Friday
The weather leading up to the weekend had been sketchy, with persistent rain and more forecast. Our original plan was to head into the Kaimanawa Forest Park – camping at the road end on Friday and making the 7-hr trip to Waipakihi Hut on Saturday.
However, with heavy rainfall in the area leading up to the weekend and more predicted (which would particularly impact our 4 hrs of tops travel and a river crossing near the hut), we made a last minute call to switch to a shorter and more sheltered option – a trip to Blyth Hut in Tongariro National Park.
Saturday – Waitonga Falls Trailhead to Blyth Hut (1.6 hrs)
We left Wellington Train Station at a relaxed 9am and stopped on the way to grab a bag of firewood. The DOC website warned that firewood was running low at the Round the Mountain huts and we didn’t want to arrive at the hut cold and wet with no firewood!
We arrived at the Blyth Hut Track trailhead at 1.40pm, greeted by steady rain. Spirits were high as we loaded up our packs (firewood included) and began the short walk to Blyth Hut.
The track included several unbridged stream crossings. Normally these would be minor, but the recent rain had swollen them significantly. We assessed each crossing carefully. While all were manageable, two presented a higher degree of challenge due to the depth and flow. Using the mutual support method, we paired the smaller members of the group with larger ones and crossed in twos. We had no mishaps and we even kept the firewood dry! The deepest crossings reached about thigh height for the shorter members of the group.
Slightly damp but still in good spirits, we made the final climb to Blyth Hut. Inside, we stripped off our wet layers and lit the fire. As it turned out, the hut’s firewood stockpile was just fine. Our extra load wasn’t necessary, but it did allow us to be liberal with the fire that night.
We had the hut entirely to ourselves, a reward for venturing out in the rain. Dinner was a delicious Red Lentil Coconut Dhal, followed by some lively rounds of Bananagrams before settling in for the night.
Sunday – Blyth Hut to Mangaehuehu Hut and Return
Sunday morning dawned clear and crisp with all the clouds and rain having cleared. There was a blue sky and sunshine. After a leisurely breakfast and a tidy-up of the hut, we started walking at 8.40 am.
We retraced our steps down the Blyth Track and then turned east at the junction toward Mangaehuehu Hut. The track led us out of the forest and to sweeping views of Mt Ruapehu, gleaming in the morning light. The streams we crossed were tame, mostly ankle-deep now, and we enjoyed a few exciting swing bridges along the way.
We reached Mangaehuehu Hut at around 11.10 am, once again finding it empty. We lounged on the sunny deck for lunch, soaking in the panoramic views and solitude.
After our break, we began the return journey, retracing our steps back toward the carpark. We took another look at Waitonga Falls and chatted with some of the many day-walkers now out enjoying the good weather. We reached the carpark shortly after 3.00 pm.
Before heading home, we made a quick two-minute detour to Mangawhero Falls, better known to Lord of the Rings fans as the “Forbidden Pool” or “Gollum’s Pool.” Even those unfamiliar with the films were impressed by the stunning falls, a great end to a successful trip.
Timings:
Day 1
13:40 – Depart Waitonga Falls Carpark
15:20 – Arrive Blyth Hut
Day 2
8:40 – Depart Blyth Hut
11:10 – Mangaehuehu Hut – Lunch Break
12:40 – Depart Mangaehuehu Hut
15:10 – Arrive at carpark