Te Puia, Wednesday 16 August 2023
Banner Photo: Kereru heard and seen
Hooray, the road access beyond Puketitiri is open again!
Just four of us set out in my car for a pleasant light tramp into Te Puia and surrounds.
The unsealed road section was in good order, potholes to dodge and being damp ground, ideal for regrading, which in fact took place again on our way out; the grader was heading in again – good timing.
We were also treated to a pleasant day, little wind and a few clouds, but with a forecast of light rain by mid-afternoon.
At the car park, we anticipated no vehicles, but there was one. A couple of local guys had gone in on Monday for a week of hut warden duty and we met them a short while after we arrived at the hut.
The track is in great order, no real cyclonic damage and the Mohaka was in average flow and sparkling. Ted made it to a high viewpoint for his lunch and turnaround and we carried on, with plenty of stops for photos and breaks. Early on, we encountered a snoozing kereru in a nearby tree and later heard many warblers. We checked all the ground traps, but there were no kills to be seen.
About 11.30am, we arrived at the hut and it was so nice and sunny that we lazed about and decided not to bother heading up to check out the hot springs. Just then the wardens arrived and as we were their only company (and maybe for the rest of the week, too) we chatted amiably. One was a keen trout fisherman and had already caught and released five. We ambled up to the swing bridge, but went no further.
Returning was just as pleasant, made all the more so by hilarious banter about ‘last century’ and so forth. And then a delightful sighting of a pair of whio on the far side of the river, seemingly snoozing like the earlier kereru. More photo ops.
Intending to check out the pumice arch, as Andrea had not seen it before, we had a go but the terrain was very overgrown and we were unsuccessful.
The cloud cover was gathering by now and as luck would have it, light rain started a few minutes after arriving back at the car, Ted having returned 45 minutes earlier.
After a quick change, we were homeward bound, the temperature dropping substantially until we were halfway home, arriving around 5.20pm. So overall, a very pleasant, easy going trip to an old favourite and in excellent company!
Trampers: Ted Angove, Andrea Hannah, Simon Hill and driver/reporter John Dobbs
Hilary Heath-Caldwell says
Great to know it’s open. ye ha