Three day hike in the Waioeka: Moanui - Koranga Forks - Tawa Loop

When you’re a townie like me, hiking in the backcountry always means driving a few hours. Usually down a gravel road with potholes, and the odd tree blocking the road. Moanui Road in the Waioeka Conservation Area had two out of three, luckily for me, it wasn’t a fallen tree because I don’t own a chainsaw yet. The carpark and start of the Moanui-Koranga Forks-Tawa Loop is about a 40 minute drive from Waioeka Gorge Road and then Te Wera Road turn-off. You can get through the gravel road on a 2WD drive, but the potholes can be pretty unforgiving to a low-riding bumper.

I started my walk around 11am - fortunately it was overcast with a lovely breeze so I didn’t have to suffer the midday heat. The Moanui Track starts off on farmland as it follows the Koranga River. The bush sections are well graded and marked (orange triangles), while the open farmland had large, yellow wooden posts. Some sections narrowed down to double my boot width with steep drop offs, but as long as you watch your step, it’s fairly easy to get through. These are working farms, so keep your distance from livestock and leave gates as you find them (or follow instructions on signs).

Here's why Mount Tauhara is definitely worth the climb

Mount Tauhara is a 65,000 year old dormant lava dome volcano, the gentle giant that stands as gatekeeper to Lake Taupō. The 2.5km track to the summit (1,088m/3,570ft) is popular with locals and visitors alike. At the top, the tall fella and I were treated to panoramic views of the district, and even as far as the peaks of Tongariro National Park.

After a weekend of foodie indulgence for our anniversary, a walk up Mount Tauhara was a must-do before heading home to Whakatāne. After downing coffees and bacon butties at the Sunday market (Aaron was stoked that the butties came with HP sauce), we drove the 10 minutes out of Taupō to the Mount Tauhara carpark. The car park is at the end of Mountain Road, just before a gated working farm.

A rainy day hike on the Tarawera Trail

Grey skies greeted us at Te Wairoa carpark. I knew we were in for a wet afternoon, but I was hopeful we would be closer to Hot Water Beach by then, and even planned a quick soak before catching the water taxi at 3pm. I’ve walked the Tarawera Trail twice before (from both directions) and was pretty confident with my five hour walking estimate. Unfortunately, there have been a couple of major storms since I last hiked the Tarawera Trail, and the large windfalls and overgrown sections did slow us down. I was still pretty close - it took us 5.5 hours and made it to Hot Water Beach with just three minutes to spare!

Even though it’s called the ‘Tarawera Trail’, I reckon it’s still a well marked track and beginners shouldn’t have too much trouble. When you leave the carpark, the trail will begin to narrow as it climbs up towards Te Wairoa viewpoint. There was a lot of grass and ferns growing over the track, which slowed me down a lot. Being just five feet fall, we had a good laugh as I bush bashed my way through, and the tall fella cruised through it. Is it even hiking in the backcountry without a bit of bush bashing?

A winter roadie to Lake Rotopounamu and Waihāhā Hut

The first time I heard about Lake Rotopounamu was before my workmate went on maternity leave (she just came back to work a few months ago after a year off). I’ve driven past it a couple of times on my way to hikes in the Tongariro National Park, and I’m stoked that I tagged it onto my hike to Waihāhā Hut in the Pureora Forest.

Parking for Lake Rotopounamu is on Te Pononga Saddle Road (SH 47), about a 10 minute drive from Tūrangi. Look for the DoC sign across the road.

Lake Rotopounamu is said to be the heart centre of New Zealand, and I get it, listening to the abundant birdsong and walking amongst giants, time slows down. I’ve felt that in forests before, then again I love forests for that reason. What got me were the moments when the lake suddenly came into view. It takes you a few seconds to realise that the world isn’t upside down, but that the skies are so beautifully reflected on the water.

The track is family-friendly - the loop is well marked and steady underfoot. It’s approx. 5km according to my watch. The track goes uphill in the beginning, but evens out after about 15 minutes. Most of the track is under a canopy, with plenty of lake access along the way. A section of the track is lakeside which was a nice break to walk in the sunshine before heading back into the forest. The loop took me around 1.5 hours, with plenty of time to enjoy the birdsong and take lots of photos.

Te Rereatukahia Hut: Sciatica, climbing over tree falls and chasing sunsets

Sciatica for a hiking enthusiast is a b*tch, it really is. It had been a frustrating month of shooting pains and even struggling to put my shoes on, while waiting patiently for the tracks to reopen after the damage from Cyclone Gabrielle. The mountains were calling, but my body kept telling me to put my hiking plans on hold. Te Rereatukahia Hut was one of the last two huts in the Kaimai Mamaku Conservation Park I had yet to visit, Kauritatahi Hut being the other. I figured the undulating Kaimai Range was as good a test as any to see if my sciatica would let me plan any more overnighters over winter.

I have walked the Hot Springs Road part of the Tuahu Track when I hiked part of the North-South Track a couple of years ago. Leaving the car park at Wairakau Road, the first hour took me through a gravel road and up a 4WD track surrounded by pine trees. Here’s something I’ve learned from hiking in the Kaimai Mamaku - there’s no such thing as downhill at the start of the hike. Everything goes up, and it’s usually pretty steep, but if the weather’s good, the views are spectacular.

Hiking the Tongariro Northern Circuit

I had packed up and was ready to go by 7.30am, feeling pretty pumped to start my hike. I did a quick dash to wash my dishes in the holiday park’s kitchen. When I returned, stubborn resistance on the door knob almost jarred my wrist. Shit. Shit. Shit. I was locked out! The reception wasn’t due to open for another hour, so I took a nap in my car and waited. The slightly later start did mean having to sacrifice my morning soy mocha though. Bummer!

Most people walk the circuit in a clockwise direction, spending their first night at Mangatepopo Hut, Oturere Hut then Waihohonu Hut. I walked it in the opposite direction for two reasons - hut availability, and that I’m a stronger climber than going downhill on loose, dusty terrain.

There were already a few hikers on their way out from Waihohonu Hut before I even reached the Tama Lakes junction. It took me less than two hours to get there. It was only 10 mins to the Lower Tama Lake (45 mins to Upper Tama Lake), so I decided to find a nice rock and sat down for lunch.

The junction sign said I had another three hours to the hut, but it took me almost an extra hour because of the heat. I’m used to walking under a thick canopy, and the 2pm desert sun did hit me with a surprising intensity. It wasn’t hot enough to feel my skin burning (I made sure I had plenty of sunscreen), but I was sweating in a lot of places that didn’t feel sexy.

I was tempted to jump into the Waihohonu River to cool down, but I was only an hour from the hut so I kept going. The last hour was mostly through undulating tussock and a few dry rocky riverbeds.

The current Waihohonu Hut is the second of its name, with the original hut located just 150m away. It was the first hut built in the Tongariro National Park in 1904. You can still visit the original hut, but you can’t stay there.

© 2015 Five Foot Ronna

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