Central Whirinaki Hut - Upper Whirinaki Track - Pukahunui Track

I’ve always believed that the most beautiful parts of a forest are never near a road end and I’m yet to be proven wrong. Most of the track barely fit a solo hiker, overgrown and at times did give way beneath me and sent me sliding down to the river. Climbing back up a steep, crumbly, muddy riverbank is never fun (not to mention bloody exhausting), so after a couple of unplanned river dips, I decided my safety was more important than a bed at the hut. On the plus side, the track was marked a lot better than I expected.

I didn’t come across another hiker that day, quite the introvert’s dream really. If Sharon and Katherine did end up finishing the circuit, they would have reached the Pukahunui/Upper Te Hoe junction after me before I didn’t see them again.

After covering about 15km and still nowhere near the Pukahunui/Upper Te Hoe junction, I accepted that I wouldn’t make it to Upper Te Hoe hut that night. I would keep walking as far as my legs could handle while keeping an eye out for a suitable camp spot. I did come across a camping spot from a previous hiker, but I wasn’t quite ready to stop then. Thinking about it, it was actually perfect - it had flat ground, near a stream and even had a place for an open fire.

Mangamate Loop in Te Whirinaki Pua-a-Tāne

Depending on the time of day, Te Whirinaki Pua-a-Tāne is either rich in birdsong or so quiet that a band of kererū (wood pigeon) flying overhead actually gave me a fright. There were times that the canopy was so thick that I would only hear them flying from tree to tree, their distinct turquoise feathers acting as the perfect camouflage. I especially enjoyed coming around the corner and watching a flock of pīwakawaka (fantails) scatter in all directions, only to have some of them keep me company along the track, telling me about their day.

I was keeping a close eye on the rain forecast the week of doing the Mangamate Loop - especially since days two and three involved multiple river crossings. Being only 5ft tall (that’s 152cm), the deepest crossings were mid-thigh, and these were few and far between. We’ve also had a dry summer, so the crossings were mostly mid-calf. I’m used to those. I planned a three-day tramp, spending my first night at Central Whirinaki Hut (5hr/16km), then to Mangamate Hut (4.5hr/8.2km), then completing the loop at River Road (4hr/10km). You can walk the loop in either direction, but I personally recommend doing Central Whirinaki on your first day as river crossings on your third day makes for a much more interesting tramp.