Maungaharuru mast mist meant minimal views

Galbraith Hut, Maungaharuru Range, Saturday 15 June 2024
Banner Photo: Heading up to Galbraith Hut (on private land)

The weather forecast for cloud with some sun and 13 deg temperatures for the Maungaharuru Range was encouraging for the nine members hoping to get up to the Taraponui mast.  We made our way along the Napier-Taupo Road with lots of delays caused by stop/go lights that were never in our favour, and 30km speed limits on many sections.

Added to that was the sunstrike, often blinding our driver. There were also many Kodak moments on the way with the low cloud and fog perfect for atmospheric photographs. But nowhere to stop safely and get out the camera!

Turning onto Waitara Road then Brooks Road, we reached Waitara Station. Ted and Tony soon headed off and the rest of the party left at 9am to follow the farm tracks. We met farmer Lloyd Holloway on his quad bike, with his trusty dog on the back. After a chat and a thank you, we caught up with the leading two.

A herd of fat bellied, hairy Shetland ponies enjoyed our visit and ran to the fence-line to greet us. The farm was in excellent condition and staff were erecting new fences, still repairing damage from the 2023 cyclone. We kept turning around to look at the foggy views over the Mohaka Valley.

The cattle were curious and a few raced ahead of us as we climbed the track towards the hut, which could be seen tucked amongst a grove of trees.  At the hut, we sat outside and had our morning tea, and noted how good the farm looked. The historic private hut was well-kept and very tidy with enough firewood stored for several overnight stays. Good to see the 1950s pictures of the past Royal family still on the walls, but it’s sad that other photos have gone missing.

Just as we were about to leave for the second stage of the tramp, Tony and Ted arrived. They settled down for morning tea, spent some time at the hut then returned in their own good time. It’s always a delight to see Ted out tramping, especially as he’s coming up to 86 and after a recent hip operation.

Then the real climbing began. We followed the farm track for some time then up the grassy hills, making our way to the ridge fence-line. At this stage, the group stretched out as the incline became steeper, but we kept regrouping so the back few could catch up. As we climbed higher, the nippy wind found our unclothed skin. So once we arrived at the fence-line, we put on another layer, plus gloves and hats. The huge valleys, rolling hills, jagged cliffs and massive rocks are dramatic features of this area.

Once we’d clambered over another barbed wire fence, there was a sheltered hollow into which Simon settled – and nobody was going to move him. He’d had enough.

As the rest of us climbed the saddle, the view of the mast drifted in and out of fog. Because this was Gaye and Donna’s first tramp up here, we were hoping for the fog to fully disperse. Halfway up the saddle, Keith decided to go back, with a slightly sore ankle. This was a good decision because the grass was very long, with lumpy soil from animal hoof-prints. He didn’t want to aggravate it further.

We arrived at the huge communications installation and its ancillary equipment, standing at 1308m, but it was a little disappointing because we were totally clagged in. The only thing we could do was eat our lunch, leaning against a shed and sheltering from the chilly breeze.

As we were about to leave, the sky began to clear, so we walked up to the furthest mast and had great views over the Mohaka Valley and a reserve of native trees that Geoff had pointed out. There were still no views towards the east.

We began the 700-metre walk downhill, reminding people not to go too fast down the saddle and possibly trip in the long grass.  Down we went to the fence-line, retracing our steps back to the van.  We arrived there after a total of 6h 15m and an interesting and pleasant day.  While the group changed clothes, the Shetland ponies and two horses decided to entertain us and galloped around in the yard.

The return trip to Napier included many more delays but, thankfully, no blinding sun. And a big thank you to Lloyd for allowing us to travel across the farm.

Trampers: Donna Weston, Simon Hill, Ted Angove, Juliet Gillick, Tony Pluymers, Gaye Ebbett, Geoff Donkin, Keith James and reporter/photographer Sue Martin