Ruahines May 1976

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RUAHINES MAY 1976 Ian Bunckenburg Karen Reid, Ian MacLean and Paul Hughes decided to see what the N.W. Ruahines had to offer for nine days. Caught the Railways bus from Porirua Transport Centre to Taihape on Friday night, got a taxi to Mokai Station at 11 p.m. Camped in the tractor shed, It snowed overnight. Sat.- followed a logging road N.E. across the farmland up to a F.S, 4 man hut at the bushedge. Headed S.E. on the logging road and hit the bush-line at the north end of the Motai Patea Range. Crossed the saddle to a cleared track at the bushedge leading steeply down to the Maropea River and a swing bridge across the small gorge, Bashed to the top of the ridge on the true right where we looked for the "track" heading N.W. There isn't one. Camp ed the night on the ridge top. Sun.- bashed N.W. down the ridge to Maropea - unknown forks, Still no track, Found a hut instead on the true left of the forks, Ironbark. Splashed downriver to the next forks and shot up the Mangetera through a small gorge. Went up a limestone deposit on the true left above Waiokotore Stream and onto a cleared track that led around Lake Cotenso to Cotenso Hut on the true left of the Cotenso River. Fried spuds and onions a la F.S. Mon.- went downriver to the next forks and up the Mangetera again, taking the first branch on the true right. Headed up the creek, up the spur through head high fern onto the ridge where we found the track heading onto Potae and along the razor back ridge N.E.to Ruahine Lower Hut on the bush edge of a high tussock plateau. Fried spuds and onions again. Tues. - Murky weather, rest day. Ian and Karen cooked scones while Ian and Paul wandered North over the plateau on limestone country, rock bivvies,caves, sinkholes etc. They burnt the scones. - F.S. again. Wed. - back along the razor back ridge to Potae. Tried finding the track on the map and only met leather leaf. Found a track on the saddle that led E. on to the main range where we headed south in strong gales. At 5 p.m. ran out of light so dropped West down a scree just south of Ina Rook to the forks at the head of the Cotenso River, and went up to Ranutopa Hut. F.S. again.

Thurs. = off up true right spur above the hut on a blazed trail on LO the main range. Headed southto be "buzzed" bya skyhawk before rea ching Armstrong Saddle on dark. Took the track west down a spur to Top Maropea Hut. 56 zillion flies in the hut. Fried spud and onion again. As well we had MacLean vogel bread, fried in butter and honey. Fri. - off again down the Maropea to Marop ea Forks Hut. Fried spud and onios again. And rice bubbles and MacClean vogel bread. Sat. - off downriver to Otukoto Hut at Waikamaka Forks for lunch, Carried on downriver to the swing bridge where we climbed back on to the Mokai Patea and camped just below the bushline at the end of the logging road. No. fried spud and onions, MacLean vogel or rice bubbles. Sun. - left early and walked out to Mokai Station for breakfast - rice bubbles. Got a taxi to Taihape motor camp, had a shower etc. and caught the Club bus on the way back from Ruapehu, -000000000- -