We left platform 9 on a cold Friday night with the promise of clearing skies and a warmer end to what had been an extremely cold month. The 40 odd minute drive through Wainuiomata, down coast road to the Orongorongos, sped by. We had boots on the ground before 6:30pm. Night tramping over the five mile track and up the big bend track was as pleasant as Friday night tramping can be. We made camp under flies in a lovely little spot by the main river.
Next morning was cold and drizzly. We donned warms and coats, cussing the weather gods and weathermen equally as we headed up river before turning up Matthews stream. Travel in this proved easy and, apart from the drizzle and cold southerly, it was a pleasure to walk up.
Although advertised as a trip involving navigation, we found the turn off to the north saddle to be well marked and maintained, we summited and descended down it into the Wharekauhau stream with no major fusses. Travel down this side was even easier, with the exception of one mildly challenging waterfall and the unintentional face-plant on rather sharp river rocks by yours truly, we made the coast by early afternoon camping at corner creek on the coast. In addition to a bevy of excellent fly spots the camping spot also has a decent shelter sporting a huge table and seats and running water: heaven.
The Orongorongos is one of the few places you can tramp where it’s possible to bivvy by the sea. This novelty, in addition to its pleasant sounds also furnished us with fuel for a large bonfire which we crowded round while we ate, drank, chatted and dozed late into the evening.
The next day we headed around the coast and up the Muka Muka stream under clear windless skies, bumping into the odd mountain runner. We made our way up to a lunch spot in the sun on the south saddle. From here it was little more than a few hours, down into the Orongorongo River and out back to the car park.
It had been a fabulous weekend where we covered the Rimutakas twice: from west to east, and then back again. We had walked up and down rivers, around the southern coast and at times had walked in the sea more than you could expect to do in a weekend only 30 km from the capital city.