Day tramp from Ōtanewainuku to Otawa Trig Track

You know, some day missions don’t always go as planned. Mayer turned up with a slight hangover from his work party the night before and I totally missed the car park on Quarry Road in Te Puke, making us start much later than planned. There were already a few missed calls on my phone before I could do a u-turn along the narrow gravel road and make my way back to the Otawa Scenic Reserve.

It was around midday by the time we pulled up to the carpark at Ōtanewainuku in Ōropi - a place I didn’t even know existed until a year ago. Thank you Tinder haha. My legs were full of energy as we powered through to Whataroa Falls (it was the easiest hour of the tramp) - the track is well maintained and easy to follow. I also recommend checking out the 400-year-old Rimu along the short Rimu Track loop.

Bay of Plenty: Hiking the Western Okataina Walkway

No matter how quiet you try to be at 5.30am, everything just seems louder somehow. It was an early start because I was on my way to Rotorua to meet up with Senior DoC Ranger Mayer (has quite a nice ring to it doesn’t it?), my hiking buddy for the day.

We planned to walk the 17km Western Okataina Walkway starting at the Okataina Outdoor Recreation Centre and finishing up at Millar Road at Okareka. The track can also be walked from Te Ruato Bay in Lake Rotoiti, but we decided to save ourselves a couple of hours and go from the recreation centre instead.

Hiking to the Waitawheta Hut in the Kaimai-Mamaku Ranges

I whistled Crowded House’s classic ‘Weather With You’ as I walked towards the end of Franklin Road in Waihi. The forecast had been rain, and I had certainly prepared myself for a wet hike to the Waitawheta Hut. With Whakatāne being the current sunshine capital, I like to joke that even in winter, I bring the sunshine with me. I had been sitting in the car watching the sun shower threatening to turn into a downpour, when suddenly the clouds gave way to blue skies.

As I walked along the empty road, I wondered if I would be lucky enough to have the hut to myself that night. It’s well into the winter season - shorter daylight hours and finding weather windows on weekends does mean more chances of cold, wet hikes. If I wasn’t slightly obsessed with hiking, those are perfectly good reasons in my book to stay home. Maybe it’s the eternal optimist in me or I’m just getting better at reading weather forecasts, but I barely had to use my rain jacket that weekend.

Tongariro Alpine Crossing: The hobby hiker's Goliath

The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is in the Tongariro National Park and about 3.5 hours drive from Whakatane. We had a house in Turangi for the weekend, which was a bonus, especially as we got home late on Saturday night after the walk. Our day started early (I was up by 5am) - we managed to leave the house just after 6am and made our way to the Ketetahi End car park.

We had booked a one way shuttle with Tongariro Crossing Shuttles, which cost $30 each. You can book a two way shuttle pick up, but we wanted the flexibility of taking our time, and in hindsight, was the best option for us (you’ll read about it later!). There is very limited parking at the Ketetahi End car park, so many sure to arrive 30 minutes before your shuttle is due.

There were four of us on this adventure: Myself, my friend Jem and another hiking buddy, as well Jem’s son, Joe, who was my road trip buddy from Whakatane. I have to mention that Joe’s only 12 years old and was the only one in our group who didn’t wake up with aching legs the next day!

© 2015 Five Foot Ronna

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