As the fog moved along the valley, it had such grace and rhythm that it was like the mountain was breathing. For every mountain, lake and forest I've explored, that same energy is there, and it's always beautiful.

You know, I’ve lived in Whakatāne on and off since 1996, and I told myself that this is the year I will finally climb Mt. Pūtauaki in Kawerau (also known as Mt. Edgecumbe). It took two attempts, but we got there in the end. The first time we didn’t go because of a heavy rain warning, and even though the second time was still fairly wet, it was nothing a rain jacket couldn’t handle. It’s times like these that owning more hiking jackets than heels comes in handy.

Mt. Pūtauaki is an igneous volcanic cone that lies 3km east of Kawerau in the Bay of Plenty. It’s 820m above sea level, and can be seen from the Eastern Bay coastline. It’s English name, Mt. Edgecumbe is said to be named after John Edgecombe, a sergeant of the marines on the Endeavour in 1776. The official name was changed to Pūtauaki in 1925. The town of Kawerau is about 40 minutes drive from Whakatāne, and the start of the track is actually through the forestry road before you get to the town. Permits cost $10 per vehicle, and requires a minimum of four hikers as part of the permit (check their website for updates). You can only get permits through the Māori Investments website - take note that permits are only processed Monday to Friday, so plan ahead for a weekend adventure.

Update - March 2021

Car park to trig (return): 1.5 hours / 1 hour

What better way to get to know your workmates than a couple of hours climbing a mountain, right? Even though Kat had been up Pūtauaki before, this was Laura’s first time. We were hopeful that the clouds would clear by the time we reached the summit. However, I was grateful that apart from a sudden sun shower, the weather was much warmer and dryer than the last time I came up with friends.

I was also in much better health than the last time, as that was only two weeks before I ended up in hospital last year. It us about 1.5 hours to get to the trig. That was at a steady pace with a couple of water/snack breaks, as well as taking shelter from the sun shower. Unfortunately, it was very much another white out at the top. Halfway down the clouds began to clear and Kat looked at me and said, “No Ronna, we’re not going back up,” and we both laughed. By the time we drove out, the clouds had disappeared. Maybe it will be third time lucky!

The permit gives you access through the 4WD track. The annual running event, King of the Mountain, uses a different track on the side of the mountain. Walking the track up to the summit requires a low-medium level of fitness - as long as you follow the 4WD track, you can’t really get lost. There are no signposts as there’s really no need. It took us two hours at a fairly easy pace to get to the top - this included plenty of stops and taking photos along the way. I will add that there are some steep sections, so pace yourself and drink lots of water.

There was a light drizzle as we walked up the mountain. Though the track itself was clear, the valley was a white-out with thick fog. As the fog moved along the valley, it had such rhythm and grace that it was like the mountain was breathing. For every mountain, lake and forest I’ve explored, that same energy is there, and it’s always beautiful.

We had a quick snack break about an hour in - there really isn’t any shelter along the track so we went a few metres into the forest. The spot I chose turned out to be steeper than I thought with awkward footing, so after a quick snack and a few selfies we kept going.

There was a nice open area surrounded by lush ferns just before the stairs that leads to the trig. Being the photographer that he is, John spotted the beautiful ferns and snapped our awesome photo. We didn’t stay here long as my legs were already starting to cramp from the cold. Climbing the stairs to the trig didn’t help either. Luckily for us, it was only a quick 10 minutes walk up and we were at the summit.

I want to give a shout out to Samantha - her snack game was on point on this adventure. We sat down to a feast of Camembert, cherry tomatoes, chorizo, crackers and M&Ms. I had also brought a thermos for my green tea, which I shared with the other Sam. Happiness right to the core of my soul. There were plenty of laughs, life conversations and future adventure planning along the way. Solo adventures are great, but I’m definitely glad I did this hike with hikes. The weather may not have been great, but the company at least was. 

The climb down was much quicker (around an hour), and it was a nice relief for my cramps. We ended our adventure at the Kawerau Hot Pools (they’re free) - to give our sore muscles a nice soak before heading home.

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fivefootronna is Ronna Grace Funtelar - a thirtyish adventurer, graphic designer and writer.
A woman with a curious mind who lives for hiking mountains, outdoor adventures and eating pizza. She has a unique brand of optimism that is a combination of her great enthusiasm for life and cups of coffee during the day.