Totara Flats from Mangatarere Road End

The trip started with an early Saturday morning meet at Wellington train station. It was a grey morning and a bit drizzly but with half the group on their inaugural WTMC trip (Ravi, Phoebe and I) and Lettie on debut as trip leader, nothing could dampen our spirits. We set off with the Sayers Hut … Read more

Sayer Hut

As a group of four we set out mid morning from the Holdsworth car park – choosing to take the track that passes the rocky lookout. This was a nice place to stop for a late morning snack and admire the view. We stopped for lunch at the river and enjoyed a few moments of … Read more

Neill Forks via Makaka Spur

We set of from Waiohine Gorge road end on Friday night for Cone hut. Our original plan was to navigate to Jak Flats biv North of Mid-Waiohine hut but the heavy rain and wind forecast for Sunday wasn’t conducive to tops travel so we reshuffled it to Neill Forks via some navigation up from the … Read more

Family group tramp to Powell hut and Totara Flats hut

For once the Metservice long term weather forecast for the Tararuas was accurate, promising a three day potpourri of sunshine, gale force winds and heavy rain following on from a snow storm on the Friday. This necessitated a change from the original plan of the Jumbo-Holdsworth Loop due to the gale force winds on the … Read more

Totara Flats Loop

On Friday night at the Holdsworth roadend our group decided not to bother setting up a tent and a fly. As it was fairly gusty but reasonably warm and only lightly drizzling, it seemed simpler to set up mats and sleeping bags in the semi-open shelter by the carpark (including underneath the picnic table), and … Read more

Mountainless Snow

Off we set into the Tararuas, ably skirting the rock fall on the access road and fording the Waiohine via an outlandishly large swing bridge. Our amble along the tops via Cone was a rare treat of good visibility and only the lightest zephyr of a breeze. Views from Cone extended from the Tararua Peaks … Read more

“It’s all downhill from here…” – A sensible SK trip

Be sure to check out all of Tony G’s photos. Megan had advertised in a newsletter earlier in the year that she would be leading a sensible SK trip over the Easter. Sensible in that it would be done over 4 days and all punters would keep their trousers on for the duration of the … Read more

Family Trip to Totara Flats Hut

Summerlike conditions with bright sunshine and highs of early 20’s were promised and delivered for the weekend, and a couple of keen lads were ready to go. The track up to the Holdsworth/Totara Flats junction seems to have been continuously upgraded towards a metalled highway of constant gradient. In the warm weather, a break at … Read more

Tim Tams for Dinner

After Ngauruhoe high camp was cancelled, I decided I needed a weekend of tramping to keep my fitness for Tappy in a few weeks. For family reasons, Spencer was about to enter a period of tramping abstinence and wanted a good solid tramp. As well as keeping tramping fit, Elizabeth needed an excuse to avoid … Read more

Tararua Northern Crossing

As we were doing a crossing we had a few transport logistics issues.  We left Wellington Station on the 5:30pm train bound for Masterton, a lovely scenic ride, with the goal getting a pickup from the MF Blackwater-Makaretu group on the Sunday afternoon.  We arrived in Masterton a bit hungry and in no real hurry, … Read more