This article was first published in the Tararua Tramper Volume 82, no 6, July 2010
Track clearing of the East Wakanui track
Saturday 24th April 2010
Several members of our club take part in the Kiwi recovery programme which entails checking and clearing the Mustelid traps on the East Wakanui track. The track has been hit by windfalls over the last few years making access difficult when checking the 70 and more traps along the track.
I was down to lead an off track trip but thought we might combine seeing some new country with some track clearing. Thanks to Grant Timlin we were granted access along the old pack track (used in construction of the Orongorongo dam)which gave us access to the the Wakanui at bump 800.
We were met at the gates to the Wainuiomata water catchment area by Grant at 8.30am and he escorted us to the carpark at George Creek. The pack track sidles up from here at a steady grade which was a good thing as some of us were weighed down with track clearing gear. The mist was hanging around bump 800m, where the party split to clear the track east to the river and south west to the main Wakanui.
The track was in quite good condition at first but as we got lower towards the Orongorongo Valley the windfalls got more frequent and clearing progress slowed down but at least the weather had improved as the sun came out. We had set 2.30pm as a deadline to turn back, which we did with regret, as we were about 600m short of finishing the track but it just as well for it was about 5.45 when we reached the cars.
It was interesting to see if using the pack track could make for any quicker access to the East Wakanui but the general opinion was it is still easier and quicker to use the existing Wakanui track for access. Thanks to all who came with their loppers and slashers. They have made the “rat run” a lot easier.
- Party members
- Barry Durrant (leader and scribe), Colin Cook, Alan Wright, Colleen Davey, Marg Conal, Bernard Molloy, Dave Reynolds, Peter Robbins, Michael Taylor and Robin Chesterfield.