Karangahake Loop: Dickey’s Flat - Dubbo 96 - Crown Track

There were a few campers braving the late autumn chill when we pulled into the Dickey’s Flat campground. Although I’ve never stayed there, it always seemed like a popular spot all year round. We started and finished our Karangahake Loop from the campground to add extra kilometres to our day and make the four hour return drive worthwhile. The loop was an 11km return trip, linking six walking tracks and took us just over four hours to return. There are tunnel sections along the tracks (the longest is around 200m) and a torch is recommended.

From the campground, we walked along the Crown Track until the Dubbo 96 junction. Dubbo 96 is a regenerating native forest that’s well marked and easy to follow. It climbs up to 280m in 2km, with the track pretty steady underfoot. There’s one easy stream crossing, but as long as there hasn’t been a lot of rain, you should be able to keep your socks dry rock hopping.

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.