Having roped in a co-worker for an overnight tramp, I elected to find one requiring minimal uphill travel. Such options being limited, the obvious choice was Totara Flats Hut via the Waiohine Gorge Track.
Despite being regarded as an excellent destination for beginners and families, my memories of the track were tainted by a particularly soggy weekend as an 11-year-old in Scouts carrying a pack far too big and full of far too many things for such a sedentary child. I remembered trudging for hours on end, scrambling in and out of stream beds, stumbling over roots and rocks, and generally not having a good time.
Thankfully, adult Braden has the sense to realise that reality need not be so grim, and thus I headed out across the iconic Waiohine Gorge suspension bridge, following a colleague eagerly bounding across the bridge.
The bridge is a fantastic piece of current-era DOC infrastructure, (I think) one of the highest and longest, if not the highest and longest, bridges of it's type in country, or at least in the Tararuas. It replaced an old Forest Service swing bridge that flapped merrily in the frequent gusts blowing their way down the gorge.
The track climbs steeply up from Clem Creek, resuming its meanders above the Waiohine. It is perhaps worth noting that although there is little change in altitude, the track is otherwise standard Tararua fare - frequently rough, muddy and uneven. Not particularly challenging, but nevertheless draining and hard to maintain a good pace on (for a klutz like me at least).
Nikau palms lend a nearly tropical flavour to the forest, and there are a few clearings offering views over the valley.
Nearing the half-way point, the intersection with the Cone Saddle track is reached. A signpost informs you that Totara Flats Hut is 4.5km/2 hours away. Immediately after the junction, the track again descents steeply to the next major stream crossing, also bridged.
The track continues following the Waiohine, often closer to river level now. Eventually, an indistinct (but signposted) junction is reached. A good-weather track drops onto the river bed, while an all weather track heads up over and around a large slip. A track I have somewhat grim memories of having to use when the river was in flood many moons ago.
The river bed track is fairly short, but largely unmarked. The resumption of the track in the trees is easy to miss, so keep an eye out when the rocky bank narrows after crossing the foot of the slip.
Shortly after re-entering the forest, a grassy flat is reached. Don't celebrate yet, as it is a flat of lies and deception. The flat soon ends, and the track re-enters the forest before arriving back at river level for another brief section of rocky river bank. Again, it's easy to miss where the track heads back into the trees. There's then a brief climb up and over a bluff before finally arriving at Totara Flats.
Totara Flats is a remarkable expanse of mostly grassy land, dotted with clumps of trees. You might be tempted to think that the hut is nearby and relatively speaking that's true, but the flats are extensive and the Hut sits right at the northern end. It's not as flat as you might expect either, the track crosses a number of what are either old river terraces or small fault escarpments along the way. Shortly before reaching the hut, the track re-enters the bush. The hut is eventually found in a small clearing above a bend in the Waiohine River near its confluence with Totara Creek.
We reached the hut after about 4 hours.
A few minutes north of the hut, a swing bridge crosses the Waiohine River. The bridge is notorious for its length and impressive range of motion in the frequent winds that barrel down the valley. But the good news is, DOC has commissioned a new bridge which is currently under construction a few meters upstream.
After a leisurely morning, we set off just after midday.
Once again, it's pretty easy to miss where the track exits its brief sections on the river banks, and I lost the trail at least once before spotting a track marker in the trees. It was some consolation that I was not the only person to do this recently, given that I was following another set of boot prints at the time.
The return trip took a shade over 4 hours, all in all a fantastic tramp. Easy enough to be readily enjoyed, but challenging enough to make me feel like I accomplished something. Plus no lasting damage to office relations as far as I can tell. Win-win.
Side note: the final stretch of the Waiohine Gorge Road is heavily eroded and pot holed, which can make it a bit sketchy at times. I may have almost managed to get my car stuck at one point, but escaped with only some fresh skid marks around a particularly large dip in the road.
In saying that, if I can make it in a 4-speed auto Nissan Tiida, and a family in their old Toyota people mover, it (probably) won't stop you.
