Walks in Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne Conservation Park EAST COAST / BAY OF PLENTY

Transcription

1 Walks in Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne Conservation Park EAST COAST / BAY OF PLENTY

2 Contents Welcome 1 Early history 2 The power of the trees 5 Plants and animals 5 The lie of the land 7 Getting there 7 Accommodation 8 Staying in DOC huts 8 Camping 8 Accommodation and vehicle services 8 Recreation 9 Mountain bikes, motorsport and horses 9 Hunting 9 Dogs 9 For your safety 9 Your safety is your responsibility 11 Whirinaki short walks 12 Whirinaki Recreation Camp tracks 15 Whirinaki Track 18 Te Hoe Track 22 Waipunga area tramping tracks 25 Cover: Falls on the Waterfall Loop Track. Photo: DOC

3 Ma te ngaruru o Whirinaki As Whirinaki flourishes opportunities abound North Island kākā. Photo: Terry Greene Welcome to Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne Conservation Park Towering trees, rushing rivers, a wide variety of habitats and a fascinating past combine to create Whirinaki Te Puaa-Tāne Conservation Park. This was one of New Zealand s most famous conservation battlegrounds, where people actively fought to save a magnificent native forest. Today Whirinaki s beauty is protected for everyone to enjoy through a comprehensive network of walks, tracks, huts and a range of opportunities for visitors. Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne Conservation Park forms a boundary between the exotic Kaingaroa pine plantations to the west and Te Urewera National Park to the east. The Conservation Park stretches over 55,000 ha from near Murupara in the north toward the Napier Taupo highway in the south. The park is about 100 km southeast of Rotorua past Murupara on Te Whaiti Road. The park is administered and co-managed by the Department of Conservation and local iwi Ngāti Whare. 1

4 Early history The Korowai (cloak) of Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne Conservation Park embraces Ngāti Whare iwi and is woven through co-management. The threads are the park s biodiversity, and its historic, cultural and spiritual taonga. By nurturing the forest, recreational, social and economic opportunities flow for all people. Māori have lived here probably as long as the oldest trees still standing. The original inhabitants of the Whirinaki valley were believed to have been Te Marangaranga. They were conquered by Wharepakau and his nephew Tangiharuru, descendants of Toi the great Māori chief. Through this conquest Wharepakau and Tangiharuru, with their people, occupied the lands in the Whirinaki and Rangitaiki Valleys and their descendants have lived in the district ever since. Ngāti Whare are descendents of Wharepakau and regard themselves as the guardians of Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne Conservation Park. As a result of historical Treaty of Waitangi claims, Ngāti Whare has established an ongoing and active partnership with the Crown in relation to the land, rivers, sacred land and other special taonga. Ngāti Whare and the Department of Conservation are currently working on a unique co-managed conservation management plan, which is a milestone for both parties. Māori association with the forest is also spiritual. Whirinaki protects and preserves the people and legends of the past, is traditionally known as a pātaka kai (source of food), and provides herbs and building materials for cultural purposes. 2

5 These include tōtara for meeting houses and other carving work. The right to take these resources is special to Ngāti Whare and arises from their significant relationship with the forest. This commitment also extends to a long-term project to regenerate the podocarp forest that will enhance its overall value and ecological health and create an expanding conservation park for future generations of Ngāti Whare. Carved pou at Waikotikoti Marae, Te Whaiti. Photo: Angela Corona The first Pākehā to visit the area was Reverend William Colenso who came to Te Whaiti in By 1885 surveying of the proposed State Highway 38 began but met with resistance from Tūhoe one clash in 1889 led to the establishment of a police station at Te Whaiti. In the same year, a store was established with the well-known historian Elsdon Best as the shopkeeper. The presence of the store and road construction work gradually eased relations between Māori and European residents. Many pā, settlement and old garden sites remain in the forest as reminders of the area s long history of occupation. 3

6 Northern rātā. Photo: DOC 4 Rātā climbs a host tree towards the sky. Photo: DOC

7 The power of the trees Whirinaki is best known for its awe-inspiring trees. The greatest of these are known as podocarps and include rimu, tōtara, kahikatea, mataī and miro. These forest giants have always been valued but in quite different ways now compared to the past. Visitors who marvel at their great height and size are often surprised to learn that logging of this forest ceased as recently as the mid-1980s. Timber milling first began at Te Whaiti in 1928 when Crown and Māori land was logged for tōtara fencing material. As demand for high quality wood gradually increased, a sawmill and the original Minginui Village were built near the present village site in the 1930s to help supply the timber. Work was plentiful and before long Minginui had three sawmills. The annual cut of native trees was large up to 30,000 cubic metres. Ongoing demand saw fast-growing exotic species planted where the much slower-growing natives had been logged. By the late 1970s around 130 people were employed in the forest industry at Whirinaki. But times were changing. In 1975 the three mills amalgamated and between 1978 and 1979 a bitter public controversy raged over the future of the forest. Conservation groups actively campaigned to stop the native harvest and came into direct conflict with the local community who saw this as a threat to their lifestyle and employment. In 1985 a new government ended the logging of native trees and by 1987 all logging of native timber had stopped at Whirinaki. Plants and animals The vegetation of Whirinaki changes from lowland podocarp forest in the basins through to beech forest in higher altitude areas. The plant life reflects the landform, altitude and soils along with past disturbance by volcanic activity and burning by humans. The park s most striking characteristic is its wonderful podocarp forest. Another special feature is the northern rātā- 5

8 Whio (blue duck). Photo: DOC podocarp forest on the Minginui Faces, one of the best examples of rātā forest in the North Island. Also of note are the frost flats at Waione and Taahau where a unique ecosytem has been created by extreme frost conditions. The flats are dominated by monoao and kānuka shrublands and include the rare parasitic plant Dactylanthus taylori. Birdlife is diverse and abundant. The forest supports high numbers of rare birds such as North Island brown kiwi, redand yellow-crowned kākāriki, and North Island kākā. Other notable birds include whio (blue duck) and the endangered kārearea (New Zealand falcon). Excellent trout fishing can be found in the Whirinaki, Rangitaiki, and Whaeo rivers. Longfin tuna (eels) and several other species of native fish also live in these river systems. New Zealand s only native land mammals, long-tailed and shorttailed bats (pekapeka), are present but rarely seen. Alert visitors may catch sight of a long-tailed bat around the forest edges in the evening. Many introduced mammals have also made Whirinaki home. These include red deer, pigs and possums which have played a major part in modifying the forest. Deer and possums were liberated in the late 1890s and their populations rose to a peak around the late 1950s. Rats, mice, cats and stoats are also present. 6 North Island robin with mealworm. Photo: DOC

9 The lie of the land Whirinaki is located between the central volcanic plateau and mountain axis of the North Island. To the west is the Kaingaroa plateau, while to the east and south are the Huiarau and Ikawhenua ranges, bounded by the Whaeo and Te Whaiti faults. The park contains elements of volcanic and non-volcanic landforms and soils, and the plant and animal life reflects these differences. The land is still and peaceful now but this belies the violent origins of the Kaingaroa Plateau and Whirinaki basin. About 1800 years ago the Taupo eruption ejected a great wave of pumice, destroying all in its path and creating a new landscape. A lot of material also fell from the air, cloaking the greywacke ridges to the east. The northern part of the forest, west of the Whirinaki River, is relatively low country which rises from 360 m to 730 m. There are beautiful river flats and rolling, tree-covered hills and gullies. These are a marked contrast to the steep rugged greywacke country in the south which rises to 1365 m at Maungataniwha. 5 ROTORUA Kilometres MURUPARA TAUPO Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne Conservation Park Getting there Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne Conservation Park is 90 km southeast of Rotorua, off Te Whaiti Rd, via SH38. The most popular entrance to the park is past Minginui village and up River Road to the River Road car park, the starting point for many walks. 7

10 Camping at Mangamate. Photo: DOC Accommodation Staying in DOC huts Hut tickets or Backcountry Passes are required for all huts and are available from any Department of Conservation office. Please use only dead wood for fires, leave huts clean and tidy and carry out any rubbish. Serviced Hut: $15 Bunks or sleeping platforms with mattresses, water supply, heating, toilet and hand washing facilities. May have cooking facilities and a warden on a seasonal basis. (Central Whirinaki Hut.) Standard Hut: $5 Bunks or sleeping platforms with mattresses, a toilet and water supply. (All huts except those listed as serviced or basic huts.) Basic Hut: no charge Bunks or sleeping platforms without mattresses. Toilet and stream water. (Mid Okahu Hut, Upper Matakuhia Hut and Lower Hut.) Camping There are several attractive, easily accessible camping areas, including Mangamate Waterfall, Sanctuary, Mid Okahu campsite and Okahu Road end. These offer basic facilities river water, sealed vault toilets, and some barbecue areas. Accommodation and vehicle services These services are available in Minginui. For more information, contact Murupara DOC office. 8

11 Recreation Mountain bikes, motorsport and horses Whirinaki offers opportunities for people with mountain bikes, motorsport vehicles or horses. Old logging roads provide offroad opportunities but are not marked or maintained. Horses, trail bikes, four-wheel drives and mountain bikes are not permitted on formal walking tracks. Please refer to the Whirinaki Mountain Bike Guide brochure or contact the Murupara DOC office for information on where these activities are permitted. Hunting Deer and pig hunting are very popular in Whirinaki. Hunters are welcome as they help control wild animal numbers. Permits for deer and pig hunting are available year round. Commercial possum trapping and poisoning are managed on a block system. Contact the Murupara DOC office for more information. Dogs Dogs are allowed in some areas for hunting and other purposes but permits must be obtained for them. Please check with the Murupara DOC office for up-to-date information on where dogs are allowed. For your safety XXProtect plants and animals XXRemove rubbish XXKeep streams and lakes clean XXKeep to the track XXConsider others XXRespect cultural heritage XXEnjoy your visit and Toitu te whenua (Leave the land undisturbed) The weather in the park can be very unpredictable and visitors should be prepared for cold, wet spells even in summer. Frosts and snow are also likely on high ground throughout the year. High rainfall causes rivers in the area to rise very quickly although they usually fall rapidly once the rain stops. You need to be well prepared for tramping and walking in the park. 9

12 Please ensure you have: XXStrong, comfortable boots XXWarm clothing (wool or polypropylene) XXA good raincoat XXA first aid kit XXFood and water XXA map For tramping trips you will need other items such as a gas cooker, plenty of food and drink, a map and compass. The true right or left of a waterway is determined when facing downstream. The appropriate maps for these trips are NZTopo50 series, BG38 Wairapukao, BG39 Ruatahuna, BH38 Te Haroto, and BH39 Putorino. Check the route with Department of Conservation staff before you leave and obtain up-to-date information on the area. Track classification Tracks are developed to different standards to cater for a variety of experiences. Choose the type of track that matches your skills, fitness and the experience you want be realistic. Safety is your responsibility. SHORT WALKS are well formed with an even surface for up to an hour s easy walking, with few if any steps. Suitable for people of most abilities and fitness. Walking shoes required. WALKING TRACKS are mostly well-formed, reasonably easy extended walks for up to a full-day return. Major water courses are bridged and track entrances and junctions are sign posted. Walking shoes or light tramping/hiking boots. TRAMPING TRACKS are challenging day or multiday tramping. Tracks generally have an unformed surface, but with track directional markers, poles or cairns. Suitable for fit people with backcountry skills and experience. Tramping/hiking boots. ROUTES are unformed, marked or unmarked and often with steep grades. Suitable only for people with high level backcountry navigation and river-crossing skills and experience. Sturdy tramping/hiking boots. 10

13 Your safety is your responsibility Leave your intentions with a trusted contact via the outdoor intentions on the Adventure Smart website adventuresmart.org.nz and follow the steps below: XXPlan your trip XXTell someone before you go XXCheck the weather XXKnow your limits XXTake sufficient supplies Car park Campsite Lookout Walking track Easy tramping track Roads Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne Conservation Park Recreation Camp To Murupara TE WHAITI ROAD 7 Arohaki Lagoon SOUTH ROAD per Okahu Stream iv er Whirinaki R Waiatiu Stream MAIN ROAD 2 3 FORT ROAD Recreation Camp Mangamate Waterfall Camp UpMinginui Stream RIVER ROAD 1 SANCT U ARY ROAD Te Whaiti MINGINUI ROAD Minginui Whirinaki Waterfall Kilometres 11

14 Whirinaki short walks There are a number of superb short walks close to Minginui ranging from one hour to a full day. These aim to give visitors an insight to the forest without taking too much time or requiring special skills. All of the walks in the next two sections except Skips Hut (8) are shown on the Whirinaki short walks map on the previous page. 1. Sanctuary Track and Whirinaki Night Life Walk 1 hr 45 min loop track, 2.16 km Access from Sanctuary Road, off Minginui Road. Start across the walk bridge from the Sanctuary Road car park. The sanctuary protects a striking remnant of podocarp forest. It can be walked night or day, but just after dark is the best time to hear the night animals, such as ruru/morepork wētā and kiwi, and see glow worms. NB: This is a Kiwi Zone dogs are not permitted. 2. Waiatiu Falls Track 1 hr 30 min return via the same track Access from River Road car park. An easy, well-graded track that passes through magnificent podocarp forest. The falls are spectacular. Take your camera. Small waterfall on the loop track. Photo: DOC 12

15 3. H-tree Track 45 minute loop track, 2.2 km Access from Fort Road, off River Road. This is an easy walk through grand podocarp forest. featuring an unusually shaped rimu tree. The forest here is home to a large population of native birds including kākā and robin. Early mornings or late afternoons are great for seeing and/or hearing the birds. Extra activities on this track include a Treasure Map for kids and adults find all the answers to the questions along the H-Tree track to discover some of Whirinaki s treasures. The map is available online at The Whirinaki challenge takes the form of a multi-cache and is a fun and informative adventure suitable for all the family. A series of waypoints will have you exploring different elements of the forest before you locate the final box. To find details about the Whirinaki geocache, go to Whirinaki Wanderings on the geocaching website at or visit whirinaki-wanderings. There you will find all the information you need to get started. You can also find details by visiting the Murupara DOC office. 4. Te Whaiti-Nui-A-Toi Canyon 15 minutes to the canyon Access from River Road car park This short well-graded walk follows the start of the Whirinaki Track to the spectacular canyon. The forest is rich with birds and plants, including spectacular views of all New Zealand s huge podocarp species. 5. Arohaki Lagoon 2 hours return via same track, 3 km Access from Lagoon car park, just past River Road car park. The track passes through impressive tawa/podocarp forest. The rain-fed lagoon is surrounded by towering kahikatea and is alive with frogs, though it s often dry in the summer. 13

16 Arohaki Lagoon. Photo: DOC 6. Whirinaki Waterfall Loop Track 3 4 hour loop track, 9.3 km Access from River Road car park. This easy loop track follows the Whirinaki River through superb podocarp forest with many excellent vantage points along the river. The waterfall can be heard from some distance. Take your lunch to enjoy along the way. 7. Taupiri Lookout 1 hour return Access is signposted from Main Road/South Road. This historic fire lookout is a 27 km round trip by car from Minginui. It offers awesome 360 degree views of the area. On a fine clear day you can see the bluffs of Maungapohatu, Mt Tauhara, Mt Ruapehu, Mt Tarawera and the Paeroa Range. 8. Skips Hut Whangatawhia 3 4 hours return via same track Access from Okahu Road end. (See map on pages ) This easy walk follows the Whangatawhia Stream to the hut. Many footbridges provide picturesque forest and stream views. 14

17 Whirinaki Recreation Camp tracks 9. Loop Track to river 30 minutes Access below the Recreation Camp. An easy walk along the Whirinaki River and back up to the camp through native forest. 10. Lookout Track 1 hour Access from the Recreation Camp. The easy walk starts across the road from the Recreation Camp and winds uphill to a clearing giving great views. 11. Wiremu Merito Reserve Track 1 hour Access from the Recreation Camp. A well-graded and interpreted track through magnificent podocarp forest. Whirinaki Recreation Camp Located on Old Te Whaiti road about 5 km from Minginui village. Accommodation is available for families, school and educational groups. Environmental education resources are also available. The camp has a covered outdoor cooking and eating area with an open fire. There are fireplaces in all the huts (with firewood supplied) and flush toilets behind the huts. There are also two solar-heated showers. Wheelchair access is available to one toilet and hut. Book online at booking.doc.govt.nz or contact the Murupara DOC office. (Bookings can be made up to 10 months in advance.) 15

18 Huts (bunks) Car park Campsite Lookout Short walk Walking track Tramping track Route 0 KIORENUI ROAD Kilometres iver W heao R MAIN ROAD Upper Okahu Stream Roads Conservation Park Wheao River SOUTH ROAD Waiatiu Stream Otupaka Stream MAIN ROAD Vern's Camp Tiritiri Stream 17 SOUTH ROAD PUKEROA ROAD Te Tehi Stream Kohu Stream Central Whirinaki (25) 15 Whirinaki River Mangamate (9) 13 Kakanui Stream Taumutu Stream 16 Kakaiti Stream PINE MILLING ROAD PLATEAU ROAD 14a 14b Upper Whirinaki (9) Puk ahunui Stream WAIPUNGA ROAD 28 Upper Matakuhia (8) Otawhiri Stream Lower Matakuhiai (6) tream

19 Murupara Te Whaiti Recreation Camp Mangamate Waterfall Camp FORT ROAD RIVER ROAD SANCT UARY ROAD MINGINUI ROAD Mid Okahu (12) Sanctuary Camp Okahu Road end Minginui Stream Mid Okahu Campsite OKAHU ROAD Okahu Stream 8 23 Moerangi (9) Moerangi Stream Skip's (Whangatawhia) (9) 24 Roger's (Te Wairoa) (6) 21 Wairoa Stream 25 Mangakahika (9) Upper Te Hoe (9) Te Hoe River Central Te Hoe (15) Mangahouanga Stream Mangakahakaha Stream Tatua Stream pai Stream 17

20 Whirinaki Track Whirinaki Track is the highest standard tramping track in the park. It is a relatively easy trip suitable for people of low to moderate fitness levels. Walkers can travel north to south from the River Road car park, Minginui or south to north from Plateau car park. It can also be travelled as a circuit (as described) starting from either end or as part of a larger walk linking with the Te Hoe or Moerangi Tracks. Scarlet mistletoe. Photo: Trevor Johnson Plateau car park is about 43 km from Minginui along forestry roads. From Minginui, turn up Main Road, which becomes South Road. After about 30 minutes turn left on to Pine Milling Road and follow the Whirinaki Track signs. Access to Plateau car park is also through Kaingaroa Forest via Wairupakau Road, Low Level Road, Wainuki Arterial/ Ngapuketurua Road, Kiorenui Road and Main Road, following Whirinaki Track signs. Access permits for forestry roads must be organised from Kaingaroa Timberlands Office, 99 Sala Street, Rotorua. From the Napier/Taupo Highway, exit on Pohokura Road (between Waipunga Falls Lookout and Rangitaiki Hotel), cross the Waipunga River and drive north to Whirinaki Track signs on Pine Milling Road. 18

21 12. River Road car park to Central Whirinaki Hut 4 hr 30 min Giant podocarp trees surround the River Road car park. The track meanders down the forested river terraces of Oriuwaka Ecological Area to Te Whaiti-Nui-A-Toi Canyon. Here the river cuts through an ancient lava flow with spectacular results. The main track continues up the true right of the river, crossing Moerangi and Mangamate Streams. The next stop, Whirinaki Waterfall (1 hr 15 min), is about 200 m off the main track to Central Whirinaki Hut (25 bunks). View the falls from the bridge. Retrace your steps to the Central Whirinaki Hut turn-off. A further 45 minutes from the turn-off is Vern s Camp, the site of an old track cutters camp. This is a good place to stop for lunch. It has a shelter with fireplace and water available at the stream at the southern end of the clearing. From Vern s Camp the track follows high above the river giving some birds-eye views. Beware of ongaonga (stinging nettle) Whio (blue duck) are often seen along this section of the track. Kakanui Stream is the next convenient place for a stop (1 hour). Central Whirinaki Hut stands in a large grassy clearing, with the river nearby. It is about 1 hr 30 min from Kakanui Stream and about 4 hr 30 min from the car park. There are hut wardens quarters located at the hut and volunteer hut warden opportunities are regularly available. Central Whirinaki Hut. Photo: DOC 13. Central Whirinaki Hut to Upper Whirinaki Hut 3 hours via Taumutu Stream The track goes up river to Taumutu Stream (45 mins) and branches. The turn off to Upper Whirinaki Hut and Mangamate Hut is to your left. At the next intersection turn right (the left hand track leads to Mangamate Hut). After climbing to a small saddle the track drops down through forest to a clearing. Upper Whirinaki Hut (9 bunks) is at the end of the clearing (2 hr 15 min). 19

22 14. Central Whirinaki Hut to Upper Whirinaki Hut 6 hours via cave This track is not recommended due to storm damage. It is currently only a route and only experienced trampers should attempt it due to extensive windfall. This alternative route to Upper Whirinaki Hut branches off the previously described track at the Taumutu Stream bridge. Cross the bridge and follow the right-hand track upstream for 45 minutes to the swing bridge across the Whirinaki River. All river crossings are bridged to this point, providing all weather access. To reach the cave, cross the main river at the bridge and follow the sign. The cave formed as stream water wore into a pumice deposit creating one large cavern and a smaller one behind it. You may find small creatures such as wētā inside. Look also for remnants of charcoal in the pumice; this is the result of the Taupo eruption nearly 2000 years ago, which destroyed local forest. At the swing bridge the track branches. To carry on to Upper Whirinaki Hut or the Te Hoe catchment, take the marked route to the left. From this point on, route finding and river crossing skills are required. After 1 hr 30 min, another intersection is reached. Here the route branches three ways. The 3.6 km route to the right (14a) climbs very steeply back to the Plateau car park (2 hr 30 min), another 10.2 km route (14b) continues to follow the river towards Upper Te Hoe for 5 hr 30 min. The third goes up a small tributary on the true right to Upper Whirinaki Hut, situated at the end of a small clearing (20 minutes). 20 Warnings There are many streams crossings in sections 13, 14, 16 and 17. They become unsafe in high rainfall. If unsure return to the hut until the stream can be negotiated safely. Beware of ongaonga or stinging nettle (pictured left). It can give a very painful sting, which may last several days. Wearing long pants helps to avoid many of the stings.

23 Having fun in Whirinaki. Photo: DOC 15. Central Whirinaki Hut to Plateau car park 2 hr 45 min From the cave swing bridge junction, follow the right-hand track. It is steep at first but the grade eases on the ridge. A steady uphill grade is maintained right up to the car park. 16. Upper Whirinaki Hut to Mangamate Hut 5 hours Retrace your steps back to Taumutu Stream. Follow the Taumutu downstream to meet Kakaiti Stream. At the junction the track divides, with the left branch following Taumutu Stream back to Central Whirinaki Hut while the right branch heads up Kakaiti Stream to Mangamate Hut (9 bunks). On climbing out of the stream and crossing a saddle, the track drops into Kakanui Stream. Follow the stream until it picks up the benched track which leads to the new Mangamate Hut site. 17. Mangamate Hut to River Road car park 3 hr 30 min From Mangamate Hut the track sidles down the valley until it reaches the old hut site. From this point the trail follows the stream until it intersects with the main Whirinaki Track. Turn right to bring you back to the River Road car park in a further 50 minutes. 21

24 Te Hoe Track The Te Hoe Track provides access to the more remote areas of Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne Conservation Park. Tramping in this area is rugged and requires high fitness levels. The network of tracks gives trampers options varying in length from 3 to 7 days. The trip can be started at the Okahu Road end or at Pukahunui Road end or walked as a round trip incorporating Moerangi Hut, Mangamate Hut and Upper Whirinaki Hut. This guide follows from south to north. To access the Pukahunui track end, follow the road signs for the Whirinaki Track as far as the Plateau Road turnoff. Keep to Pine Milling Road and you will drop down to the Pukahunui Stream, cross two bridges and the track starts about 1 km further down the road. Access to the northern end of the track is through the Okahu valley, about 9 km past the Minginui turnoff on Ruatahuna Road. The track begins at the end of Okahu Valley Road (about 11 km). 22 Interior of the historic Rogers Hut. Photo: DOC

25 18. Pukahunui Road end to Upper Te Hoe Hut 4 hr 30 min From the Pukahunui Road end, the track climbs steeply to the dividing ridge between the Whirinaki catchment and the Te Hoe catchment. The ridge is about 1275 m high and clothed in high altitude beech forest. It often snows here in the winter. About 2 hr 30 min walk from the road end, the track from Upper Whirinaki Hut joins the ridge. (The track from Upper Whirinaki Hut to the junction takes about 6 hr 30 min with a steep climb up from Whirinaki Stream.) Continue along the Te Hoe Track which winds down to Upper Te Hoe Hut (2 hours). 19. Upper Te Hoe to Central Te Hoe Hut 4 hr 30 min The track to Central Te Hoe Hut (15 bunks) is on the true left of the Te Hoe River. This is an all-weather track it is mostly benched and all major river crossings are bridged. The track can be very exposed to wind, rain and snow. Drinking water must be carried. 20. Central Te Hoe Hut to Mangakahika Hut 3 hr 30 min From Central Te Hoe Hut return to the swing bridge and follow the creek bed up to the Bullring Clearing (1 hr 45 min). This section has a lot of ongaonga (stinging nettle). Wearing long pants helps avoid many of the stings. From here the track crosses a saddle and drops into the Te Wairoa Stream, meandering to Mangakahika Hut (9 bunks). Mistletoe flowers high in the red beech in midsummer through this section. North Island brown kiwi can sometimes be heard in the late evening. 21. Mangakahika Hut to Rogers Hut Te Wairoa 3 hours The track from Mangakahika to Rogers Hut Te Wairoa follows the river. About 1 hr 15 min from the start there is a low saddle. Keep a good watch for track markers as this section is not benched, though it is relatively flat. Rogers Hut (6 bunks) is on a cleared terrace above the river. The hut is named after the builder s son, born while the hut was under construction. 23

26 22. Rogers Hut Te Wairoa to Moerangi Hut 3 hours At Rogers Hut Te Wairoa the track divides. One branch goes up the Moerangi Stream to Moerangi Hut (9 bunks) and the other branch goes to Skips Hut Whangatawhia. The track to Moerangi is well marked but some stream crossings are required. About 3 hours up the track the river branches and the hut is found several minutes up the true right branch of the stream on a river terrace. Whio (blue duck) are often seen in the stream section of the trip and around the hut. Rogers Hut. Photo: DOC 23. Moerangi Hut to River Road car park 4 hr 30 min From Moerangi Hut go back down to the main track. Continue on along the stream terrace and over a low ridge into the true left fork of the Moerangi Stream. After 1 hour the track heads out of the stream and up to the ridge just south of Moerangi Mountain. The track is well defined as it sidles around Moerangi and down a ridge to link with an historic logging track (1 hr 30 min). Veer right and follow this old road for about 45 minutes then turn left back onto the tramping track and continue down to join the Waterfall Loop Track. Turn right and the car park is 30 minutes away. 24. Rogers Hut Te Wairoa to Skips Hut Whangatawhia 1 hr 30 min The track from Rogers Hut Te Wairoa to Skips Hut Whangatawhia (9 bunks) heads north along the true left of the Whakangatuwhio Stream and through a saddle into the Whangatawhia Stream. The track runs above the river with some good views. 24

27 25. Skips Hut Whangatawhia to Okahu Road end 2 hours From Skips Hut Whangatawhia, the track sidles gently upstream out of the Whangatawhia Stream over a saddle and down into the Okahu Valley to the road end. Waipunga area tramping tracks To access the track follow the directions to Plateau Road car park (see page 16). Continue along Pine Milling Road (past the Plateau Road turn-off). After about 1.5 km the Matakuhia access road (signposted) goes off to the right of a skid site. The track starts about 200 m along this access road. 26. Car park to Upper Matakuhia Hut 2 hr 30 min A benched track sidles down to the valley then follows the stream to Upper Matakuhia Hut (8 bunks). The hut is situated on the stream s true left in a clearing. 27. Upper Matakuhia Hut to Lower Matakuhia Hut 6 hours This is a marked route and a high level of experience is required. The route follows what was once a benched track, but there are many slips and deviations from the original line. After 3 hours, the Opureke track junction is reached, shortly afterwards cross the stream and carry on down the true right of the stream to Lower Matakuhia Hut (6 bunks). 28. Opureke Track 5 hours Access from SH5 turn onto Waipunga Road. The track is signposted on the right about 4.5 km down the road. Follow orange markers through pine plantation to the bush edge. The route then continues up to and follows the ridge to a point where it overlooks the Matakuhia Stream. It then descends to and crosses the stream, where it intersects with the Matakuhia Track. Head right to go to Lower Matakuhia Hut (3 hours) or left to Upper Matakuhia Hut (3 hours). 25

28 For more information, visit the DOC website at or contact: Department of Conservation Murupara Field Base State Highway 38, Murupara 3079 Phone: Fax: Published by: Department of Conservation Murupara Field Base PO Box 114, Murupara 3062 New Zealand Revised October 2013 Editing and design: Publishing Team, DOC National Office Crown copyright 2013 ISBN: This publication is produced using paper sourced from well-managed, renewable and legally logged forests.