Rare visit to the Hogget

Saturday August 11, 2018 The Hogget
South Western Kaweka Ranges. Map: BJ37

With kind permission of the landowner, we were able to access the farm track to the back of Timahanga Station.

It was more than 10 years ago that some of us had been here, but we remembered the start of the track and were right on to it straight away after crossing the Mangataramea Stream.

The track is very gentle and runs through verdent native bush. Some tree-fall was evident, but it had been cleared and the route was easy to follow. There are some big trees in patches, and young rimu. We passed the warning sign advising us we were on private land, and began a gradual climb up towards the high point 1106, with the vegetation changing to young scrub, which had also been cut back where it had broken across the track.

We saw the remains of a warning sign close to the track which follows the Tahuhunui Range ridgeline. Pushing through the young kanuka incurred a few scratches, but my legs were so cold, I couldn’t feel the scratches.

We followed the ridgeline, dipping into a small saddle before climbing again to the high point 1287 known as The Hogget.

Near the Hogget, a clay pan has the lettering ‘The Yards’ made out with small rocks. We remembered this from a tramp many years ago, and it’s good that it has been maintained.

Our day tramp had started out with not much promise of a view from the tops but the cloud gradually cleared and, once we reached The Hogget, we had splendid views to Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe, and the Kaimanawa Ranges all displaying decent amounts of snow. Also the Taruarau River beyond Mt Meany 1296.

We lunched very early, finding a spot out of the wind with a weak wintery sun. Then we made our way towards another old signpost, to admire the views before we took the group selfie back at The Yards.

Heading back, we had time to find and explore the private hunters’ bivvy and hut. From the evidence outside that hut, there are a lot of deer in this area.

We made our way back the same way we had tramped in during the morning, pleased that the sky had cleared and we could get the views we had missed earlier.

Everyone enjoyed the day, with some of us returning to and remembering old haunts.

Trampers: Jenny, Bruce, Simon, Lynette, Geoff, Jude, John B, Roeland (guest), and reporter and photos Julia