“Leave it! No! Leave it!” I thought I was alone on the track when her voice boomed through the birds and the light breeze. A few minutes later, I saw a woman walking towards me carrying a dead possum in her left hand, with a dog on her right. The dog seemed proud of his find, and somewhat annoyed that the woman wouldn't let him enjoy it. “I’m trying to find a tree high enough to hang it on so he can’t get to it next time.” We both laughed. She must have been a local living nearby, there weren’t any other cars parked up when I got there.

I was back in the Ikawhenua Ranges in Galataea - I had walked up Mt Tawhiuau a few times, but had never the Galatea Foothills Track. It was a good morning for it, almost-spring weather meant a couple of layers but rain wasn’t on the radar that day. The Kahikatea canopy stood tall, but not thick enough that sunshine couldn’t get through to the forest floor.

Rogers Hut via Moerangi Track in Te Whirinaki Pua-a-Tāne

I stopped by at Volk & Co to grab a takeaway soy mocha for the drive to Te Waiti. Early mornings usually meant fog on the roads, and I had plenty on the way to Murupara. There was some lingering fog as I hit the gravel section on SH38, but the morning sun was actually more of a hazard, especially on the corners. I felt a sigh of relief as I turned into Okahu Road.

The 35km Moerangi Track is shared use for MTB and trampers. For MTB, the ride starts at Okahu Road and ends at River Road. Trampers can walk the track in either direction. I walked in/out to Moerangi Hut from River Road last year, and geez that was a big hill! The great thing about this section of Moerangi Track is that it’s mostly cleared of roots and runs alongside the river. It was incredibly peaceful walking on my own.

Somewhere before I reached Whangatawhia (Skips Creek) Hut, I came across the only people I met on the track that day. It was a group of five that had stayed at Rogers Hut the night before. One of the men in the group stopped for a chat, asking if I was walking in on my own. I sure was! They had met four women on their way to Moerangi Hut earlier, but being a Sunday, there was a high chance I could have the hut to myself. Lucky me.

Upper Whirinaki Hut in Te Whirinaki Pua-a-Tāne

It was slow going along the gravel road in Tia’s people mover - in hindsight it was probably more suited to Betty, my RAV4. Then again, there were four of us, a dog, and our packs, Betty would have been a tight squeeze. There were clunking noises as the stones were hitting something below, which kept our speed to about 30km for the most part. I was surprised at how well the road to the car park was signposted - I suppose most people who used this road were either in forestry or heading into the Whirinaki Forest.

I guess you could call this a ‘girls’ weekend tramp, though partners were invited, they didn’t end up coming in the end. Tia, Katri, Jasmine and I planned an overnighter to the Upper Whirinaki Hut, with Diesel, Katri’s dog, joining us on this adventure too.

When we finally reached the car park, we decided to have lunch before starting the tramp. It was only a couple of hours to the hut via the ridgeline track. Besides, Tia and I had been talking about eating lunch for the last hour. She had Havarti cheese and crackers, and I was looking forward to my breakfast bap. There were already a couple of cars parked up when we arrived, which made us wonder if we would end up using the tents after all.

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.

Ōhineteraraku Scenic Reserve

Ōhineteraraku Scenic Reserve is a little known scenic reserve on Taneātua Road, less than 10 minutes outside of Whakatāne. The reserve is named after the stream that flows on the northern section of three land parcels.

It’s been a bit of an obsession for me these last three weeks, and I’ve gone exploring every weekend since. How did I find out about it? Like other locals, I didn’t even know the scenic reserve existed until a conversation with a workmate. We’ve known each other for years, but it was these last couple of months through lunchtime chats that I discovered our mutual love of travel and exploring the great outdoors.

Moerangi Hut in Te Whirinaki Pua-a-Tāne

Nothing like a last-minute hut mission to make a Friday at work go that much faster. There was pretty good weather within three-hours drive in any direction, but I also wanted to spend the night in a hut. Moerangi Hut was a good option for an overnighter because Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne is only 1.5 hours drive from Whakatāne (from River Road car park), walking in was less than five hours and there were no stream crossings. I’m planning a five day mission in Whirinaki over my Christmas break, so I decided to save Mangamate Hut for another day.

I parked my car at River Road for the night. I’ve heard mixed stories about car safety but personally, I’ve never had issues leaving my car overnight. If you’re going for longer then organise a drop off and pick up. Walking to the hut took me 5.5 hours (DoC estimate is 4.5 hours) and walking out was under five.

From the car park, it’s pretty flat as you walk through the iconic giant podocarps that the Whirinaki are renowned for. With the beautiful weather that weekend, I was surprised to have the track to myself until later that afternoon. Walk through Te Whaiti Nui a Toi canyon until you get to the junction for the falls loop track, Mangamate, Central Whirinaki and Moerangi Huts. If you want to see the Whirinaki Falls before heading to the hut, walk the falls loop track counterclockwise (look for the sign before the canyon) and it will take you back to this junction. Be aware it will add another two hours to your tramping time.

© 2015 Five Foot Ronna

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