A New Year Journey

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A New Year Journey by Kirsty Woods Towards Xmas/New Year large numbers of As the crow flies, lunchtime wasn't far from club members organise long tramping and the hut.... and I must say that some members trans-alpine trips to the South Island, which of the party would have staged a walkout in many people's minds is the "Mecca" of (assuming they'd known where to go) if we the Great Outdoors. This year a small group hadn't stopped at that point. With great of enthusiastic trampers was not feeling sighs of relief, we reached the tops by mid too financial and So decided to opt for a afternoon. Travel was far easier from here nine to ten day trip in the Ruahines. on and soon we came across a motorway of a track through a dense area of stunted We, that is Dale Parsons, Anita Catchpole, bush. Cloud came in and the place began Rex Benbrook, Mark Pickering and myself, to resemble something out of a spooky story. started off with fairly ambitious plans It soon began to rain (luckily this was about a Ruahine-Tararua traverse starting in the the only time on the trip) but it didn't last Kawekas. After some thought, however, long. By the end of the downpour, we reached (and looking at the map) we decided on Aranga Hut. something a little less taxing. Transport willing, we planned to begin at Herricks Hut on the north eastern side of the Ruahines, - and to follow the main range down to After a comfortable we walked further Norsewood. night south along the tops. With a clear day we On Boxing Day, still full of Xmas stodge, were treated to fine views of Ruapehu and the western side of the Ruahines. we were driven to the Big Hill road end, Being and from there we made our way across fairly optimistic types, we had high hopes farmland to Herricks Hut. The hut turned of reaching Sparrowhawk Biv or even Sunrise be Hut that evening.... we didn't reach Sunrise out to quite run down and from the log until the end of the following book it seemed that it had received few day. Tops visitors over recent travel can vary a lot in the Ruahines and years. it is not always easy to tell how long a particular stretch is likely to take. From Aranga Hut to the high point marked On our first full day we decided to head on the map as Tupari, the going was easy up Herricks Spur to the tops, then south and pleasant.... the tops are open and fairly to Aranga Hut. From the look of the map flat with tarns dotted about all over the the route seemed straightforward... well, place. From Tupari it becomes more difficult, halfway through the morning we still hadn't as the tops narrow down and become steeper, found the track onto the spur and were to with leatherwood ever present and keen be seen crawling on hands and knees through to grab you at any time. what seemed like miles of scrubby bush, uttering rather unsavoury language.... no By 3pm we decided to call it a day and camped one had been here for a while either. at a tarn less than an hour from Tupari. Tarn near Tupari Kirsty Woods

Lunchstop Kirsty Woods The tarn is nestled in a bowl in the ridge We had a rest day at Sunrise and, over lots and aside from being a pleasant place to of brews, decided on the next day's course. spend the night, we thought it would be After having spent the last three days on well sheltered from bad weather. the tops, we figured that it would make a nice change to go back down to the bush Our theory proved rather wrong on this for a while, then back onto the tops another one, as we were to find out during the night. way. Strong winds came up in the night and used our comfy bowl as a trampoline.... bouncing Next day we headed down to Waipawa Forks off us and back into the sky with an incredible and then back up to Waipawa Saddle. Except din. Anyone walking our way in the morning for the last final grunt, most of the climb would have been surprised at the bundle is quite gentle and pleasant going. From of bodies wrapped up in a fly sheet trying there our route took us to Rangi Saddle to keep warm. The tent poles had bent (another grunt) via Waikamaka Hut, and double in the wind and had to be operated over to the Kawhatau Valley. This is an on later in the trip. especially lovely place, bordered by grassy river flats which at that time were covered in flowers. That night in Waterfall Hut we planned our assault of Broken Ridge and Sawtooth Ridge. From our dustbowl campsite to Sunrise proved * to be a long way in the strong winds that continued to blow all day. We ground along slowly (tired from a sleepless night) until The following morning saw us get off to we reached Sparrowhawk Biv. The route an early start, aware that we had a long to the Biv has good views all the way and day ahead. To get onto Broken Ridge, we we imagined that the same would be said bashed up through the bush behind the hut of the view from Sparrowhawk. Again we and, after a rocky climb, eventually came were proved wrong.... Sparrowhawk is nestled out onto the tops. The ridge itself is covered in amongst fortress-like leatherwood bushes/ in broken rock but as it is fairly flat and trees through which you really have to fight open it makes for quite quick travel. To your way, and you cannot sit and eat your get onto Sawtooth Ridge we had to walk lunch in peace for the blowflies that appear down onto a low saddle, then back up onto out of nowhere! an adjoining ridge. Resigned to our fate, we made our way From the north end Sawtooth doesn't look along the ridge after lunch mindful of the like much of anything. By lunchtime we fact that we had three large "bumps" to thought we'd passed the worst of it. However, contend with en route. These large bumps the last half showed itself in its true colours seemed to get progressively higher and more and we spent a careful hour or sO balancing dense with scrub and (you've guessed it) our way along a sharp ridge which in some leatherwood. After fighting our way through places was just a big pile of rubble. Once the most confusing tangle of all, we dragged at the opposite end, we gained a splendid ourselves up the last bump and were greeted view of the whole ridge from a high point with the comforting sight of Sunrise Hut. by a tarn. A good place to rest!

We spent our last night at Makaretu Hut New Year Continued and got off to a late start next morning. Once we reached the road, we phoned our lift from a farmhouse and stated that we were at the junction of Makaretu Road and By the end of the day we reached Howletts Makaretu River Road (that's what the State Hut, probably the most pleasant hut on the Forest Park map sa9d). After waiting around whole trip. From Howletts there is a grand in the drizzle for some hours, we realised view over to the East Coast, and also back that the names on the map were - horrors along the tops. wrong. How could my poor unsuspecting family find us? We were now nearing the end of the trip and decided to stick to the tops a little We eventually found our seekers by getting longer by tramping around to Longview a lift to the junction with State Highway Hut via Daphne Ridge and Pohangina Saddle. 2 and waiting till they drove past.... that We slowly worked our way along next morning is the only direct route back to Palmerston and arrived at Longview by mid afternoon. North where they had driven from. Poor The hut is an A-frame, surrounded by bare things they had been sent on a wild goose tree trunks... that evening the views were chase as there are numerous Makaretu or quite spectacular as everything was bathed Makaretu River roads in the area. They in a golden light, the trees waving like had driven to one that was further north. skeletons to the "world down below". So, to cut a long story short, they picked Tomorrow we'd be heading down there. us up and we were whisked back to civilisation. Aside from that, the moral of the story Our last full day was misty and clammy is that you can have a good hard Xmas trip as we continued along the tops to the track exploring the hills close to home, without which leads down to Makaretu Hut. The having to spend millions to go down to some bush on the way down is quite pretty and remote area of the South Island. We could changes dramatically as the track drops certainly recommend this trip. off. o 6 - My Garden I do not ask for the hum of bees, Tall hollyhocks 'neath murm'ring trees, No daffodils nodding by the water's edge, Nor song of thrush from leafy hedge. Give me no bowers all set with blooms, Nor evening ease in fire lit rooms. My garden's no pattern of turf and border, Mine is the bush in its wild disorder, And the track that winds thro' gorse and fern, Is the only path for which I yearn. A whare deep set in tangled brush Hiding away from the city's rush, Where rata, clematis and kowhai grow, Is the only bower I care to know. Phil Phillips, March 1950

MOTVI WUA