Tongariro National Park, Fri-Mon 10-13 November 2023
Banner Photo: Sue’s stunning sunrise at Upper Tama Lake
Nine of us headed up to Mt Ruapehu to stay at the Havelock North Ski Club hut at the Top of the Bruce, for three nights. Those coming later in the day met a constant stream of cars on the Taupo road travelling down to Hawke’s Bay for the Robbie Williams concerts.
The weather, as forecast, was perfect throughout our stay with blue cloudless skies by day and lovely starry nights. That evening we fired up the wood burner, making the hut nice and cosy. The burner is being replaced by Havelock North Ski Club members, and there were instructions on the wall not to put too many logs on at one time. Denise did a good job monitoring the fire.
Day 1
On Saturday morning, we decided to do part of the Round the Mountain track from Scoria Flats on the Bruce Road, in to Whakapapaiti Hut. Then it was down the Whakapapaiti stream to where the track connects with part of the Te Araroa trail. From there we headed west where we joined the Silica track that takes you back to the road opposite the park headquarters. In all, we covered about 12 kilometres.
Then down to Ma and Mel’s coffee cart by the tavern for some refreshment. Ma and Mel were very friendly and filled us in on what might be happening to the Chateau across the road. They were quite optimistic that an international hotel chain, whose representatives they had met, were interested in taking it over. It was rather sad to see the Chateau all shut up with No Entry signs.
We returned to the hut for drinks around the fire and a roast meal.
Day 2
Sue was very keen to take some sunrise photos up at the Tama lakes. So rising at 2.30am on Sunday along with Di, Denise and Jenny, they did the nearly three-hour walk to the lakes arriving in time to see the sun rising. They celebrated their walk with some bubbles which Jenny had ‘unknowingly’ carried in. Apparently Sue was too loaded down with camera gear to take it in her pack! By all accounts, the sunrise trip was well worth the early start.
The rest of us who rose at the usual time had other trips planned. Geoff and I headed down to Horopito near the location for the Smash Palace film of the early eighties, to bike/walk the Old Coach Road. We left the car at the road end where you re-enter National Park. I walked the track from there over the 12 kilometres through some lovely bush and past the remnants of old viaducts and the original 1908 main trunk railway line, which had been made obsolete when the track was straightened in the eighties.
Most spectacular are the old and new Hapuawhenua viaducts next to each other, three kilometres in from the Marshal Road car park.
In the meantime, Geoff cycled down to Marshal Road then went back up to get the car. As the Old Coach Road is mainly used by mountain bikers, you have to be wary when walking this track as some of them travel rather fast.
Meanwhile Gordon and Carole decided to head over to Mangatepopo Road where they walked in to the hut. As this is the start of the Tongariro Crossing, there is a four-hour limit on the car park.
On Sunday afternoon, John decided to head up the mountain towards the Knoll ridge. There is a surprisingly amount of snow up there for the time of year and he was able to get to the snow line. Unfortunately the Sky Waka gondola doesn’t start operating until December so there is no easy way up. Other years we have summited Ruapehu but in current conditions, that would be rather tricky.
Day 3
Monday morning, after cleaning and closing down the hut, we headed back to Napier with some of us doing shorter walks on the way. At the Stop/Go on the Rangitaiki Plains where new seal was being laid, the tailback of cars heading north stretched back several kilometres. I hope they all felt Robbie Williams was worth it!
A big thank you to Bruce Jackson, president of the Havelock North Ski Club, for again making their cosy hut available to us.
Trampers: Denise Bavidge, Geoff Greer, Jenny Burns, Di Reid, John Russell, Sue Martin, Gordon and Carole Tapp, and reporter Doug Matheson
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