Pouakai Hut via Mangorei Track

Overview: a quick overnight blat up the hill to Pouakai Hut with the hope of finding some top-notch views...

The two or three people who read this blog on anything approaching a regular basis may recall about two-and-a-half years ago when Cody and myself tramped the Pouakai Circuit, but found views only of rain and mist atop the Pouakai Range.
Hoping that the typically more settled March weather would increase the likelihood of capturing the elusive peak of Taranaki Mounga reflected in the Pouakai Tarns, I plotted my return. Of course by deciding to make this an overnight trip to assuage the amount of travel required, I was somewhat hamstrung by having to book my place at the hut well in advance.

A smattering of cloud surrounded the mountain as I drove through the south Taranaki countryside, but the generally sunny weather and a settled forecast gave me some semblance of hope.
Arriving at a fairly full carpark near the end of Mangorei Road, a brief section of road must be walked before entering a private graveled driveway that doubles as the first section of track.

A sign at the park boundary alleges a time of 2.5 hours to Pouakai Hut. Some 660 vertical metres are gained along the tracks 5.3 km length. The gradient is steady and the climb constant, though never especially steep.

The track is almost entirely boardwalk, a measure taken to mitigate the trampling effects of the huge amount of use the track gets. As I understand it, the track was prone to being very muddy before boardwalks were put in place. Whilst I appreciate being spared the mud, the sheer magnitude of boardwalk had the affect of making the track seem almost too tame.

Just over 3km from the start, as the altitude approaches 1000m, the trees become more stunted and visually shaped by the prevailing wind. At one point, the trees form a sort of tunnel over the track before it emerges onto a flat, exposed section of spur.

At the top of the spur, the track swings east to sidle around an unnamed peak marked as Pt 1238 on Topo50 maps. On the way, an area named Greyling's Clearing is passed, where a small opening in the trees affords views over the Taranaki region toward New Plymouth.

The track continues through alpine scrub with a slightly more rugged appearance than the pedestrian boardwalk the track starts off as.

The hut can be seen shortly before it is reached, and excellent views extend in pretty much every direction. A shade over 2 hours after starting, I arrived at the hut to find the other 15 occupants already in residence and the log burner creating a cosy environment.

After dropping my pack and claiming the one remaining bunk, I headed up the track onto the tops of the Pouakai Range toward the famed tarns. The tarns lies a short walk of about 10 minutes/1 km from the hut.

Despite plenty of late evening sun and views in most directions, a heavy fug of cloud hung over Mt Taranaki. I waited around in the futile hope the cloud would pass, but eventually gave in and ambled back toward the hut.
With good weather and plenty of time on my hands, it was an excellent opportunity to go slow and take in the alpine environment on the short return walk.

Back at the hut, I decided to drag my mattress out of the crowded bunkroom into a corner of the oddly spacious communal cooking/dining area. Pouakai Hut has a somewhat unusual layout, with one of the two 8-person bunkrooms accessed from from outside. Architectural curiosities aside, the hut was toasty and a good sleep was had.
After dark, clear skies afforded expansive views toward New Plymouth.

 The next morning, the heavy mist told that I would have even less luck seeing the mountain than yesterday. A few peeks of blue sky were enough to send me back up to the tarn. Alas, the fog never cleared but the absence of wind created a peaceful, almost eerie environment that had its own charm.

 Returning to the hut, I picked up my pack and began the quick blast back down to the carpark. Being downhill all the way over an easy going track, I'd reached the carpark 1 hour and 20 minutes after leaving the hut.

Overall a quick, easy tramp for when you want an excellent overnight destination a short walk from the road end. This also makes a great day walk if you've got more time in the day for walking and no inclination to stay in a hut.

Map, etc.

Distances: to Pouakai Hut, 5.28 km. Pouakai Hut to Tarn, 1.10 km (each way).