Poads Road

Te Matawai Hut

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Date: 5 - 6 March 2022.
Trip type: Tramp: Medium.
Location: Tararua Forest Park.
Author: Megan.
Trampers: Matt, Anna, Daniel, Megan.

Saturday 5th March – Enjoying the sun along the tops We had an awesome trip away to Te Matawai Hut in the Tararuas. I had never been into the Poads Road entrance of the Tararuas before so was keen to see some new tracks. Six of us (across a Medium, and Medium-Fit group) set off … Read more

Te Matawai Hut

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Date: 16 – 17 January 2021.
Trip type: Medium Tramp.
Location: Tararua Forest Park.
Author: Tracey.
Trampers: Tracey (Leader), Danielle, Natasha, Sophia, Juaqui and Nick .

Te-Matawai-Hut

On the Saturday morning at 7.30 am six still half-asleep but excited punters met at the train station and set off in the van making our way slowly to the Poads Road end to start our walk. The beauty about leaving at an early time on a Saturday morning is that there is no traffic … Read more

Ohau Huts

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Date: 7-9 December 2018.
Trip type: Medium Tramping.
Location: Ohau Huts, Tararua Forest Park.
Author: James.
Trampers: Simon (leader), Emily, Tracey, James and Juan.

We started out from Wellington station on Friday night with the five of us in the van. After competing with Friday traffic for a couple of hours we had our dinner stop in Levin – spoilt for choice we all went for the same kebab place for a great pre-tramp meal. When we arrived at … Read more

Waiopehu Sludge

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Date: 10-11 June 2017.
Trip type: Easy-Medium Tramping.
Location: Waiopehu Hut, Tararua Forest Park.
Author: Jonathan.
Trampers: Jonathan, Jessica, Sahana, Clinton, Rueben, Helen, Anne (leader).

Our tramp got underway at around 10:15am from Poads Road, with a 15 minute slog through a muddy field, then a steep uphill for about three quarters of an hour. After that, we followed a rolling ridge along a fairly good track, with some tricky patches of the famous Tararua sludge/mud (which Clinton simply plowed … Read more

The hard way to Waiopehu Hut

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Date: 2-3 October.
Trip type: Medium Tramp.
Location: Tararuas.
Author: Marie Henderson (Photos: Erik van der Spek).
Trampers: Erik, Gareth, Jo, Rowena and Kaya (the track finding dog) and Marie.

It promised to be a wonderful weekend in the sunny tararuas. And for once they were actually meant to be sunny! We set off Saturday after a week of rain from the railway station. On the way up I noticed the higher than usual flow in the rivers when we crossed the bridges… it occurred … Read more

50 Metres Visibility on the Tararua Main Range

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Date: 22-25 January 2010 (Anniversary Weekend).
Trip type: Medium Fit Tramp.
Location: Tararuas.
Author: Mike McGavin.
Trampers: Amanda Wells, Mike McGavin, Richard Lardner and Tim Frank.

Wellington Anniversary Weekend meant an opportunity to have a slightly longer trip in the Tararuas than the usual weekend, and we used it to visit the middle part of the main range, beginning from Otaki Forks and ending at Poads Road near Levin. The forecast leading up to the weekend was uninspiring, suggesting several large … Read more

Northern Crossing of the Tararuas

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Date: 23-26 October 2009 (Labour weekend).
Trip type: Medium Tramp.
Location: Tararuas.
Author: Paul Christoffel (Photos: Mika Verheul and Vlad Dvennik).
Trampers: Paul Christoffel, Hans Wiskerke, Mika Verheul, Dirk Naish, Robert Bettis, Bernard Smithyman, and Vlad Dvennik.

I volunteered to lead this medium trip after Michael Lightbourne pulled out due to unfamiliarity with the route. On the trip list were six club members, plus Vlad. Vlad had never tramped in New Zealand, although assured me he had hiked in the Ukraine. Best let him know what he’s in for, I thought. You … Read more