2025-05-07 < Weekly activities > 2025-05-21
Activity summary: Wednesday 2025 May 14 to Tuesday 2025 May 20
Wednesday 14th May
E tramp in the Remutaka Forest Park led by Liz Martin. 11M
Eleven members enjoyed a beautiful sunny Autumn day in the Remutaka Forest Park. From the Catchpool, they followed the track along Graces Stream with its magnificent bush, as far as the junction with the Clay Ridge track. They then returned to the Catchpool picnic area via Middle Ridge. Several party members mentioned that they had never before walked the Middle Ridge track.
The afternoon was spent exploring the Nga Taonga Nature Trail.
EM tramp around the Northland perimeter from the Old Fire Station led by Rob Handyside. 7M
On one of those particularly still and sunny Wellington autumn days seven club members met at the old Northland fire station to set out on a perimeter walk of the suburb of Northland. There were some long term club members who know the city and surrounds very well. It was the leader’s objective to find at least one hidden pathway previously unknown to each walker. I believe this objective was met but it did take several hours to achieve that goal for all seven!
We made our way through to Raroa Crescent, the southern corner of Northland before heading North to Otari Bush, then East over Ahumairangi to Thorndon, South East to Kelburn and finally West through the Glen and back to the old fire station. Five hours of glorious weather, good conversation and the occasional new discovery.
Club members Cheryl Mc Donald, Carol Kelly, Paul Bruce, Howard Livingstone, Paddy Gresham, Justin Kerr, Rob Handyside (leader)
M tramp Rangituhi/Colonial Knob and Takapuwahia led by John Allard. 12M and 1NM
The route started from Spicer Botanical Park car park at the top of Broken Hill Road, Porirua, and ascended Rangituhi via a spur, which was quite steep and slippery in places, to the radio mast. We proceeded along the ridge with great views in all directions to the Lookout and top section of the very windy cycle track (that ends at Elsdon Camp) before taking a side route to Takapuwahia then lunch in the sun at the start of the return route via the grass patch near Waiho Terrace in Elsdon. A minor trail through gorse and brambles (!) led back to the main cycle path to Elsdon Camp. The Spicer Link returned us to the cars.
Enjoyed by all.
SF Mt Frith from Bucks Road campsite led by Joan Basher. 13M
We were lucky to get a second chance to do this very satisfying tramp, having had to cancel it a fortnight previously to avoid grim weather. This Wednesday was perfect: cool, calm and dry, just like the trampers!
Thirteen of us got ourselves out of bed early, to ensure we made the most of the daylight. Ugh, those alarm clocks going off in the dark. The tramp (trace attached) started from the Bucks Road campsite. We climbed up the Tauwharenikau Gorge Track for 20 minutes before turning SW onto the Frith track. The route undulates more or less along the top of the spur, including a couple of reasonably steep ups and downs between Finis and Frith.
The track is all in splendid shape, thanks to diligent work by Derrick Field, Gerald Leather and others, unlike the horror stories of gorse which kept trampers from using this route in earlier years. We had lunch on the top of Mt Frith 645m, admiring misty views of Marchant Ridge and Mt Tauwharenikau. Then we turned around and headed back the same way, with the addition of an enjoyable short diversion over to Mt Finis 577m, from where there are super views of the Remutaka Hill Road and Lake Wairarapa.
We were pleased to find that the trip took us just 7h 10m, a bit shorter than we'd expected. The total elevation gain was about 1000 metres by the time all the undulations were added up.
Joan Basher (leader), Cathy Wylie, Mary Perkins, Marilyn Richards, Marg Pearce, Janette Roberts, Lynne White, Bob Buckle, David McNabb, Peter Morten, Helen Beaglehole, Diana Munster, Tim Stone.
Weekend
EM tramp to Roaring Stag Hut led by Mark Edwards. 2M
Our trip reduced to two due to weather concerns and injury. Walked in windy but fine Tararua weather with lots of birds in the bush. The Roaring Stag hut is in lovely siting on a terrace above the river. The occupant was one lonely deer hunter doing a two week stint surviving on rice and possum meat. The forecast was accurate unfortunately – steady rain started in the early hours of Sunday with the river a brown torrent at first light. The side creeks we had to ford were rising but makeable. It was a wet walk out with the track often resembling a small stream where it had slope, but pleasant enough under the canopy. The other TTC team passed us just before the saddle. The bush was showing the effect of fierce wind with one new windfall. Out to Putara road end by 1.15pm and a great coffee at Mt Bruce on the way home.
M tramp to Cattle Ridge led by Paul McCredie. 5M
A heavy rain warning for the Tararuas didn’t put the punters off and our debutants set such a cracking pace from the Putara road end we were up at Cattle Ridge for an afternoon brew without having had to don parkas. That night the wind developed to full gale and the predicted rain set. At first light, nervous and clad in full storm gear, we scuttled down to the safety of the bush line as fast as possible. Below, the Ruamahanga River was in raging flood mode as we crossed the swing bridge to Roaring Stag Hut. Fortunately, the two angry side streams soon after, were crossed without fuss, despite the water being thigh deep. We were back at the van for lunch, drenched, elated and relieved.
Total 50 members and 1 non member