Minimum effort, maximum gain: Sentry Box, Parks Peak and Upper Makaroro Huts – Ruahine Forest Park

Unfortunately, our original plan to do a return trip to Triangle Hut from the western side of the Ruahine Range was not to be, owing to the high winds and soggy weather forecast for the weekend. However, it looked like the Eastern side of the Range would have a better weather profile, so we opted … Read more

Sunrise Hut – Ruahine Forest Park

We met at Wellington Train Station at 5pm and piled into the van for the trip north, stopping in Levin for dinner on the way. We’d neglected to heed the notice on the DOC website that Fletchers Crossing Bridge was closed, so we unexpectedly came across a very-much-not-there bridge and had to backtrack to the … Read more

Sparrowhawk Biv – Ruahine Forest Park

We travelled up to the Ruahine Ranges with another (EM) group from the club who were going to Sunrise and Top Maropea Huts. The weather forecast for our ridge travel to Sparrowhawk Biv had been looking unkind for most of the week, but was improving, so we all left Wellington in good spirits. After stopping … Read more

Sunrise Hut & Top Maropea Hut – Ruahine Forest Park

Ten of us met at the usual spot next to platform 9 at Wellington Train Station at 4pm on Friday 19th July. One by one, smiling faces emerged from the station building with purposeful strides, happy to have left work for the week and be heading off tramping (apart from Daniel, whose work ethic knows … Read more

Unicorns, rainbows and halos: A cruisy Howletts – Daphne dash

After a recent trip into Kahurangi National Park, when we all donned party hats during a successful summit of Kakapo Peak, a theme of tramping unicorns seemed to emerge! https://wtmc.org.nz/trip-report/kakapo-peak-with-no-unicorns-or-doughnuts-left-behind/. This time we decided we would go all out and find proper unicorn themed apparel to wear during our weekend trip into the Ruahines. This … Read more

Ruahine Corner – Ruahine Forest Park

As the sun rose over Wellington on ANZAC Day morning, four trampers hurtled through Transmission Gully, bound for Mangleton Road and Ruahine Forest Park. Google was telling us that the difference in travel time between the SH1 or SH2 from Wellington and Woodville was negligible. The closure of Kereru Road, near Kereru itself, due to … Read more

Awatere Hut – Ruahine Forest Park

On Friday evening, eight of us met at the traditional WTMC meet up point at Platform 9 at Wellington Train Station for a weekend getaway to Ruahine Forest Park, located in the Hawke’s Bay. We were joined by three other members in the club van, who were attempting a medium trip. Several of the group … Read more

Kylie Biv – Ruahine Forest Park

Our journey began on Friday night with a drive up to the Ruahine Range. We parked at the track end on Mangleton Road, and donned our packs for a 5 minute walk in to Sentry Box Hut. After that exhausting ordeal we headed straight to bed, ready for a slightly longer day tomorrow. Saturday dawned … Read more

Howletts Hut – Ruahine Forest Park

Saturday After camping overnight at ANZAC Park, Norsewood, on the Friday night, we drove down Kashmir Road to the Moorcock carpark (via coffee and breakfast treats at the excellent Café Norsewood – highly recommended!). The road sign isn’t kidding when it says steep gradient, and it took a couple of goes to get the car … Read more

Kiritaki Hut, Ruahine Forest Park

Kiritahu Hut Ruahine Forest Park

“It’ll be easy.”   Famous last words when we were trying to find a route around a gorge in Oruakeretaki Stream… On Saturday we left Kumeti campsite and started up Mangapuaka Stream for about 20 minutes before we came to the track on the true right. It was straight into a fairly steep climb. We … Read more