Windy Tops

Tag: favourite

  • Trip: Rangiwahia, Sawtooth and Pourangaki

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    Distant silhouettes after Sawtooth.

    Dates: 11th – 13th April, 2008
    Location: Ruahine Forest Park, Rangiwahia road-end.
    People: Alistair, Sarah, Illona, Jane, Amanda, Dirk, Paul, Harry, Craig and meeeee.
    Huts visited: Rangiwahia Hut (1 night), Pourangaki Hut (1 night).
    Route: Past Rangiwahia Hut to Maungamahue, over to Te Hekenga and around to Taumataomekura and Tiraha. Over Sawtooth Ridge to Ohuinga, then along to point 1632 and down the official track to Pourangaki Hut for Saturday night. Straight up to point 1614 on Sunday, then back along to Maungamahue, and out via Rangiwahia Hut.
    [Photos]

    This post is a trip report. You can find other trip reports about other places linked from the Trip Reports Page, or by browsing the Trip Reports Category.

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  • Trip: Ohau, Dundas, Ruapae, Puketurua

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    Craig emerging from
    Ngapuketurua (with a slight
    vegetation problem).

    We were supposed to be walking through rivers all weekend according to the original plan, but the weather was so good that we just couldn’t help ourselves, and ended up on the tops. Eventually, we found ourselves moving very slowly thanks to some very overgrown ridges.

    Dates: 30th November – 2nd December, 2007
    Location: Tararua Forest Park, Poads Road to Mangahao Dam.
    People: John, Paul, Craig and me.
    Huts visited: Te Matawai Hut (0 nights), Arete Biv (0 nights), Dundas Hut (1 night).
    Huts seen: Herepai Hut.
    Initial intended route: Begin at Poads Road, wander up the South Ohau River to the old site of South Ohau Hut, wander up past Te Matawai, then down the Mangahao River to Mangahao Flats Hut, and out via the Dam.
    Actual route: With some really good weather, we went from Te Matawai Hut up to Arete, over to Dundas, from West Peak to East Peak, then around the ridge to Ngapuketurua, north-east along the ridge, and down the Puketurua Track to the dam.
    [Photos]

    This post is a trip report. You can find other trip reports about other places linked from the Trip Reports Page, or by browsing the Trip Reports Category.

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  • Trip: Purity, Pourangaki, Kelly Knight

    I’d seen some weather maps during the Friday afternoon before we left on this trip, suggesting that a massive splodge of rain was heading for the approximate area of the central North Island. This was to be my first attempt at a club trip rated as medium-fit, and I had completely forgotten to bring my umbrella. How embarrassing. I wasn’t the worst off, though. Alistair forgot to bring his shorts.

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    Dates: 5th – 7th October, 2007
    Location: Ruahine Forest Park, Purity Road-End.
    People: Captain (and gourmet chef) Alistair, Dirk, Paul and meeeee.
    Huts visited: Purity Hut (0 nights), Pourangaki Hut (1 night), Kelly Knight Hut (0 nights).
    Intended route: Camp at the Purity road-end on Friday night, then walk up past Purity Hut, Wooden Peg and Iron Peg. Turn South-East and carry on to Ohuinga, then head North down Broken Ridge, ending at Waterfall Hut for Saturday night. On Sunday, head up to Mangaweka via Trig Creek, back past Iron Peg and Wooden Peg, Purity Hut, and then out.
    Actual route: Similar initially, but due to some weather issues we picked up the track down a spur about half way between Iron Peg and Ohuinga, to Pourangaki Hut. On Sunday, we continued along the track up over Pourangaki, and down to Kelly Knight Hut for lunch, then back to the Purity road-end.
    Electric shocks: One.
    [Photos]

    There was no rain at all as it turned out, but the wind was a huge factor.

    This post is a trip report. You can find other trip reports about other places linked from the Trip Reports Page, or by browsing the Trip Reports Category.

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  • The bus ride death trap

    Every time that Stacey or I mentioned we were planning to go to southern Chile, people would tell us that it was too late in the year, and that it would be raining all the time. This didn’t really bother us, and it still doesn’t, especially if people’s definition of “rain” is the light splattering for a few minutes that we encountered in Santiago the day before we left to go south. The south of Chile is in many ways similar to the south of New Zealand in climate, with the furtherst south (supposedly) being comparable with Fiordland. By now we’ve traveled south, and I’m writing this entry from a hostel in Puerto Varas, and the weather has actually been quite nice. Today was bright sunshine, in fact. This entry, however, is mostly about a day-trip we had when we were spending time in Castro. It wasn’t raining heavily, but there was definitely some moisture in the air.

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    Castro is a small town situated on a beach-front of an inlet, roughly in the centre of the island of Chiloe. It has a large fishing community and lots of seafood, none of which we tried, and a whole lot of churches that are apparently on a world heritage list somewhere. In fact, the whole of Southern Chile is full of churches that are historically interesting, and the taxi driver back in Santiago had impressed upon us that we should really go and look at some. We’ve yet to do this, though.

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  • Trip: Parks Peak / Upper Makaroro

    Dates: 2nd – 4th March, 2007
    Location: Ruahine Forest Park
    Huts visited: Sentry Box Hut (1 night), Parks Peak Hut (0 nights), Upper Makaroro Hut (1 night).
    Huts seen: Kylie Biv (from the opposite ridge).

    [Photos]

    We arrived quite late on Friday night, for a 10 minute walk into Sentry Box Hut, where there were already a couple of people. There was limited space, so Craig and Sam went outside under Craig’s tent fly, whilst everyone else found space indoors. (I think there were about three people on the floor.)

    This post is a trip report. You can find other trip reports about other places linked from the Trip Reports Page, or by browsing the Trip Reports Category.

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