The Three Kings – Tararua Forest Park

I am not a fan of the Barra Track. It is my least favourite part of the Tararuas. So as we started off from The Pines, I was wondering why I had planned a trip to visit The Three Kings. I still don’t really know the answer, but I’m happy I did because it made … Read more

Tararua Magic – Tarn Ridge Hut on a calm winter weekend

Saturday By the time we pulled up at The Pines at 9am on Saturday morning, there was a stunning, but chilly, forecast for the following two days- with no wind. Yes, you read that correctly…no wind in the Tararuas! The Waingāwa Valley was clagged in, so we set off with not much faith in the … Read more

Mitre Flats Waingawa River

Mitre Flats Waingawa River

What better way to spend a fine weather Sunday than an easy WTMC day walk into Mitre Flats Hut via the Barra Track and then back to the roadend via the Waingawa River. Four of us enjoyed the perfect conditions for an approximately 8 hour round trip. Here is a 3 minute video of some … Read more

Mitre Flats

Mitre Flats

Organising and leading an easy club trip can often be a bit fraught. It usually starts with a full trip list at closing date but by payment time people suddenly have other plans, admit they had forgotten they actually signed up at all and now don’t have time to get themselves organised, or they just … Read more

Mid-King Bivvy

I had never been to Mid King Bivouac in the Tararua range so I signed up when Maj-Britt put this trip on the schedule. As a bonus the plan was to go to Dorset Ridge hut on the way. This is one of my favourite huts and it’s always worth a visit there. After the … Read more

Solo Adventurer – to Mid-King Biv and Beyond

This is the soggy tail of an overnighter-turned day trip. The plan: Donnelly Flats, Pinnacle Ridge, Baldy, South and Middle Kings, Mid King Biv, South Mitre Stream, the Pines and over the ridge to Holdsworth Lodge. The weather is glum for a 7.25am kick off. I’ve picked a handy looking spur below the first marked … Read more

Mitre Flats

Some people don’t like the track into Mitre Flats—named on maps as the Barra Track after the bushman that first cut it. But it isn’t really all that bad—and anyway once there it will have been worth it for it is a delightful area of open grass among the forest, and there is plenty of … Read more