Mangatoetoe Hut and Kawakawa Hut – Aorangi Forest Park

Friday: We met at 4 pm at Wellington Train Station in the carpark by platform 9. After a 2 1/2 hr drive we arrived at Aorangi crossing carpark, Cape Palliser road. It took an easy-paced 1 hr 10 min hike along Mangatoetoe Stream to reach Mangatoetoe Hut -just as the light started to fade. This … Read more

Aorangi Crossing: A tramper’s tramp

– “Not all fun is created equal: – Type 1 fun is enjoyable while it’s happening. Also known as, simply, fun.  – Type 2 fun is miserable while it’s happening, but fun in retrospect. – Type 3 fun is not fun at all. Not even in retrospect.”  – After the trip was canceled once, and … Read more

Not the Aorangi Crossing but a sweet as Kiwi Kawakawa Experience

After three dead cows along the river, lots of river walking and a gust or two we made it to Mangatoetoe hut, about an hour in from the van. The night before, we’d driven to the campsite with the Easy group (in the other van), all stopping at Lake Ferry Hotel Restaurant for dinner. We … Read more

A tramp of two halves

Aorangi crossing

When the Aorangi Crossing has been on the schedule in the past it has attracted a handful of signups. This time however, there were two handfuls – in fact a round baker’s dozen of keen beans signed up. The reason for this, I believe, is simple – people love a challenge. The last club trip … Read more

Aorangi Crossing

This was a weekend traverse of Aorangi Forest Park, starting from the sea, ending at the sea, and going over some big hills in between… Friday night we converged on Platform 9 and bundled into the club van to test drive the newly opened Smart Motorway. Opinions about its performance varied slightly but generally were … Read more

When ‘Garage Projects’ go Feral – Aorangi Undulator and Aorangi 100 

Both Sharron and Marie have written up their experiences of the race Marie’s running adventures The Aorangi Undulator is a ‘run’ taking in some 30km of Aorangis over a series of bumps. Our trip leader decided to truly lead the way by doing the Aorangi 100 Ultra – a three day event taking in 100km … Read more

From Pinnacles to Sea with the “has beens” – November 2011

I was down to lead the medium traverse of the Haurangis, one of my favorite tramping haunts, but with no punters signed up things looked grim until Craig McGregor, an ex-Chief Guide, signed up. It’s been a few years since our glory days at the Tongue & Meats and, with no one else signed up, … Read more