Ōtapukawa Hut in Te Urewera

I haven't hiked much in Te Urewera Forest, and for good reason. Road end access to many of the tracks require several hours’ drive down narrow gravel roads, maybe with the exception of some tracks in the Matahi Valley. The last time I was in Te Urewera was to do the Great Walk at Lake Waikaremoana and it’s not a drive I would like to do too often. That said, the end of Matahi Valley Road was less than two hours’ drive from my home in Edgecumbe.

The start of the Ōtapukawa Awa Trail is at the end of Matahi Valley Road. I asked a few workmates if it would be safe to park at the road end and it was met with a unanimous no. They recommended Te Pākau campsite (Eight Acres) or at the Lions Hut. Te Pākau was only a couple of kilometres to the start of the trail, but the Lions Hut was at least double that. From the campsite, walk south towards the road end until the road forks. On the left the road goes uphill, and on the right, you’ll see a grass clearing. Just past the clearing is the river and the start of the trail.

Bay of Plenty, Forest, Advanced Hike, Hut, Te UreweraRonna Grace Funtelar19 March 2025otapukawahut, teurewera, otapukawariver, rivertrail, riverwalking, backcountryhut, solohike, solofemalehikerComment

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.