Makahu Saddle to Iron Whare, Wednesday 10 July 2024
Banner picture: Ted and Tony visit the Te Ngahere hydrological station
Five ‘girls’ and one ‘boy’, photo by Anne
A frosty and clear morning welcomed ten trampers at our starting point, Park Island in Napier, where we split into two vehicles. Doug drove the ‘boys’ plus Sue, and Di drove the rest of the ‘girls’. We travelled in convoy to ensure that everyone arrived safely. The roads were in pretty good condition but we hit a bit of ice on the way, which was manageable.
We arrived at the Makahu car park around 9am; everyone rugged up and the group split into two parties. Doug, Ted and Tony opted for a different walk. Juliet, Di, Keith, Sue, Gaye, Kate and Anne headed off to Iron Whare as planned.
Mature beech forest on our tramp
Our main group had an easy walk through mature forest, with well-defined tracks and mostly gently undulating terrain. There were a few river crossings that required careful navigation and foot placement due to the cold water and slippery/icy rocks. After crossing the main river, we climbed out of the valley up a fairly steep section, arriving at the Kaweka Flats biv for morning tea at 10.30. We sat in the sun and enjoyed the beautiful clear blue sky, with not a cloud in sight.
The interior of Iron Whare historic hut. It is in an awful state
After lunch, we headed up the Trials Spur track. This is badly washed out from the cyclone, so it was tricky going in places. We reached the Don’s Spur track, which was in much better condition, and this took us back to the car park. It was then a further 45-minute walk to Iron Whare, where we had an early lunch. We left around noon and arrived back at the car park by 2.30, navigating all the river crossings without incident. Everyone regrouped at the car park before starting the trip back to Napier. Total track distance was 12.1km.
Doug reports on the three-man alternative day out:
Ted, Tony and I did two shorter walks. First we did a loop past the hydrological station that comes back to the main road, and back up to the car park.
After lunch, we headed up the Trials Spur track. This is badly washed out from the cyclone, so it was tricky going in places. We reached the Don’s Spur track, which was in much better condition, and this took us back to the car park.
It was a great day; thanks to Doug for organising the trip, and to Di and Doug for driving us.
Trampers: Ted Angove, Tony Pluymers, Di Reid, Juliet Gillick, Keith James, Sue Martin, Gaye Ebbett, Kate Fuller and reporters Anne Mountfort and Doug Matheson
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