Otaki forks - 668

I thought I had explored the Otaki forks area as much as I ever would. That was until I noticed that on a previous trip up Rae Ridge to Dennan I missed a spot just off the ridgeline. It's ripe for a short day trip. And for taking the remaining tally down to 12.

I'm expecting fairly easy travel as there are lots of old logging trails buried in the bush around here - and Rae Ridge is a reasonably well known route. The only tricky bit might be the foot of the spur at the Waiotauru Forks - some of the faces are a bit steep around there.



The general vicinity




It's a hot sunny afternoon (1.50pm) as I leave the car and trot down to the river. It's at average flow so easily forded before a short jog across the flats on a reasonable foot trail to Sheridan Creek.

This time I will not make the mistake of following the markers up Sheridan Creek and bashing onto the spur - I cross the creek and find a clear trail with occasional ribbons leading onto the foot of the spur.

The humid air near the ground fills the lungs with the heavy smell of hot bracken. It's warm going until the scrub gives way to forest.

From spur - across Sheridan Creek and flats towards Otaki Forks

It's mostly good trails upwards although there's quite a bit of wind fall. Old tape markers of various colours are sporadically visible but it's pretty easy to lose the trail on the frequent wide sections of the ridge.

I'm scouting for the route when a patch of orange catches my eye - I make my way over and am surprised to see two hunters having a cuppa under a large tree.

This is only the second time ever that I have seen someone off a marked track (the other time was on the way up to Waitewaewae behind Manakau). We have a good chat and work out where each is going (them heading down after scouting up another spur) and ascertain that we both have some familiarity with the area. They are well spoken and relaxed that I've probably spooked anything they might have seen further down the spur (I hadn't heard anything).

I leave them to it and head on up to 668 with an unplanned diversion onto a side spur on the way. Although it's nice to have light footwear, the trail running shoes aren't really cutting it - they are too slippery on the hard stuff and provide no ability to edge into soft ground for purchase.

I hardly need the altimeter to confirm when to turn southwest leaving the ridge to head along a flat top towards 668.

There's a little bit of ground trail and on 668 the odd marker - I need the compass though to find the spur down. Once on it there is soon an old logging trial which comes and goes a bit but takes me mostly straight down. 

Pt 668

These are funny old relics - they are quite steep and the bush is only slowly reclaiming them. I assume because the soil was all scraped off. Animals and water have followed them in places and sometimes a marker indicates people have been through.

Old logging trail - believe it or not

The old trails have a habit of heading off in unexpected directions - a favourite trick being to dive steeply off the side of the spur and finish in a dead end. I assume these were side routes to rip the logs out of the gullies.

Towards the bottom the trail I'm following sidles left off the spur and angles down and into the Eastern Waiotauru (Snowy) River valley (i.e. heads east). I'm not sure how far up the valley it angles but I can't see a bench on the other side (there's one that you follow down to the river after crossing on the swing bridge).

Rather than follow trails that seem to want to drop down to the eastern branch river I find a bench that sidles back around the hill onto a large terrace near the forks. It's quite obvious on the map - almost circular so I wonder if there will be an old mill site - I don't see anything but only cover a fraction of it. 

I wander across the terrace heading in the general direction of down valley - not worrying too much about trails. There's a bit of a sharp drop off the foot of a spur and down to a lower terrace. From there I follow old trails and terraces before they run out. The marked track is somewhere on the other side but I'm not that keen on thrashing up through the lower slopes to find it, so continue on down the river bed. 

The slippery rocks in the frequent river crossings demand a bit of care in running shoes and eventually I reach a corner with a pool I'm not about to wade. A short mucky scramble up a steep bank through supplejack sees me on a spur and, in short order, the track.

Waiotauru River

After this it's plain sailing. I'm trotting across the grass flat with the old boiler when I see a couple of figures ahead - sure enough it's the hunters from earlier.  They've dropped down the spur and crossed the river to return down the track to the carpark.

We are walking back to the car park chatting a bit more about the local ridges and spurs when one asks if I'd done a blog - turns out they found some of my old posts when they were researching the area.

They have recently taken up hunting and have been coming in here - it's good to see the effort they're putting in and the enjoyment they're getting out. I'll have to remember that there are good examples of the breed next time I get grumpy at seeing hunters' rubbish on river terraces.

Around 6pm I'm back at the car, we chat for a bit longer then it's the long drive home.


All up a short and successful trip. There's plenty more day trips like this you could do in the area with the old trails giving something to explore. And after all's done - only 12 spots to go.

Otaki Headwaters

It's not so many years back that I would look at the map and think how adventurous the Ohau river system was. Two huts reached by travelling up the unmarked river bed - what if the river came up, or you missed the correct junction, or worse, wandered past the hut without seeing it?  Far safer to take the longer but marked tracks.

Now the river is a familiar and much more pleasant way to get into interesting country - and the tracks are just for a rapid exit when all the fun has been had.

The plan this weekend is to head up the South Ohau to the top of one of it's tributaries; drop over Butcher's Saddle into the headwaters of the Otaki River and find my way to five spot-heights which defy any rational connecting route.

On my intention's sheet I have described the trip as ambitious and the support crew is mentally prepared for me putting in a no-show on Sunday night.

The interesting bits - deer infested knob at arrow, camp at triangle

There's a good few cars in the park as I head out on a clear morning at 7am.

I make reasonably good time up the river arriving at the North/South branch junction at 8.20 and South Ohau Hut at 9.30.  There's a few terraces you can short cut across which save a few minutes - and if you pick the wrong one, waste you a few minutes navigating through supplejack. I usually get it right now.

Junction - Deception spur in middle

I haven't traveled the upper reach of the South Branch often and quite enjoy that, although smaller, it is a bit steeper and less sedate than the lower section.  I reacquaint myself with a hunters camp mouldering into the forest (it'll take a long time for thick black polythene to break down).

South Ohau Hut

South Ohau Hut is empty as I pause to fill in the log.

Butcher's creek has a wide rocky base with vegetation starting to recolonise but between the deer and historic rock coming down it is still quite open. It's quicker travel than I expect and I whistle past the correct junction to head up the wrong one.

After topping up from the wee stream I notice a bit of a smell and come across, first a deer leg in the water then a bit further up the rest of the deer (minus head), fortunately not in the water.

The stream I'm following heads in the right direction and remains open but gets steeper topping out in an eroding gully that I have to scramble out of. When I finally make the ridge it is 200m higher than the saddle. Oh well, on the track it is short work to get back to the correct spot.

Wrong route

The saddle is a more complex shape than the map suggests and I can't see any obvious trails heading south which is a bit surprising as this is an obvious connector route to the Otaki River. In the end I just pick a spot and bash on down. A trickle develops and becomes a stream and the stream heads over a waterfall. Fortunately, although mossy you can scramble down provided you don't mind a bit of sliding.

I emerge on a bend on the Otaki River about 11.40. I'm intrigued to see what it's like this far up. Most of us know the Otaki from driving across the braided mouth, a visit to Otaki forks, crossing on a swing bridge or maybe going off track up the middle section.

It's smaller up here (obviously) but clean, clear and still a good size. As I head up the valley there are occasional wee flats and cascades but no gorges and no swimming.

Side Stream

I exit the river bed onto a grassy terrace and see the south end of a ten pointer. It hasn't got wind of me yet so I take a step forward every time it faces directly away. When it finally twigs and crashes off into the undergrowth I am about 15 paces away. I'm not entirely sure what I would have done had I got any closer.

All too soon the pleasant wander up the river is over - the foot of the spur to 998 is obvious with a good size stream entering from the true left - there's a massive bolder in the stream bed a little up from the junction. It's 12.25 so, about 45 mins up from the bottom of Butcher's saddle stream.

Upper Otaki River

Lunch - bottom of spur

I stop for lunch and top up my water - I'm expecting a long hot climb and the spur looks a bit gnarly on the map.

It's a bit of a scramble to get onto the bottom of the spur from the junction - it might have been a little easier a little way up the side stream perhaps? Once on the spur it's a steady climb - no trail noticeable but pretty good going.

Breaking out of the bush onto a knob I'm shocked but not really surprised by the damage - it is churned up, flattened and chewed by deer. And four of the culprits are there. One heads up the hill and out of sight - two others and a fawn haver about 50 metres away waiting to see what I'm going to do. They crash off the side when I start closing the gap.

Deer knob - Te Matawai Hut on ridge behind

It's a steepish climb now but the deer have made trails that see me through the worst of the scrub then fade towards the top. It's a clear, hot day and I'm regretting not bringing sun screen or sunnies but at least have a long sleeved shirt.

The ridge is part of the Main Range; north is Pukematawai, Arete, Dundas and other peaks - south is Nicols, Crawford and so on. To the east, across the lovely glaciated Park Valley is the isolated Carkeek Ridge. One of the spurs brings back some sharp memories of a hairy climb down, and a scrub bash up into clag and flurries of snow.

Carkeek Ridge

Today though it is still and hot - the track is a little soft and shows the scars of the Te Araroa season. There's an awful lot more feet heading through here than there ever used to be.

It is so much easier wandering around up here when you're not in cloud. I can see exactly where my next spur departs and don't need map or compass to work out where to leave the track.

The tree line on this spur is just below the ridge and I am very pleased to slide into the familiar shade of gnarled and mossy beech. The plan is to follow the spur down to pt 855 - I'm expecting it has been travelled before as the bottom of the spur points directly at Butcher's Saddle and is an obvious route between the range and the Ohau. From pt 855 I'll return to 1020m to take a more tricky route down to pt 755 then the valley floor.

Soon after leaving the tussock there's a bit of a trail and someone a long time ago has marked the route with blue packing tape. Much of it is missing now and the rest is somewhat brittle. At a couple of critical junctions a more recent someone has left a tiny bit of pink tape. I make a mental note of the one I think might mark the spur to pt755.

There's a few spots where you have to cast about a bit to keep on the right spur but I find my way to 855 and have a bit of a sit down (a bit after 4pm) before the slog back up the hill. It shouldn't really be a slog but the legs are not quite as spritely as they were this morning.

It turns out my hunch was right - I take a bearing from near the pink ribbon and find myself on the correct spur. It sounds straight forward but it is tricky finding the right point to depart a relatively flat spur under canopy.

 Pt755

There's no real trail apparent and it's trickier to stay on course now. At one point I take a new bearing too soon but work it out and sidle out of a gully onto the correct route without too much lost time. A bonus of this is catching a few cups of water from a tiny trickle to supplement my dwindling water.

From 755 another bearing takes me down a spur to old terraces beside the river - near the bottom there's a faint trail marked with blue triangles indicating a pest monitoring line - it's not quite going my way so I leave it to its own devices.


The canopy is a long way above and it's starting to get dim but, although nice and flat there's no water here. I can either head south to Collie Creek or carry on to the river - the river wins out simply because my route in the morning is north and heading south just feels inefficient.

A few minutes later (6.30), at the exact point I clamber down the last bank, I find the perfect camp spot.

A large mossy space just above the river is as level as a billiard table and has a tree each side perfectly situated for hanging a fly. A circle of stones for a fire indicates I'm not the first to fancy this spot. This sounds pretty straight forward but finding a fly camp spot is virtually always an exercise in compromise. Candidates will either have an inconveniently placed root or no handy trees (a necessity when you have no poles).

I hang the fly high as the forecast is good then get on with making dinner (well, boiling water to stick in the dehy packet).

It's calm and mild and the soporific chuckling of the river has me dozing before dinner is ready. Over venison risotto I make my plans for the next day (up river, find spur, along ridge, down track).  I turn in with the last of the light and try to relax the cramps out of aching feet and legs.

There's no rain in the night, nothing that bites and just a gentle down-valley breeze in the early morning - just enough to require a corner of sleeping bag to be twitched across an exposed cheek.

As the morning light filters into the valley (the sun will take a while to follow) the head torch is initially required to get the billy going for breakfast. There isn't even a dew so the fly is dry and everything packs away tidily. An unbelievably civilised camping experience.

Yesterday was a little more productive in terms of distance than expected so I'm thinking I might even be out by 3pm today.

The map says it's a little over a kilometre to where I intend to start climbing out of the valley. I have the land marks in mind - stream on (my) left slip on left, stream on right, slip on right, stream on left and climb. It should take about half an hour travel time in the open river bed.

The river is small enough that I find spots to skip through without filling my boots - they're still wet from yesterday but it's nice to keep them a bit lighter.

The last slip is a big one - boulders and smashed trees have been carried across the river which was probably blocked for a while. It's still active so I don't hang about crossing the debris field to the stream on the other side.

A pause to fill the camel back and it's climbing time - just after 8am.

From the shape of the land this is not a route that people are likely to have taken previously and I am unsurprised to find no trails - it's reasonably open though under a good canopy - free of supplejack and kiekie. It's a steady climb up the side of the spur and onto the top of it at 780m.  From here it climbs more gently through 815 towards a junction and a turn westwards. There's a lot of windfall so not speedy progress.

The vegetation changes a few times and a bit of a trail develops over 1024 and the next wee knob. I wonder whether some of the changes are still related to the 1936 storm that smashed the forest in this part of the range.

Pt 1024

At 9.55 I'm at pt 1015 on the long Oriwa Ridge.  Last time through here was in the pitch black and it was a bit tricky - I'm hoping daylight will speed things up.

This is another one of those areas with fond and not so fond memories - the first time through (fond)was one of my early forays off track as part of a slightly harebrained idea of getting from Poads Road to Otaki Forks with no stream crossings (doable - although at the forks you have to cross at least one water course to get to the carpark). The second time (not so fond) was an aborted attempt to get into the Otaki headwaters resulting in the aforementioned late night staggering about off track in the dark.

Today, it's a warm calm morning and I can potter along and find the occasional piece of orange tape to guide progress.

Climbing out of the bush into the tussock I hear voices on the breeze and see a group of trampers at the memorial half a K away.

I divert to the top of Waiopehu (11am) just to confirm I've dunnit before dropping onto the track and down to the hut.

Top of Waiopehu

It's empty of course but the log shows that there have been a few people through.

Horowhenua Plains from Waiopehu Hut

Top up water, fill in log, admire the view and head off at 11.20. I'm now of a mind to be on the way home so although it's a pleasant track I keep as quick a pace as I can manage, passing a family, a couple and a man, son, dog combo before exiting the bush onto hot, dry farmland.

At 1.15 it's taken a little under 2 hours from the hut and 5 and a half from my campsite. A lot quicker than I was expecting and giving the lie to the 'ambitious' claim on my intentions sheet. The carpark is even fuller than when I left - I get changed whilst warding off three avaricious and completely unafraid chooks intent on exploring the car interior.

Postscript

I could quite happily head back to the Otaki headwaters. There's lovely little camping spots and the river is mostly pretty gentle from what I saw. Plenty of opportunity to explore spurs and I only followed a fraction of the river let alone side streams. There even seemed to be a more genteel variety of scrub then some parts not too far to the north. However this may just be due to the depredations of voracious quadrupeds.

The Ohau River was as enjoyable as ever and I didn't mind the extra climbing up Butchers Creek.

I contemplated following Blackwater or Makaretu Stream rather than the track out from Waiopehu Hut but had basically had enough by then - either would be a good option on a nice day with time in hand.

And of course - only 13 spot heights left now - maybe this season after all?

Smiths Creek

A bit of a non-event this weekend. Some misbegotten cartographer placed a spot on a terrace on the other side of Smith's Creek from the track. A rotten weather forecast indicates the perfect time to knock this one off - and reduce the remaining tally to 18.

You reach Smith's Creek from the Kaitoke road end north of Upper Hutt - a traditional route into the Tararuas. It's the closest to Wellington,  giving good access to the hills. Generations of trampers have caught the Upper Hutt express and pooled funds for a taxi, or crammed into the club truck to be disgorged in the carpark late on a Friday afternoon.

The marked tracks take you either up Marchant Ridge towards the Southern Crossing, or over the Puffer Saddle to Smith's Creek and down to the Tauherenikau Valley.

I've whistled up and down that track many times but only noticed pt 270 when I took a serious look at the spot heights I haven't picked up yet. The good thing is that it will be a short trip on a good track with just a little bit of thrashing around off track.

What: Half day trip spot heighting
Where: Smith's Creek
When: 24 Feb 2019
Who: Solo
Map
　

The weather forecast is for heavy rain so I keep putting the trip off until 1pm on Sunday when the rain has really set in. That's also the time I remember that the car wipers are on the blink - I'll have to take the soft top.

The road end at Kaitoke is much improved now it's by the Kiwi Ranch gate. Back in the day, the rutted track and clay parking area up the hill was more like the tip face at Porirua landfill in the 1970s. The wee white car would not have coped at all well with it.

As it is, there's water running across the parking area. Unsurprisingly there are no other vehicles.

It's 2.45 when I trot through the rain into the bush. About half an hour later I'm at the saddle having managed not to fall over on the greasy wet yellow clay. There's a stream running down the track and I'm glad to have my walking poles (well, trotting poles).

The track sidles gently down for a long while before dropping more steeply to a creek. I check the map and trot down valley veering off track to follow the next sizable stream down to Smith's Creek. I meet it at the intended point and have to treat it with a little respect as it is considerably up (but nowhere near risky).

I find the next stream junction and take a bearing for spot height 270. It turns out to be on an old terrace which is sizable but covered in wind fall, so not really a camping spot. I thrash around for a while but there are no obvious knobs so eventually accept that I've crossed it and head back and across the creek.

With an uncanny knack I have chosen an area of regrowth and dense undergrowth where the track has sidled a little way up the hill - it takes a while to grovel back onto it and I'm missing my tramping boots by the time I get there. Running shoes don't really cut it in this stuff.

The rain has eased by before I clear the saddle and start jogging back to the car. The trotting poles are really useful on the slippery sections but occasionally catch the undergrowth and do their best to scuttle between my legs.

About 1hr 50 after leaving I'm peeling off sopping kit and chucking it in a rubbish bag in the boot. All done and just the drive home.

Mitre day trip

I realised the other day that I had never actually climbed the highest peak in the Tararuas.

This will appear barely credible given my unhealthy obsession with spot heights, but let me explain. For years I thought I had been over Mitre (1571) in the course of a northern crossing with some school mates. However, Richard maintains that we took a different route. Normally I would be the first to cast nasturtiums on the reliability of Richard's grey matter, but in the absence of any firm memories on my part I'm going to have to go with his notoriously tenuous grasp on reality.

I reckon I can knock it off in a day trip so I dust off the trail runners and plan a Sunday sortie.


What:   Day trip up Mitre
When:  Sunday 17 Feb 2019
Where: Tararuas - The Pines road end
Who:     Solo
Map

There's a few cars in the park as I leave the car and start trotting up the gravel road at about 7.15am. There's a nice new DOC shelter although not really designed to sleep in, it would provide protection from the elements whilst waiting for a pickup.

It's an overcast and mild morning and the first couple of Kms are along farm roads so I can trot along. After that there's a foot trail which leads to the bush edge. From there it is the ubiquitous Tararua sidle track. Up and down and in and out of wee creeks and spurs with the river somewhere below.

There's nothing to report of the trip in apart from a brief sortie off the track due to inattention. A bit under 1hr 40 later I arrive at Mitre Flats Hut.

Waingawa swing bridge South Mitre Stream opposite

A couple from Wellington are in residence and having a leisurely morning - they are tenting with their dog for a couple of days and doing local day trips. I fill in the log (checking to see if my previous entries are still there - they are), top up my water and head for the track up the hill.

Mitre Flats

I'm not fit enough to run 1200m up a mountain so just try to keep a steady pace. Just on the bushline I catch up with a couple from Masterton who have full weekend packs and are heading through to Tarn Ridge or Dorset huts. We have a good yarn about this and that - they are spending their holidays at home this year and picking up some local tramps.

I head on up as clouds start to gather around the ridge.

On the way up - looking back down the Waingawa valley

Starting to clag in

At 1045 I'm at the top - it's cooled down, there's a little breeze and the clag has come in. As I sit and have a bite to eat there's a few spots of rain. I drag my jacket on send a few texts in recognition of the momentous occasion. With no view and my body temperature starting to drop I turn for the long trot out.

Not much of a view

The second couple are nearing the top and I stop to chat again. I suspect they are slightly demoralised by our relative rates of travel - but you can hardly expect to compare someone in running shoes and day pack with full tramping kit. We are all kitted up now and although not really raining the clag is so soggy that the ground and tussock is getting quite damp.

The visibility is reduced enough that I'm wary of wandering off the side of the spur. The trail is mostly pretty easy to follow with the odd cairn, but in a couple of spots I have to cast around a bit - no recourse to the map and compass needed though.

Back in the bush a few spots of rain start coming through and continue pretty much all the way down.

Part way down I bump into couple number one who have decided to totter up the hill avec chien. I disabuse them of any hope off a view and leave them to it. An hour 22 after arriving at the top I reach the flats and pop back to the hut. Not sure how long I spent at the top but probably 15-20 minutes.

I note my exit in the log and start heading out. 

The swing bridge is a couple of minutes from the hut and (as I always do) I pause to look at the slip that I spent an uncomfortable night on during a Boys Brigade trip so long ago.

Slip just down stream of the hut - not recommended for camping

The trip out is as uneventful as the trip in apart from having to give way to a party of five coming in. It's about an hour 10 from the bridge to the park boundary, then another 24 minutes to the car.




I note a bunch of markers about 15 minutes from the boundary that could indicate a track up onto Blue Range. I dropped off the range in the dark a bit further back up the track from here after a bit of an epic day trip sometime back. The markers could be something interesting (for someone else) to investigate.

Park boundary

The rain doesn't seem to have got out of the foot hills and the road is dry as I trot back to the car. It's just on 2pm - making the whole trip 6hr 45.

Postscript

Another one down and 19 to go.

I haven't done any jogging recently so was happy that I could keep a reasonable albeit not competitive pace throughout. I have no idea about distance although I think I saw a sign that said 8km to the hut so, allowing say 4km to the top that would be about 24km all up. A good wee day trip.

Ngawhakaraua

Ngawhakaraua - if you pronounce it even half way correctly it has a certain rhythm to it. There used to be a settlement of that name on the Manawatu River but I have no idea how the name came to be associated with a scrubby knob in the north eastern Tararuas.

Last week I found my way to the mysterious Miro Valley Hut and slightly less mysterious Mangahao Biv. This week I want to explore the ridge system to the south west.

A series of gnarly spurs drop south to the Mangahao River - with recent rain the river won't be an option for travel. There's two named 'peaks' on the ridge - Ngawhakaraua and Mairehau - but I haven't heard of anyone visiting them. It's not on the way to anywhere so I suspect it will just be the odd hunter that cruises through. I'm hoping there are some trails up there but have a feeling it's going to be leatherwood central.

There's 9 spot heights that I want to visit - I'll never knock that many new Tararua spots off in a trip again on account of having only 20 to go after this trip.

There's a number of challenges to this trip - the fore-mentioned vegetation, the four spots on steep side spurs that defy an elegant route plan, no water on the tops, and I'm not sure about access.

What:     Navigation, spot-heighting, and scrub bashing
Where:   Ridge system south west of Mangahao Biv
Who:      Solo
When:    2 February
Map

Previous trips in purple

I drive to the end of Kopikopiko Road - there's a farm house but clearly not a regular residence. There's no public area to park so I figure I had better find the proper farm house and ask about access. This proves to be a couple of Ks back north along the road.

The farm manager is relatively new but is obliging - he gets me to sign farm safety forms and gives me instructions for parking behind the house and for finding the trail which is some way across the farm. He also asks that I text in when I get out.

Back along the road again and I park through a gate with a 'No trespassing' sign. With all the driving around it's after 9.

Despite listening carefully I can't make out where the trail starts - however I find something that looks rightish but proves definitely wrongish as I end up in a scrub gully. I give up and follow the farmland up disturbing 5 deer on the way.

Eventually after a bit of supple jack I find ribbons that lead up and onto the ridge I went up last time to get to Mangahao Biv. I don't deviate down any of the side spurs this time and work my way to 531. The spur down looks quite obvious so I expect to see a bit of a trail but there isn't really any. I see deer sign though and just about bump into one of the culprits - it's about 8m away when it sees me and explodes away.

The spur loses shape towards the bottom so it's a bit of a bash with some sidling to avoid getting bluffed. At the bottom there's a good sized creek which I follow to the top of a water fall - Climbing the other bank I discover I'm on a knife edge spur between two creeks (you can see it on the map). It is in the process of being eroded by both streams so is (geologically) a temporary feature. I teeter along the top before finding a way to scramble down to the other creek.

I follow the creek down to the Mangahao River. Which is up and an unpleasant murky brown - the same colour as last time basically.

I've arrived just above one of the gorge sections I swam up - from here the river flows deep and inky against the rock face and disappears around the corner. I don't know if I would be game to swim down it unless I knew what was around that bend.

Start of the spur up

Looking down

It's a bit before 1pm so the day is getting on and I haven't got to any spots yet. The next bit is an insane route basically bashing up and off spurs with no finesse at all. This is navigation by brute force.

I had thought the spur to 450 and 613 would be easy at the bottom. Not so - the bottom is hairy; a sharp but crumbling edge with kiekie and scrub to grovel through. If you must do this one I suggest heading up the true right of the side stream for 100-200m.

Once past the bottom the vegetation is better and I break onto a lovely little knob with a few big trees, but clear enough to see.




Probably 450 - looking down the Mangahao (east)

Nameless waterfall

The valley to the northwest drains off Ngawhakaraua and is precipitous - you would not want to follow any of these water courses up or down.

There's a bit of scrub but it's pretty good up to 613. I scare a stag that checks me out before trotting down into the scrub - it's 2.30 and I stop for a bite and to study the landscape.

I'm planning to drop off the side of the spur then smash up the other side to 710. There is no obvious route - it all looks steep and nasty. An alternative is to drop to the Mangahao and come at 651 from the south - but I'm not about to tackle that river when it's up.

The descent is steep and I'm hanging off the vegetation much of the time, but by 3.10pm I'm standing in another sizable creek.

The climb is steady and starts with kiekie, once above the creek there is a lot of scrub but a fair amount of animal trails that help.

pt 613 and the face I came down 

About 4.30 I'm at 710. It's clear I won't be getting to the tops tonight so I have a sit and think. The cunning plan is to drop north off 651 then follow the creek to the spur below 782 and find a spot to camp. There's cell phone reception to I text in the plan change.

Near 710

710 - looking north to the ridge, Ngawhakaraua on right 

Another deer checks me out from about 50m away in the scrub, it doesn't shift until I start moving towards it - maybe not so many hunters around here. I find an old shot gun cartridge that suggests someone has been about.

The drop is as scrubby and bushlawyery as expected. I find a wee stream and follow it to the main stream. About 6.30pm I reach the junction that must be the spur to 782. The valley is narrow but I manage to find a spot to camp after a bit of rock gardening (you have to make your bed before you lie in it).

Junction 782

It still takes me longer than it should to pitch the fly. However with a clear forecast I'm relaxed about pitching it high and am quite satisfied with my efforts. It's a comfortable night although this close to the creek it's very loud and I doubt I'll hear my alarm.

I wake before it's light and have breakfast in bed. By the time I head off it's 6.50am - not early but a reasonable start.

At the junction there's no indications of trails so there's only one way to go - straight up. There's a few scrambles but soon I'm in the scrub with the morning sun warming my back. Pt 782 is in scrub and I am disappointed to find that there is no trail along the ridge. At first there are some clearings and patches of horopito but before long it's a grind through leather wood as I climb towards 830.

This part of the ridge has a wide flat top and some really big leatherwood, although I zigzag about I never find any useful trails - it's basically all hard work.

I struggle over an undistinguished knob that must be Mairehau - goodness knows why anyone bothered naming it. But that could just be scrub fever talking.

A view along another part of this benighted ridge  

Looking toward Ngawhakaraua

To cut a long, bloody and painful story short I struggle onto Ngawhakaraua at about 12.30. The day is scorching, I'm a bit over halfway along the ridge, running low on water and knackered. I crawl into a wee patch of shade to have lunch.

Damn near knocked off by the bugger

Spur with 710 in middle ground

East to the Wairarapa

Ngawhakaraua is a little off the ridge line - I drop off the side a little too soon and find myself in a hellish little gully 20m below the ridge - it takes a while to extricate myself.

I have to stay on the ridge until 749 (the last spot for the trip) before I can drop to find water and hopefully some canopy. The scrub seems to get worse.

Back to Ngawhakaraua - about an hour 45 travel

The soul destroying view forward 

Gentians - I think

At pt 749 I am absolutely fed up. As soon as possible I smash down out of the scrub and surprisingly quickly am in the shade of trees and soon following a series of puddles. Once they are big enough I lie face down in the wee creek and drink my fill.

There's a noise behind me and I turn to see a stag 20m up the bank - it shies away but then comes back a couple of times. It disappears for good when I head in his direction.

The bush is mixed but at least it isn't scrub - the downsides are having to sidle through every gully and trying to work out when I'm on the spur down to the saddle - harder than you'd think. I overshoot but figure things out and drop down a wee creek before crossing back to the correct spur. Like last time coming up, I'm not 100% sure where the trail up to the biv runs - I still reckon it crosses to that next spur north.

The amount of daylight left is becoming an issue - in theory I should be able to whistle down in quick order having travelled up this way twice now. Yeah right. I manage to drift off line and follow every false trail on the entire ridge. Pretty much every spur has a ribboned trail running down it and most of them are better marked than the main ridge.

Looking back I suspect I was suffering the after affects of dehydration with a soupcon of 'get-home-fever.' Despite the waning light it would have been quicker to slow down and look at the compass more. Belatedly I do just that and find my way down to a series of clearings on the sharp spur I thought I should have come up yesterday. The ribbons run out again - I cast about and find they've taken a right angle turn off the spur - oh well, at this point any trail is going to get to the farmland so I follow a good trail down.

I hit the farm over a kilometre south west of my target and have a long walk through deep grass to where I should have come out. When I get there I can sort of see what the farmer was telling me yesterday to find the way up but it isn't that obvious. There's a wee climb up a farm track to the terrace then a trudge across more paddocks to the car.

At 8.50 it is quite dim and I have the headlights on as I head down the road. The farm manager acknowledges the text I send and must think I'm slightly crazy given the time.

Postscript

I'm sure someone famous once said - just because it's possible it doesn't mean it's a good idea.

If you must climb Ngawhakaraua (and it is worth it just to say the name) my money is on a rear assault up the 450/613 spur. The descent from 531 has it's moments at the bottom - but if you prefer swimming up the gorges it's up to you.

Find a better route onto the bottom of the spur than I did (perhaps 150m up the side creek?). I found the going ok up to pt 613 - after that you're on your own - it will be scrubby but at least it's direct.

The route I took successfully took in all the desired spots but it was a bit tough in places. The trip along the ridge was occasionally quite pleasant ... very, very occasionally. If you want to do that one - remember; no water and don't wear shorts.