Tramping the Tararuas

Overview: an overnighter to Tutuwai Hut from Waiohine Gorge Road via the historic Cone Hut.

The DOC campsite at the end of Waiohine Gorge Road offers what has got to be the most impressive start to a tramp in the Tararua Range (if not the whole of the north island): the iconic suspension bridge over the lower Waiohine Gorge. Opened in 2007 to replace an old Forest Service swingbridge dating from the late 1980s, the bridge spans 124 m at a height of 40 m above the river - making it one of the largest of its kind in the country.

Once across the bridge, the left branching track towards Cone and Tutuwai huts splashes through some mud, crosses a small creek, then immediately shoots steeply uphill. It's a real slog, a slow sub-2 km/h trudge, until the ridge proper is reached, about 1.5 km from the start. At this point the track flattens out nicely, punctuated with the occasional short, steep upward punch. The map looked promisingly flat in this area of the track, but I had suspected it would be 'Tararua flat' - where there is a heap of elevation change hidden with the 20 m contours of Topo50 maps. I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong.

The forest along the ridge is lush and green. The track is on the rough side, often muddy, but easy to follow - typical Tararua fare. It has been sheltered coming up to the ridge, but now a biting wind whipped through trees, enough to make even me put on another layer.

The track ambles along, heading mostly westwards before swinging northwest around Pt 682 (the highest elevation on the track). Not far from here a signposted junction is reached. The left track drops straight down to Cone hut whilst the other option follows what seems from the map to be a gentler descent to Cone Saddle, from where another descends to Cone Hut. I take the direct option.

Cone at Cone

It's a steep descent, but less so than the ascent from the bridge. There's even a little bit if zig-zagging to ease the gradient. Shortly before the hut, the track from Cone Saddle is met. The rustic edifice of Cone Hut emerges suddenly from the surrounding trees.
Cone Hut is the second-oldest hut in the Tararua FP (behind Field Hut), and the sole example of a 'slab hut' (so named after the construction from totara slabs, cut and milled by hand on site) in the park. Its got an undeniable cool factor, though not enough to tempt me into spending the night. I suspect good company and a crackling fire would be required.

From Cone, the track follows the Tauwharenikau river downstream to Tutuwai Hut. DOC time suggests 1 hour. Maps suggest that it's mostly flat. Again, I suspected Tararua flat. Again I was wrong.

It's rugged, sure. There's some treefall, lots of mud, and a tiny landslide of loose rock at one point, but it's never difficult. The track is always near the river, sometimes right next to it, other times seperated by grassy flats. Several un-bridged creeks are crossed, though only two are of considerable size. Both had ankle deep fording points and fairly flat rocky bottoms. Hard to say how much they do or do not swell in heavy rain, but today it was easy to keep my feet dry.

Along the way, DOC signposts point the way across the Tauwharenikau to first the Bull Mound track and later the Omega tracks. Eventually I arrive at the flats below Tutuwai Hut and then its a short final upward burst to the terrace the hut sits on.

The hut is clean and well looked after by the Greater Wellington Backcountry Network. It was downgraded from serviced to standard after recent cuts to DOC's budget, so there is no longer firewood supplied. The wind was roaring down the valley all night and I frequently awoke to the sounds of heavy rain and/or high winds.

The next morning it was raining heavily, and I looked out the window to find that at some point during the night, the wind had stolen my gaiters from the porch, including the pegs I'd hung them up with.
I dilly-dallied for a while, on the off-chance the rain would let up. It was showing no signs of doing so, so I set off anyway.

After an hour I was back at Cone Hut, a welcome respite from the rain to stop for a quick break. I couldn't stay there forever though, so after a few minutes I was back on the trail, heading back uphill. I had considered going via Cone Saddle, but the rain turned my decision-making to favour the more direct route.

At some point I realised my jacket hood wasn't being pelted by fat rain drops, soon after that small patches of blessed clear sky could be seen through the trees. The track seemed steeper than it was coming down the day before (though still easier then the ascent from Waiohine gorge). Back on the ridge, it was easier going once again, if not slipperier than yesterday.

It was pretty clear by now that the rain wasn't returning, and the wind had the advantage of drying out a bit of my rain-damp clothes. It was a pleasant walk, if particularly muddy from the nights downpour. About 1.3 km from the bridge, the descent begins. It's not fun, but it could be worse. In many places the track consists of a layer of wet, slippery mud on top of even more slippery clay stuff. Careful steps are needed. Eventually I was back crossing the bridge, the river much higher today.

Times and Distances:

Waiohine Gorge Road-end to Cone Saddle track fork: 4.10 km, 2 hr 11 min.
Track fork to Cone Hut: 1.35 km, 30 min.
Cone Hut to Tutuwai Hut: 3.67 km, 1 hr 14 min. Total: 9.12 km, 3 hr 55 min.

Map:

Elevation Profile

Overview: an overnighter on Mt Taranaki's less visited western slopes to Waiaua Gorge Hut via the Ihaia Track.

The Ihaia track begins inauspiciously at the end of Ihaia Road, a short distance inland from the coastal town of Opunake. There's a small area to park the car and a DOC sign telling you to follow the markers over farmland to the Te Papakura o Taranaki National Park boundary. It's a quick 800m over open paddock to the wall of trees that delineate the national park.

The track is often muddy and there is frequent tree fall and storm damage. There's a fair bit of limbo-ing and scrambling over and under fallen trees at times. It's beautiful forest though, especially farther in from park boundary.

There's an untamed quality to the track that lends it a certain charm, despite the fact I was frequently grumbling to myself about having to circumnavigate yet another fallen tree and/or bog.

After winding gently up through the forest for ~3km, a signposted junction is reached. I turn right, following the sign directing me to Waiaua Gorge Hut. This section of track is a recent diversion not yet shown on Topo50 maps, cut due to what is apparently irreparable storm damage to critical sections of the old track.

The track had been a bit on the rough side up until this point, but this diversion is on another level. It's muddier and scramblier, but still not without its charm. Less than a kilometer later, the track has brought me to the broad, open bed of the Waiaua River.

Ghostly, lichen-covered skeletons of long-dead trees dominate my view while a take a quick break. Further up the river, a small side stream is crossed and swaths of young tutu plants are colonising the otherwise vacant expanse. Marker poles guide the way and it's mostly easy going.
After the river bed, the forest is re-entered and it's a muddy slog up a steep slope before eventually arriving at the hut. A clearing outside the hut affords fantastic views over the densely forested and steep-sided gorge that gives the hut its name.

It's a great spot, even with the mountain obscured by cloud. The hut itself is cosy and well appointed, with two separate bunkrooms off the main area. As the evening progressed, the cloud around the mountain began to clear, revealing the peak illuminated by the golden dusk sun.

Despite a forecast that predicted cloud and showers, the next day brought sun and clear skies. This cemented my potential plan for a side trip to Brames Falls.

A signpost points the way to Brames Falls and more distant destinations such as Syme Hut and Lake Dive. A short distance from the hut, a ladder descends the near vertical drop part the way down into the Waiaua gorge. The remaining descent is a steep scramble before arriving at the river, and after crossing there's a steep clamber out of the gorge onto the bluffs above.

Once on the bluffs, the track is relatively easy-going, though overgrown in places. I had read somewhere that the falls were about an hour from the hut, I naively thought this was a significant over-estimate. It was not.
A signposted viewpoint of Brames Falls is reached about 1.5km from the hut. The falls are quite distant from the viewpoint, there might be other closer view points further up the track but I decided here was good enough.
From here the falls are a white streak dropping over a cliff face into the densely forested bowl below.

After returning to the hut to retrieve my pack it was time to return to the car. Better weather today meant the peak of Taranaki made a striking view from the Waiaua River.