After a long drive, broken up with a long wait for our “pre-ordered” burgers in Carterton, we were all pleased to arrive at the Mangleton Road end parking area.
The “10 minute” walk-in to Sentry Box Hut took us almost twice the time in our rush to get to the Hut. We had charged ahead through the paddock, wary of the ‘bulls in paddock’ sign, missing the big arrow and stile (which, on our return to the road end at the end of the trip, we found were very obvious in daylight).
The Sentry Box Hut was large enough for six of us to squeeze into after some furniture re-arranging. Josh and Mark in the Medium group kindly slept on the floor. A huge thanks also to Faye and Elizabeth for tenting/bivvying.
The next day we started our slog uphill to the ridgeline, trying not to slip on the dusty track.
About 15 minutes in, Tony caught up with Faye, Michael and myself, saying Kubra’s knees weren’t up to the trip yet, and so she’d taken the safe option of returning to Sentry Box Hut for the night.
Faye set a cracking pace to “Rocky Knob” – probably the best viewpoint of the day and the perfect spot for a good morning tea.
Tony had told us that a highlight would be a ‘red chair’ about half way up towards the ridgeline. After walking about an hour on from Rocky Knob, we reached the old junction sign, which stated it was another 30 minutes to Parks Peak Hut and 2 hours to the now derelict Aranga Hut.
About 5 mins from the junction, Michael spotted a small track and the infamous red chair. Tony, Michael and I took turns to pose on it and photos were taken from both behind and in front and of the spectacular mountains ahead of us.
After a leisurely lunch at Parks Peak Hut enjoying the sun, we prepared ourselves and our knees for the drop down to Upper Makaroro Hut. Faye was in peak tramping fitness, so we agreed to meet her at the Hut.
The close contours on the topo map for this area didn’t lie about what was ahead. We enjoyed the last of our great views a few hundred (not vertical) metres down, and got more focused as the track got steeper.
The bush was beautiful, and we felt safe nestled in it (with no weather or cliff exposures, unlike much of New Zealand). However, the increasing downward gradient made it slow going for those of us who were less nimble (compared to the likes of Faye and the M group).
Fortunately, after about 200 metres, we got to more of a sidle (for about a kilometre of relief) before a final 300 m steep downhill section. The steep downhill started deceptively gentle, and became quite sharp as we could see the river, almost teasing us.
Just above where the track descends sharply into the Makaroro River, the marked route veers dangerously close to an overhang that is being carved out by an active slip/cliff face. We opted to bush bash for a short ten metre section away from the cliff face, in order to avoid the slip and picked up the track where it resumed on more stable contours.
We were pleased to find some of the M group by the river and they directed us to Makaroro Hut – it was tucked away, 50 m up-river on a bank overlooking some attractive, grassy flats.
The Hut was small and clean, and the location is an ideal spot for a sunny afternoon. Some of us had a dip or stroll by the river before joining the others on the grassy area nearby to read or laze. The presence of Whio, both flying through the valley and spending time on the river, added to our afternoon.
At about 4pm, the medium group decided to push on to Kylie Biv, on the tops, in order to reduce the distance they would need to walk the following day.
As Faye was keen to camp (with tent already set up), Tony, Michael and I had the hut for the night. Even with just the four of us, cooking was tight but we were well rewarded with a delicious meal of curry with fresh vegetables and coriander. We were also fortunate to have all the condiments intended for a joint group meal.
Three of us left Makaroro Hut at 7.30 am the next morning for the return journey. Faye left slightly later given her sprinting pace. The climb back up to the ridgeline, while a solid workout, was not quite as steep or daunting as we’d envisioned. It took us just over two hours. After morning tea, we made it to the junction in about 40 minutes and this included a short stop to take in the views from the red chair.
The downward journey to Sentry Box Hut was relentless. However, by taking a steady pace, with micro breaks along the way (allowing us to really enjoy the different ecosystems), we made it to Rocky Knob just in time for lunch. Tony, fortunately, and by chance, checked his phone. He’d received a message that the Medium group had opted to turn back after reaching the Kylie Biv intersection due to strong winds.
Faye went ahead to Sentry Box Hut, to check if Kubra was OK and to have a quick rinse in the river. Tony, Michael and I were also very pleased to see the Hut after about another hour of downhill travel. We had time for a second lunch, to walk around and to change our clothes before the Medium group returned from their long tramp.
We arrived back in Wellington at around 7pm, tired but feeling great after a fantastic weekend of tramping.
Timings:
Road end to Sentry Box Hut – 10-15 mins
Sentry Box Hut to Parks Peak Hut – 2.25 hrs (incl 20 min break)
Parks Peak Hut to Upper Makaroro Hut – 2.5 – 3 hrs (incl 30 min break)