Wanganui Tramping Club members appreciate the range of walking opportunities the club offers. Here they visit Egmont National Park and the remains of Lake Dive Hut which was recently burned to the ground. Photo / Supplied
Variety aplenty on tramping programme
Variety is said to be the spice of life and the Wanganui Tramping Club offers plenty of variety in its trips. November is a good example. The first offering is three days of biking the Wairarapa, cycling three trails — the scenic Woodside Trail to the
train station in Greytown, the Martinborough Wine Trail and the Henley Park Lake trails in Masterton. This is the second group from the club to do this itinerary. The first went in October.
Next is a weekend search for a stock tunnel in the general area of the Matemateaonga Track, with the option of spending the night at Charlie's Clearing. This tramp begins at the end of Pukiwhakau Rd, inland from Stratford. On the same weekend, there is a day trip on the Deerford Track, a loop walk in the western Ruahine near Apiti.
The weekend after that we will introduce members to Mt Ruapehu's new attraction, the Sky Waka gondola. And another group will begin a multi-day trip to Waikehe Island to take part in the annual walking festival there. This will involve five days of walking in areas not usually open to the public.
Next up is a loop day walk in Egmont National Park which includes visiting the site of a World War II air force plane crash which killed four, plus a pot luck meal at the home of two club members. On the final weekend of the month, members can choose between a trip to Tama Lakes in Tongariro National Park or exploring in the rarely-visited Mangatiti Valley.
The club's full programme for November is: —
Sun-Tues 1-3, Wairarapa biking, leader Carolyn Shingleton
Sat-Sun 7-8 Stock tunnel, leader Shane
Sat or Sun 7 or 8, Deerford Track, leader Mike
Sat or Sun 14 or 15, Sky Waka, leader Esther
Sun-Mon 15-23, Waiheke Island, leader Jacky
Sat 21, Egmont circuit, leader Shane
Sat 21, Pot luck dinner, leaders Suzanne and Robert
Fri-Sat 27-28 Tama Lakes, leader John
Fri-Sun 27-29, Mangatiti Valley, leader Brian