

What:    Nav and Paua Hut chill out
Where:  Rimutaka Range south of South Saddle
When:   28 January 2017
Who:     Solo nav, then chill out with Angela, Mike, Toby, Jo, Rodrigo
Why:     Pick up a new section of the Rimutaka Range
Map:      Map

It's a little overcast but promising to be a good day as I leave the carpark shortly before 7.30 am. There's little of note on the way in.  I run into a ranger who is relatively new to the area, he's interested in my plans for the day but hasn't heard about a possible track along the ridge. He asks me to look out for a pair of secateurs he thinks he left on a post near the Turere bridge loos (I check but can't find them).

The main assault party

The river is a little up  and the course has changed since I was in last - there have been some big flows through which have cut new channels. Dry boots are not going to be a goer today.

I head up around Big Bend where I figure to introduce the first variation on the original plan. According to the map there is a bit of a face developing into a spur on the true right of goat stream. I scramble up into the bush and soon come across a respectable track running up river I follow it for a bit and it comes to a hut (probably the second north east of Goat Stream). I decide to back track a little and head up in order to be closer to Goat Stream. Sure enough I skirt around another hut a little higher up the hill and near the stream bed where a home made marker indicates a route to South Saddle - this is going to be easier than I thought!

There is a good foot trail which, as usual, is hard to decipher in parts but it is pretty good and there are a generation of markers including relatively recent ones for pest control.

This tree had five or six markers on it - go figure!

As I gain height the goat stream catchment on my right reveals its steep, eroded faces and later on there are occasional views back to Wellington. The going is pretty good.

Looking up into Goat Stream catchment

Looking down Goat Stream - my spur on the right

Across top of Goat Stream towards Wellington

Although overcast, the sun is cracking through at times and I'm feeling the heat. Around 500m the spur joins a big spur that runs up beside Matthews stream. There are a lot of pest markers around and it looks like there is a route up that spur (this had been my plan A). There is also some home made markers indicating a sidle route to South Saddle. I'm a bit tempted but am in climbing mode so keep following the steepening spur to the main ridge.

There is nothing remarkable about the top of the spur - it rounds off into messy bush. You can fight to the edge of the slip face for a view east but I don't bother back tracking to see if there is a view over the saddle. The pest control teams have been through though and there are traps and tape markers for a way along the ridge which makes the going a bit smoother for a short while until they run out (I think less than half a K past 701).

An occasional clearing gives views in all directions and are not as difficult to navigate as those further south. I'm even treated to a fine view of Mt Matthew's backside. The wind sculpted beech, weathered stumps and epiphyte festooned trees testify to the weather conditions that predominate.

From 701 the occasional view south west gives a perspective of the main ridge and the various important spurs including the original target for the day (from 797 to Waerenga hut). I'm thinking though that there is plenty of time to potter along a bit further.

797 with the spur running west to Waerenga hut

After 701 the ridge dips into a saddle then climbs. I can't find much in the way of tracks - even animal tracks seem a bit scarce. Consequently I vacillate between walking the knife edge on the ridge top, picking through scrub above the steep western slopes or grovelling through steep slippery bush on the eastern side. At one point I dislodge a boulder which smashes down through the bush for a long while before dropping out onto an eroded face where it booms and crashes its way out of ear shot. I continue to sidle picking hand and foot holds with care.

Unnamed knob with the spur down true right of Mukamuka stream running to the left

The ridge leading to 797 provides views down Brown's stream to Turere Bridge where I can just make out tiny dots that could be people enjoying the patches of sun on the river bed. It's a fantastic perspective on the valley below. The ridge also provides the on going challenges of windfall clearings with tree trunks rotting into deep grassy scrub.

Looking west the clouds are gathering and the patches of sun are getting smaller. Still, it's a damn sight more pleasant than a previous time up here.

Down Browns Stream towards Turere Bridge

Not the easiest country to navigate

Mt Matthews in centre - ridge north running to the left

Point 797 is every bit as unremarkable as I remember it. I take a breather and, as it is only 11.20, notify home command that I'll keep going past 797 to Tapokopoko to descend Paua Ridge.

This now marks territory that I have traveled on a trip up the spur from Waerenga hut then south to 743. The top is rounded and covered in fairly thick bush. I don't identify anything marking the top and take a compass bearing to find the continuation of the ridge.

I soon find myself in a 'clearing' which is pretty unpleasant to work through and it's a while before I can make my way into more open bush. I'm not sure whether I have twice missed an obvious route (quite possible) or whether there is no easy passage.

Once the ridge is a bit more distinct there is often a bit of a trail along the south eastern side but it is pretty overgrown so not exactly speedy going.

A brief window to Palliser Bay

Approaching 768 the top of the ridge gets kind of complicated. There is an open notch or gully which is apparently traversed by many animals and provides a by pass behind 768 - last time through I missed 768 in the clag and had a bit of trouble making sense of what my compass was telling me. This time there are no troubles apart from a brief struggle through a clearing. I startle a deer which bounds off from less than 20m away - it must have been deaf given the noise I was making.

 Shortly after I break out onto a virtual lawn leading towards Tapokopoko.

Notch along the ridge near 768 

A glimpse of a sunnier Wairarapa

I take a break sitting on the grassy slope looking out towards Wellington. Figuring it's a short hop now to Tapokopoko I reach for my map only to discover an empty pocket. I'm more irritated than concerned. Up until now I thought my Merino cycle top was an excellent tramping shirt. Apparently maps can work their way out of the back pocket even when squashed in by the hip belt. Aside from the question of litter there is now the small matter of finding and navigating down the spur.

I follow an animal trail up the clearing which rapidly degenerates into a thrash through scrubby bush - I did this last time too - there has to be a better route! After a bit of a climb the bush opens and the ridge flattens - I'm pretty confident that I will recognise the human detritus that marks the top and sure enough soon see ample signs of previous visitors - official and otherwise. It's about 1:10 now so plenty of daylight to get lost and found in.

Sign marking ecological study area

Top of Tapokopoko

I remember from the map that the spur is quite well shaped most of the way and that it flattens then jinks right towards the bottom. As it happens there are markers from the top and I am soon following a good ground trail. It is pretty easy going most of the way - occasionally the spur broadens and I lose the trail but things go pretty smoothly. At one point a trickle runs out of the ridge and someone has carefully built up a wee pool and left a trowel beside it. I clear the leaves out and use the trowel to do some repairs but have enough water for now.

Paua oasis

Around 250m the ridge jinks and I neglect to. I find the marked stream but make the mistake of following some markers that someone has laid running towards Nettle Stream. This ends up with a steep scramble down a scrubby face and a short plummet into a ditch full of gorse. It's nice to be standing on the flat 4WD road but I'm not sure which direction Paua Hut is in - the shape of the valley floor doesn't tally with my memory of the map so I set off in the wrong direction for a while before common sense reasserts itself. The cloud has gone and the afternoon is now baking hot as I trudge up the valley.

Paua hut is located at the foot of a spur in open beech forest. The forest ends abruptly in a cliff providing a shady balcony to sit and gaze up the sunny river bed. This is exactly where I find the rest of the party reclining in the shade. It's about 2.30 so there is plenty of afternoon left for relaxing.

The numbers have dwindled to the point that Jo and Rodrigo are the only non-family members present. They have come in along Cattle Ridge and down Browns Track and appear to have spent a bit of time browsing and drowsing after their exertions. They still have plenty of energy though so Mike wanders up river with them leaving Angela and I to chat the afternoon away - very pleasant indeed.

Anglela contemplates the river

While we are sitting a hunter staggers out of Greens Stream below us and totters off up valley. He's either drunk or carrying something very heavy. We can't quite make it out but he plumps himself down by the river and spends an awfully long time composing himself. He takes his boots off and dunks his feet in the river and just sits there. Eventually he starts fiddling with his gear and then finally stands up and props his pack up. There's a brief struggle and then he's standing again before wobbling off and around the corner.

Throughout all this we are hoping that Mike and co will return and be able to tell us what was so heavy - no such luck. We have started dinner by the time they get back and it turns out that they kept wandering all the way up to Matthews Stream. In the course of this they confirm that the best swimming hole is in the river just below Paua hut - Jo and Rodrigo head down for a dip while Angela and I get on with our respective dinners.

Toby has spent the entire afternoon in his tent and barely emerges in the evening before turning in for the night. What has that boy been up to!?  The rest of us eat and enjoy a clean skin bottle of wine that Jo has brought - a very approachable shiraz is the verdict. Angela, Mike and Toby are in tents so with three in the hut that's about the perfect number to my mind. The night is quiet with a bit of wind in the trees and plenty of stars should one have been inclined to venture out.

In the morning Angela and Toby have to shoot through first to make another commitment so the rest of us have a leisurely breakfast before tidying up. Paua Hut is owned by the Wellington Tramping and Mountaineering Club and can be hired (members free - $7 for others). It has water, loo, gas and assorted crockery so you don't actually need to bring much kit (all the more space for pate and wine).

Jo, Mike, Rodrigo, Paua Hut

It's after 10 by the time we head out and amble up the river to Turere bridge. There's plenty of other people about including a family hunting group who had bagged three deer. There's another large group or two at Turere bridge and a fairly steady stream of people coming in. We take it easy and follow the main track apart from a short detour along the other side of the stream for the last half K or so.

Jo modeling suitable footwear for river travel

All up another successful weekend. I covered my quota of new territory and still had time for more social activities. The ridge south of South Saddle has some brilliant views and challenging terrain. Admittedly, a track would bring more people into a sensitive and, in places, fragile environment and there are parts off the ridge where it would be a challenge to establish a stable track. However, on balance I think the area can sustain more visitors and I think there is still enough near-wilderness experiences north of Mt Matthews for the more adventurous. 

Whether the powers-that-be will be convinced it is a good idea and if so whether there is funding for construction and upkeep is another thing entirely.

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.