Nine-day tramp traverses remote part of country

WHICH WAY: Plenty of bush out there as Dave Scoullar, Merilea Wainhouse and Dick Mitchell ponder their options. DSCN7576

Separating Hawke's Bay and Tongariro National Park is a huge swath of bush comprising the Kaweka and Kaimanawa Ranges, and six tramping club members - four from Wanganui and two from Hutt Valley - did a nine-day traverse of these ranges this summer.

The group, comprising Ridgway and Graeme Lythgoe, Merilea Wainhouse, Dick Mitchell, Dave Scoullar and John Fox, walked approximately 90km, stayed in or visited eight huts and camped out two nights, meeting only six other people and getting a very real sense of remoteness.

The first night was at Middle Hill Hut, newly painted bright orange, reached after a short walk. The weather was poor on day two and got worse as we climbed Camp Spur and onto the open tops. The southerly was chilling and visibility low but little moisture, fortunately, as we followed the poled route past Whetu (1650m). One person was unwise enough not to bring gloves and suffered for that.

Dropping back into the bush, we pushed on to Tira Lodge, also known as Venison Tops Hut and more pertinently Kelvinator Lodge. A cold night there but after that the weather got warmer as we progressed through to Te Pukeohikarua, Harkness and Tussock huts. Following the Ngaawapurua River involved many crossings but the valley and tussock walking made a nice change from the bush.

On day five we reached the Ngaruroro River and Boyd Lodge with its own air strip. Then it was over the Te Waiatupuritia Saddle and on to Cascade Hut.

On the penultimate day we carried extra water for the evening meal as camped near a peak called Ngapuketurua (1510m), spotting the lights of Taupo as we settled into our sleeping bags. On the last day we were picked up early afternoon at the end of Kiko Rd, near Motuoapa.

A trip highlight was seeing and hearing kaka, kakariki, falcon and whio. We had been warned there would be hunters in all the huts but we met them only twice. Both times they were very friendly. One group of three hunters offered to sleep on the hut deck and shared their ample provisions with us.

The strangest encounter came as we ate breakfast on the last day. A runner arrived, aiming to cover in one day what we had in nine. He had begun running at Turangi at 1am and hoped to complete his odyssey in Hawke's Bay at 11pm.

With the tracks well-marked and in good condition, our trip did not require a high degree of navigational skill or bush experience. Part of the traverse was over private land which required a permit to cross.