How to get to the start of the track

Moerangi Track is a shared use track for MTB riders and trampers. The track can be accessed from River Road in Minginui or Okahu Road, but you will need to organise transport if you walk end to end. I walked in from the River Road car park and walked out the same way. Trampers I met at the hut used Jailhouse Shuttles in Minginui. You will pass Rogers Hut and Skips Hut are on the way to Okahu Road.

Nothing like a last-minute hut mission to make a Friday at work go that much faster. There was pretty good weather within three-hours drive in any direction, but I also wanted to spend the night in a hut. Moerangi Hut was a good option for an overnighter because Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne is only 1.5 hours drive from Whakatāne (from River Road car park), walking in was less than five hours and there were no stream crossings. I’m planning a four or five day mission in Whirinaki over my Christmas break, so I decided to save Mangamate Hut for another day.

I parked my car at River Road for the night. I’ve heard mixed stories about car safety but personally, I’ve never had issues leaving my car overnight. If you’re going for longer then organise a drop off and pick up. Walking to the hut took me 5.5 hours (DoC estimate is 4.5 hours) and walking out was under five.

From the car park, it’s pretty flat as you walk through the iconic giant podocarps that the Whirinaki are renowned for. With the beautiful weather that weekend, I was surprised to have the track to myself until later that afternoon. Walk through Te Whaiti Nui a Toi canyon until you get to the junction for the falls loop track, Mangamate, Central Whirinaki and Moerangi Huts. If you want to see the Whirinaki Falls before heading to the hut, walk the falls loop track counterclockwise (look for the sign before the canyon) and it will take you back to this junction. Be aware it will add another two hours to your tramping time.

As a tramper, I’m used to navigating windfalls, but I was surprised how many I came across on an MTB track. Not being a rider myself, maybe that’s quite normal on tracks this remote? The windfall on this track is next level, and a couple that were real doozies! One that slowed me down was a large trunk with rotting wood where I struggled to get my short legs onto the flakey, rotting bark. It made me super aware of the steep drop off to my right if my foot slipped. Luckily I could just walk up and around with a bit of bum sliding.

The track’s highest point is just over 900m, which means you’ll be walking uphill most of the day. In saying that, it’s also cut for MTB riders in mind and even though there are plenty of steep and sketchy sections, the uphill section is longer than it is steep. As you climb higher, the podocarps make way to Beech trees. I really liked how the track opened up along the ridge where you can soak up the views of the dense forest canopy below. That’s where I met the only other person on the track that day. He was riding down to River Road. “You’re the first person I’ve seen all day,” he called out. “I wasn’t even sure if the track was open to riders because of the windfalls I saw on the way up,” I told him. “Oh, there’s still more?” He replied. I talked about the two large ones downhill. After a quick chat, I carried on to the hut and he disappeared around the corner.

About an hour from the hut I came across a small sign that said “cellular coverage”. Curious as I was, I walked up the small hill to find a clearing with a couple of picnic tables. I decided to send my mum a quick text, because she worries a lot more when I do solo tramps. I actually wanted to Facetime her so she could see how beautiful it was, but my connection was patchy that day. I had a quick snack before making the final push to the hut.

When you get to this point, great news, it’s mostly downhill to the hut! I did crack up when I crossed the last windfall not far from the hut - they just cut out a section a bit taller than me. One of the perks of being short I guess.

Having only come across a lone MTB rider that day, I thought I would have the hut to myself. Turns out the 9-bunk hut would be full before sunset with six riders coming from Okahu Road as well as Sofia and Caleb, a couple who were on the last night of a five-day tramp in the Whirinaki.

Sofia is a teacher and Caleb is a lawyer, both Wellington natives who have been travelling around New Zealand in a van for most of 2021. They had originally planned to be overseas for the year before the pandemic put a halt to their plan. “It’s so nice to hear someone pronounce Māori words correctly,” Caleb said after we had been sharing hut stories. “We were talking to a guy in one of the huts a couple of nights ago and he kept saying ‘Taw-poh’ and it took us a while to realise he was actually saying Taupō.” 

The bunk slats are pretty low, and I even hit my head a few times trying to get into my sleeping bag (and that was a bottom bunk). I think the MTB crew made a wise choice to take the mattresses outside as the top bunk literally kisses the ceiling. They had the fire going outside and were still awake when Caleb, Sofia and I went to sleep around 9pm.

I wanted an early start as I wanted to get ahead of the riders going downhill and hopefully pass a big chunk of the single-track sections. Sofia and Caleb passed me about two hours down the track and I didn’t see them again until the car park. The riders caught up with me along a blind corner on an awkward canal-like track. Maybe it was because I was listening out for them, but I only had a split-second to hop out of the way before the first of the unsuspecting riders came around the corner wide-eyed. He called out to say that there were two more behind him, so I waited for them before leaving carrying on. It happened another couple of times, so by the third time I just waited until they passed me so I could enjoy the doddle back to the car park.

Sofia and Caleb were waiting for their shuttle at one of the picnic tables by the car park. We chatted a bit more until I started to get hungry, so as with my recent tradition, I stopped at the Kopuriki Store in Galatea for snacks for the drive home. I must have been extra hungry because I ended up buying fried chicken and hot chips! 

Stoked to bag another hut in the Whirinaki and just gets me even more excited for my five day mission over my Christmas break.

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.