New Zealand Landscape Artist

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February 2018

 

 

 

 

Kaimanawa Ranges Tramp, 2018

 

DAY ONE: In a last minute bid to escape the end of year crazy’s Corien and I set off from Tauranga on 31st December 2017 to explore the Kaimanawa ranges, a place we hadn’t set foot in to date. We headed for Taupo, bought a few provisions in town and headed for the hills.  We drove as far east of Taupo as we could to the foot of the Kaimanawa’s (to the end of Clements Mill Road) then set off on foot up Hinemaiaia stream.  We didn’t hit the track until mid afternoon but had plenty daylight hours left, we thought, to reach the Cascade hut. Unbeknownst to us we’d taken the hard way in, up and over the Hinemaiaia ranges. After five and a half hours of ridge walking we descended into the upper reaches of the Taupo river and pitched our tent on an elevated terrace overlooking the river flats. It was idyllic. We were knackered so after a wash in the river and a hot dinner we hit the sack.

 

DAY TWO: We set out nice and early the next day in fine weather.  It took us 20 minutes to reach Cascade hut where we met two hunters who had celebrated new years eve in style under the shelter of a corrugated iron roof (luxury!). Our initial plan was to keep heading south to the Ngaruroro river and climb Mt Maungaorangi then traverse along the Maungaorangi  ranges and staying at Boyd Hut or camp out on the ridges should the trip prove to be more challenging than anticipated. After the slog that was day one and inclement weather on the horizon we decided to shorten out intended loop and take a short cut down the Kaipo Valley (yeah right).  After Cascade hut we headed east towards the Kaipo valley.  The map showed a track up to the Kaipo saddle then down the Kaipo valley.  Our plan was to tramp down the Kaipo valley until we met the Tiki Tiki stream at which point we would intersect the Iringa track which would take us out close to our starting point on Clements Mill road (some 14 km from our starting point).

 

It turned out that the track down the Kaipo valley was not really a track but more of a bush bash with a few red triangles in places to show where a track had once been.   After leaving Cascade hut we stopped for a brew and dried out the tent fly a bit.  We then set off up a ridge and dropped down    onto the Kaipo saddle. We were now at the upper most reaches of the Kaipo valley and the rest of the day would be spent following the Kaipo river down to Tiki Tiki stream.  This was to prove easier said than done. The track was so overgrown and covered with tree falls that a lot of the time was spent searching for red triangle track markers.  It was a day spent clambering under and over fallen trees, and trying to pick up the overgrown bush track.  Much of the time was spent in the river as the only sensible way of progressing down valley.  Tree falls also obstructed progress down the river in places.  At one stage the though occurred to me that at my age I could be sitting on a nice comfortable buss being driven round NZ enjoying the scenery.  Instead I’ve just ripped the arse out of my shorts clambering over this #$@! tree.  When I saw Corien up to her tree hugging antics I realised it was all worthwhile. Corien is literally a tree hugger and the rigours of bush bashing don’t really phase her.  She’s got those hardy dutch genes.

On the upside we saw some magnificent scenery. Some of the waterfalls could have come straight out of a Lord Of The Rings set.  We  saw a beautiful Sika Doe at about 30m.  She was as surprised to see us as we were was to see her.  She rushed across the river and took off up into the bush. Those Sika Deer in the wild are really a thing of beauty.

My advice to anyone wanting to follow this trail is either take a chainsaw or just follow the river down and forget about trying to pick up the track.  

 

After nine hours of bush bashing we were buggered and no sign of the Tiki Tiki Stream tributary. The inevitable question “are we lost” arose. It’s amazing when you’re tired and down how the self doubt can take over.  We got out the topo map and it confirmed that we couldn’t be anywhere but somewhere in the Kaipo valley.   We’d lost any sign of a track miles back so we found a good campsite next to the river, boiled the billy then set up camp. We were expecting rain that night so the double tent fly came out, much to Corien’s many mumblings about “you have an obsession with that bloody fly!”  We have lively debates about tents in the bush vs tent flies in the bush. Unfortunately it didn’t piss down that night so I couldn’t prove my point.

The billy had boiled and Corien could see that the tent, and fly! were up and a sense of calm, and pride with my bush craft efforts, particularly the fly!, had come over me so she let the subject go. Needless to say we had a very comfortable night under the fly! somewhere in paradise.

 

DAY THREE: We awoke to yet again another fine day and broke camp.  We then set off once again down the Kaipo valley.  The red triangles were still nowhere to be seen so we just waded down the river. Then at last we saw one of the elusive red triangles nailed to a tree and our spirits soared (doesn’t take much!).  We picked up a track which improved more as we made our way downstream.  Then we came across a hunters campsite on the river bank at the tributary of the Kaipo River and Tiki Tiki Stream and we knew then that we were homeward bound.

 

We stopped for lunch at the hunter’s campsite.  What a spectacular site. Corien took a dip in a swimming hole where the two rivers met then we headed downstream a bit further and crossed the Kaipo River via a swing bridge that led us onto the Te Iringa track. The track from the Kaipo River out to Clements Mill road was well marked and after another four hours of tramping along the ridges we were back in civilization (sort of).  We’d hidden our running shoes in the bush, just off Clements Mill Road, on our way in.

 

All we had to do now was hide the packs, put on the running shoes then quickly walk the 14km back to the car at the end on Clements Mill Road. That wouldn’t have been so bad had we not just completed a 6 hour tramp. Just after we started the walk it began to piss down so the rapid 14 km walk in the rain was misery.  It took us 2 ¾ hours, mostly in the dark, to reach the car from where we’d dumped the packs in the bush.  All I can say is that the car was a very welcome sight and we had to dig deep over those last few km’s.