Twenty-four self-resetting traps have been set up at 100m intervals along the track all the way to the Koranga Forks hut, which will be effective in reducing the number of stoats and rats, allowing whio to breed successfully beside the river.
The track to Koranga Forks Hut follows the Koranga River and there are opportunities for swimming on the way. Most of the walk is under tall tawa forest, or regenerating bush, and partly the track goes through farmland. It is mostly close to the river but climbs high over unstable slips in some places.
On this trip, we walked “there and back” to Koranga Forks Hut, but another option is to do a two-and-a-half-day trip, staying at both Koranga Forks and Tawa Huts.
There are several waterfalls in the bush that we enjoyed along the track, while taking care on the slippery rocks. A swing bridge crosses the Koranga River just above its junction with Kahunui Stream. From the swing bridge it is a five-minute walk to Koranga Forks Hut.
In recent years the track has suffered damage from several small slips and dropouts. A team from the Department of Conservation Gisborne Office worked on track maintenance, and cleaned and repaired the hut, in February 2020. We appreciated their work of creating narrow tracks across the slips and installing a new galvanised iron chain as a handrail across a waterfall crossing, and the hut is looking fresh and smart.
However, even with this maintenance, the track now requires a higher level of capability than it used to. Several in our group slipped on rocks, or had a tumble off the track! Fortunately, there were no serious incidents. Some also had a brush with ongaonga, the shrubby stinging nettle. A brush is all you need to get a nasty sting.
We had light rain showers on and off throughout the day, and it was humid and warm — sticky weather for walking. Most of the walkers enjoyed a quick dip in Kahunui Stream near Koranga Hut. The water was cold and very refreshing!
One of the group brought a fishing rod which folds up and fits into his pack, and tried some casts over the river but without any luck. Possibly the swimmers disturbed the trout!
The club is very grateful to Gay Young for the effort she puts into her photography while on club walks. She has an artistic eye and creates outstanding photos! It is challenging to focus on fishing, or photography, when walking as part of a group.
Two senior life members of Gisborne Canoe and Tramping Club drove to the start of the track with our group, then as we set off, they planned to boil the billy for a cup of tea, and enjoy themselves for the day fishing, walking, and relaxing in a beautiful place. It was a treat to have some life members accompany us, and to hear some of the stories of many previous visits.
Koranga Forks Hut is still a good overnight tramp for families with children, but people who do this need good walking skills on rough tracks. It would be a good idea to carry a tent, or a fly and groundsheet, because the hut has just six bunks and is popular with hunters and people fishing. The advice on the DoC website is that the 8km walk to Koranga Forks Hut takes two to three hours, but with young children at least four hours should be allowed, enjoying stops along the way.
