Tararua Forest Park

Tararua Forest Park is a massive mountainous park, just on Wellington's doorstep. Crazy we just finally made a trip there this weekend! It stretches from Hutt Valley all the way up to the big wind farm in the Manawatu Gorge, 100km north. The Tararua's are reknowned for their beautiful scenery and nasty changable weather. Well, the forecast nailed it. A stunning Saturday and wet Sunday.

We hit the road Friday night and got to the Mt. Holdsworth Lodge (~400m), a Department of Conservation (DOC) hut at the base of the route. Tararua's have about 10-20 different access points, but this is one of the easiest and safest in terms of car parks. The lodge is part of the DOC's amazing hut system, something we should really get going in Canada. Essentially, rather than tenting everywhere, every 3-4hrs worth of hiking has a small to medium sized hut, holdng anywhere between 4 to 50 people. The Great Walks, like Milford and Abel Tasman, have lots of big huts. Most in the Tararua's are half that, or less. But, it makes things super easy! and definitely very accesible for family's and school groups (maybe too much so). But rather than worry about packing a cooker, tent and pads, all you need is food, clothes and a sleeping bag. It's pretty sweet, especially since you have to schlepp a ton of extra clothing since the weather is so variable here. The huts are also cheap as chips and comfy...

We hit the trail first thing Saturday morning, and it was a beautiful sunny calm day. It's just about winter here, so it was only about 5C in the morning, maybe rising to 10-12C during the day. The hike meandered up a fairly basic trail called 'Gentle Annie' and got steeper and steeper as we began to ascend Mt. Holdsworth. I was quite glad that was a 'gentle' route. After about 3-4hrs of slogging it up the steeps, we emerged from the treeline to spectacular views of the east coast and the Wairarapa. We could just about see the ocean. Powell Hut is right there, at the bush line. It holds about 30 people. A few other small groups were having their lunch there, and we were actually going to stay there for the night. Rumours spread quickly of a 30+ group of school kids coming up to Powell for the night. That, and the defunct electrical heater, was enough to send us further into the range.

The rest was good as gold! The hike just became more and more stunning from there. We were crossing the top of the Tararua's along a knife-edge ridgeline in the sunshine! It was awesome. From Mt Holdsworth (1470m), we could also see the west coast and just the tip of Kapiti Island. Amazing views - coast to coast. Makes you realize that New Zealand is really just a small island in a huge ocean.

The tramping got pretty tough and rugged, and if the route didn't follow the ridgeline, I am certain we would have got lost. A compass and map would have been a good idea! We past a few patches of snow and ice up there, and apparently, with the cold Monday coming up, it's suppose to dump lots more snow up on the tops. We pushed on for another 3 hrs along that ridge line, across peaks and over saddles. It was muddy and the wind wanted to blow us over the edge - must've been cranking 40-50knots up there! The roaring 40's were showing their stuff!! I think that was some of the best hiking I have ever done!. Spectacular scenery, challenging trail and great weather... not to mention, a pretty awesome trekking companion! Awww shucks... ;)

By 4 o'clock, we made it to Jumbo hut. Jumbo hut sleeps about 24 people, and it was going to be near full. The word was out about the group of school kids. It was like the odd group of refugees making the sojourn along the ridge to the next shanty town... Jumbo hut.

The fire was already keeping the place nice and toasty. We dined on a gourmet pasta meal and exhausted, we had a difficult time keeping ourselves awake past even 7pm. So, I kicked Cheryl's ass, as usual, in Euchre 500. Cheryl somehow slept like a log in her paper thin sleeping back. I slept like crap, even in my sweet as MEC -7C Winterhawk sleeping bag with the legendary triple layer footbox. The wind was pounding the building, and I had visions of the hut being lifted up and toppled over... or the roof torn off, like one of the previous huts formerly in its place.

Crack of dawn, I am up. Gruel & tea made, off we go. We say goodbye to our temporary bunkmates and off we go. As predicted, the rain is starting. The rain never misses the Tararuas and it certainly did not on this day. The morning was a wet one. We hit the trail and climbed down and down and down for what felt like forever. Gnarled old moss-covered trees kept us semi-dry, but our tired knees made sure we watched our steps. We came down the Raingauge Spur to Atiwhakatu stream and hut. This one was only a shabby 8-person Category 3. But, it would be just fine and dandy, as long as there was dry wood to be found for the fire place. I can guarantee you, there was no such dry wood supply for miles around. The rest of the hike followed along the stream back to Holdsworth Lodge and our good 'ol Subaru Legacy "Momo". Ahhh... dry jeans....