Mangahao Flats Hut – Tararua Forest Park

We set off on a beautiful fine day and parked at no 2 reservoir, located at the end of Mangahao Rd, near Shannon. Be prepared to take care on the drive there, as the road is very windy and gravelly—a 4WD isn’t necessary, but would definitely be the preferred option if available. The track starts … Read more

Mangahao Muddy Meandering

An early Saturday morning meet up (7am) and we headed off up the coast turning onto SH57 at the south of Shannon. A gravel road for the last 40 minutes or so to upper Mangahao Dam, the back seaters started to feel woozy and we were relieved to park up and get going on a … Read more

Te Matawai Hut via Mangahao River

Day 0 – Fly Camping at Mangahao Dam After Megan skilfully negotiated the windy road from Shannon to the top Mangahao Dam, we fly camped at the face of the dams. The recent rain had meant that the spillway was open and a little noisy. Day 1 – Mangahao Dams to Te Matawai Hut via … Read more

Mangahao Flats Hut

Out tramping again with WTMC for my second weekend in a row, we met at the station on a sunny Saturday morning for the 2.5 hour drive up to Mangahao Dam road end. The trip along the gravel road to the Upper Mangahao Dam is a long, bumpy ride in, taking about 50 minutes. We … Read more