D13- Te Waiti hut to Tokenui hut

Its a short back track back up the pack track to the forks. A doc sighn points up tge riverbed, put poking around on the true right i pick up the next pack track. This one's the worst so far but its followable. It passes in and out of regen bush and long grass( the fan). Horses graze in the grassy sections. Once into mature bush its clear and easy to follow.
About half way to Tokenui, an obvious track leads down to the river, crosses it and picks up another pack track on the westen side. This one's not show on the map but it's marked and maintained so i follow. The markers soon stop, the track becomes overgrown and slips make it dangerous to continue. Back where the markers stopped, they head back down to the river, not far from where previously crossed.
Bush bashing up to the original track, its unmarked but followable for 500m, untill a recent looking slip has washed the entire road away. Only option is back down to the river. After wasting over an hour following tracks with little reward i decide to stick to the river, using the path nature provides rather than the one it is slowly reclaiming.
It starts off easy shingle but soon enters a long and narrow gourge - slippery bolders, upstream wading and slow going. A few deep sections require swims. It's senic but cold on an overcast day. An unpassable section must be sidled on the steep bank, flagging tape marks the way.
Eventually the stream opens up, orange markers appear, and an ok track is established on the banks, criss crossings what is left of the flow. Tokenui hut is located in a clearing on the western side and you can't miss it. Again not the flashest, its a small, 4 bunk, plywood box. There's a crumbling open fire and water from the stream. I arrive just in time as the clouds turn to rain.

D12- Pakihi hut to Te Waiti hut

The newly graded cycle track continues north along the Pakihi stream. There's no sighn however indicating the existence of the track into the Wahaatua catchment, and according to the book its only been traveled once in the past 2 years. I head down to the stream to look for it.
Heading upstream, an oranges triangle points up the obvious spur after the first side creek on the true left. There's a reasonably followable track with orange markers, tho it hasn't been cut in a few years. Its a steep climb to the ridgeline, where the track deteriorates. There's a lot of windfall, waist high furns, and its easy to loose the track in places. By the look of it its off doc's maintenance list, and is reminiscent of the Rakumaras. There's about 6 summits along the ridge, the highest being 605m.
Coming down the far side the track improves, dropping down a steep, well defined spur to the Wahaata stream. I was originally intending on a long day to Tokenui, but this sections taken twice as long as expected, so it'll have to be two short days. There's a good spot for a swim in the Wahaata, and on the hottest day yet the water's cool and wonderful.
It looks like an easy walk down the riverbed from here, however im wrong, its much easier. There's another 6 foot pack track cut into a steep bank on the true left. This one hasn't been maintained like the cycleway, theres sections of windfall and slips to get past, but its still an easy walk, keeping a consistent gradient all the way to the confluence with the Tokenui.
From the forks the stream becomes the Te Waiti, there's a couple of crossings untill a pack track appears on the right, climbing slightly to the hut. Its still early, but it seems my progress is being determined by the position of huts and possible campspots more than anything.
The huts not the flashest. Its constructed of 3 prefabricated rooms joined together with a large sheltered deck to the front. There's a bunkroom on either side and a kitchen in the middle, a woodburner but no firewood. The surrounding area is regenerating farmland, punga and blackberry. Its easy access on horseback and foot, so gets a lot of visitors, mainly hunters.

D11- Toatoa Farmstay to Pakihi hut

Theres not much to say about the road bash along motu road to the Pakihi track. Starting in farmland it enters bush with a 400m accent and decent. Its boring and seems to take forever. Theres a reasonable view over the endless forested hills of Urutawa from the summit, and a shelter for cyclists. Theres more deteriorating farmland on the other side and beekeeping seems to be the most profitable activity. With all the kanuka flowering it should be a good month for Manuka honey.
You can't miss the start of the Pakihi track. There's a large doc sighn, a shelter and a longdrop. Once a historic pack track, its been recently recut as part of the Motu cycleway. Its been cut into the steep hillside and keeps a consistent gradient all the way to the hut, dropping just enough to give you a spring in your step, but not enough to feel like a downhill walk. There's 12 new bridges built for cyclists, and for the first time I've got dry feet. All in all its a pleasant 11 kms.  Its also the start of the Urutawa's- the next stage of my trip
Pakikhi hut is the tidiest yet. A former nzfs hut underneath with a recent deck added, surrounded by plastic on 3 sides. There's 6 bunks, a woodburner and a tank. According to the book, it gets a lot of visitors tho most of them cyclists passing by and not many stay the night. I get the place to myself.

D10- Rawea stream to To Toatoa Farmstay

I get a visit from my favourite fury animals last night, i dont need the meat and im not prepared to carry fur as far a Woodville, so i leave them be.
Its a reasonably boring day today, all road bashing,  but its easy miles. Back on Takaputahi road it soon enters farmland as initially a farm track and eventually a public road. Its got an abandoned vibe about it as if everyone left in a hurry. Its a mixture of overgrown grass, regen bush and blackberry. There's a few crumbling farm buildings, as well as some newer looking batches. Fragments of agricultural equipment litter the paddocks. A few horses and cattle graze, but nothing much. A mature bull provides a stand off in a gateway but lets me past.
The road joins the Takaputahi river where it leaves farmland and enters a gourge flowing out to the Motu. There's a locked gate half way along this section and a private property sign, tho it provides access to the Rakumara forest park via Pukeiahomnga road, so id say it would be a legal access on foot. As with the other end, theres no DOC sighn acknowledging the start of the crossing or the existence of Mangakirikiri hut. There's a basic doc campsite (whitikau) where the Takaputahi forks into the Whitikau and Ngaupokotangata. Otipi road heads east to join the Motu, though its only suitable for foot/ quad.  Theres a longdrop, swimming holes and fireplace. Its probably the only legitimate place to camp in this section but for me its in the wrong place.
The road now swings west though bush, pines and eventually active farmland. From now on its all unfamiliar tertiary. I meet the possumer responsible for the small unnamed hut up the Motu, and find out he spent years trapping there. Toatoa Farmstay is just before the junction with Motu road and its where i left my first food drop. Bob and Maxene aren't there when i get there so i grab my box, and set up bivi in the garden, (as organsied). They've even made a toilet and shower available for me, and all at no cost- thanks guys. I've got tins for dinner so don't need a fire, but its the first night without one and it drags on a bit. It seems pretty tidy and its a great spot so id have to recommend it if you wanted to upgrade to the luxury of a bed, tho you'd have to pre arrange it as they're often not there.

D8- Rest Day

After a hard day coming up the Motu, i had pre decided today would be one of rest. I was a day ahead of schedule and ive got more than enough food. I was hoping it would be raining as further justification, however its hot and fine.
Its a good chance to dry out all my gear, charge phone,  clean the hut and gather a shit load of firewood. The rest of the day is spent by the big river swimming, skimming stones and looking at stuff. Its still a challenge to pass the hours.

D7- Te Kahika flats to Mangakirikiri hut (Motu day)

This is the day I've been most worried about on the whole trip. I've had nightmares about getting as far as the Motu and finding it in full flood, and from what I've read it happens as often as not. And its still raining.
I somehow manage to get dressed, pack up my sleeping bag, deflate and pack my pad and pack all my dry clothes without leaving the 1 man bivvy, tho it takes almost an hour. I seize a break in the rain and its a quick but wet pack up and im on my way, just as the rain reterns. Checking my instruments( rock and billi), we've had 15mm but the river hasn't changed. I always knew they'd be some days I'd have to walk in the rain, i just hoped it wouldn't be this one.
Its a couple of ks down the Te Kahika, then a couple up The Big Unknown stream, both in gourges but its still easy going. The Big Unknown is well known for providing access to a low saddle into the Motu, thus bypassing some unpassable rapids. Its Pissing down by the time i turn right up the second side stream to start the final crossing to the Motu. The small streams already in flood, a torrent of brown, muddy water cascading over its rocky bed. Its not looking good for the Motu. There's a well marked track heading up between the first forks, the starts not obvious tho and it takes a bit of bush bashing to find. Its steep and muddy, but its the only maintained bit in the Rakumaras.
It stops at the saddle, and its a bush bash to the final stream leading to the river. Like most of the streams up here, its rocky, tight and blocked with windfall and log jams, difference is its steeper, with several waterfalls to climb down.The punga furns have held so much moisture i haven't noticed its stopped raining. By the time i reach the bottom it sunny.
Its a tense moment, rounding the last corner to the Motu, its a reief to find its clear and in normal flow. There's a great swimming hole where the stream enters the Motu, but still shivering from wet clothes i opt to bask in the sun instead. There's potential campspots here, my pan b to wait for the river to drop. If the rivers up there's 3 options,  wait, walk back the way you came (last 4 days) or call in a chopper. Its the best scenery so far, a deep clear river, flowing in a single channel, banked by slopes of podocarp and nikau palms. At 140m its the lowest point in the crossing, and possibly the lowest in the trip, ignoring the first and last sections. You dont stay high long in the Rakumaras, unless of course your Ngati Porou.
The first bit upstream is easy travel  through bush and sandy banks, then it enters the first gourge where there's 8 crossings, most requiring a swim. The clarity of the water makes it seem deceptively shallow. The crossings that dont require a swim are still waist- chest deep, theres a lot of force behind it and its hard to make any progress upstream. Im swept off my feet at one point and manage to drag myself out just before the next rapid.
Theres an open section in the middle followed by a second gourge. Theres a small hut here (presumably x possumers), its missing part of the roof and half a wall, but would be good shelter if the river comes up. All up it's 17 crossings (7 swims), one scramble around a bluff only to have to jump in anyway, and a swim backwards up an eddy to gain some ground.
Its 200m up the Mangakirikiri stream, then a steep, marked track to Mangakirikiri hut.
Its not the flashed hut but its great to have shelter with everything still wet from last night. There's 6 moldy matresses, a leaking water tank and an open fire with no top on the chimney so rain comes inside. It only gets a few visitors per year, mostly rafters. Out of the people doing the Rakumara crossing, all seem to go west-east, going downsteam in the Motu, thus avoiding the issues i had.

D9- Mangakirikiri hut to Rawea stream

There's 3 routes out of Mangakirikiri hut on foot, the way i came, up the Motu to opiti road or up the Mangakirikiri/Mangamatane streams. Either way, you cant leave without a swim. After my experience with the Motu, i took the Mangakirikiri / Mangamatane option.
I brought enough food for 3 days stranded by the river, so even with my day off I've still got to much. Sadly the best option is to leave some behind at the hut.
The Mangamatane/Mangakirikiri stream is potentially one of the most difficult parts of the trip, tho on a warm day like today, its actually quite fun. It starts off deceptively easy on broad shingle, but soon enters a canyon. The walls are sheer, and the water takes up all of the space inbetween. For most of the way its knee to waist deep wading, but a couple of sections require swims. It opens up a bit untill the next forks where i turn right up the smaller Mangamatane. I almost stone an eel, but xmas dinner gets away, not that im short of food.
The Mangamatane enters another canyon, this time its steeper and narrower, several log jams make for intresting climbs. A series of pools/falls must be swam/climbed, tho the deepest has been filled in with shingle from my last visit.
There seems to be variety of routes to reach Pukeiahomnga road, i take the one marked on the map heading SW at each forks. After the first fork the valley opens up again and its easy walking, there's some good campspots in here if you needed them. After the last forks before the road, an arrow points up a scree slope,  so i follow. It turns out to be a possumers route, with raised platforms on the trees, and soon stops. Not wanting to go back downhill to the stream i follow a compass bearing to the road. It becomes the thickest, steepest bush bash yet, this time taking an hour to cover the last 150m. Standing on a possum gives us both a fright, and it's the first one I've seen this trip.
Reaching the road marks the end of the Rakumara crossing, and the hardest sections behind me. From here roads and maintained tracks will become more frequent, as will huts. My food sulplys will also be closer together so ill be carrying less weight.
The term 'road' is an overstatement. Its got a grass/ dirt surface and is only wide enough for a quad, tho from the amount of windfall id say it been a while since ones been through. That said, after 6 days off track it feels like a fucking highway. It meanders south along the ridge, with occasional veiws to the bay of plenty/ back across the range, before dropping down through pines to the Rawea stream, theres a possible campspot here, tho its all long grass and nowhere to safely have a fire.
Joining the Takaputahi road, theres a sighn saying Pukeiahomnga road- no exit. The Takaputahi is much wider and maintained and looks accessible by 2wd if it wasn't for the locked gate. Heading SE it leaves pines and enters bush and the newely graded section stops, blackberry and grass covering most of its surface, suggesting logging traffic comes from the Opotiki end.
Further down i spot the perfect campsite beside the stream,  there's grass for the bivvi, gravel for a fire and even a deep hole for a wash. Pines border mature podocarp. Its probably private, but with the state of the road i doubt anyone will be checking, especially on xmas day. Sadly sandflies spoil the otherwise perfect evening.

D6- Mangatutara hut to Te Kahika flats

Its another fine day. Im unaware of the forcast by this stage but i know this dry spell won't last forever. Its another 2ks down the Mangatutara before turning up a side stream to start the second crossing to the Te Kahika catchment. This stream is the worst bit of the trip so far. It's narrow, rocky and blocked with windfall and log jams. To further complicate things, theres a few forks not marked on the map. As the stream gets smaller, each 100m seems to take twice as long as the last.
The best plan is to follow the correct fork untill it runs out, then climb the last bit to the saddle. I exit to earlier and end up back tracking to finally locate the saddle.
Once over the other side the gps and compass become redundant and its a case of heading downhill to the stream and follwing that. The Waihunga stream is easier than the last one, and most of it can be walked though open punga bush. Its contains the most deer and pig sighn ive seen so far, i spot 2 deer but no sighn of the pigs.
It eventually opens up into a shingle bed and the punga furns have been such good shelter i didn't notice it was raining. Its the sort of weather where you spend more time taking a jacket on and off than walking, which is where i make my first mistake. Getting my jacket and pack cover out i put on only the jacket and carry on. It only takes a couple of minutes to realise somethings wrong, but half an hour searching the long grass to find the cover.
  After joining the Te Kahika stream, its a couple of kms to the flats and former hut site. A slip amost blocks the valley downstream of the flats and iv been told it was dammed, flooded and washed the hut site away when it burst, creating the flats. I've also read the hut burnt down 5 years ago, 2 years ago.
Theres not a huge selection of campsites and i pick a spot in the wet grass out of flood danger. Its still raining and the sandflies are out, making it the the worst night so far. Spilling half the rice in the fire is the final straw, and anyone in the valley would of heard me swear. Lukily its only me. Its the most remote part of the trip being a 3 day walk either way to civilization.

D5- Oronui hut to Mangatutara hut

Its the longest day in the southern hemisphere, however after a long day yesterday i waste half of it being unconscious till 8.30. Thankfully its not too far to the next hut.
Heading back down to the forks, i take the southern brach- Mangamatu stream. Its generally pretty easy going with a few sections walking in the water. Its name might of changed 4 times, but the almost hop-overable creek is the same catchment ive followed for 4 days since its mouth at the ocean.
At the second major forks its time to leave it behind and complete the crossing to the Mangatutara, its the first of 3 crossings required to traverse the Rakumara range. Whilst the map shows a marked route for the entire east- west crossing, theres no marking at all on the river sections and the crossings haven't been mantained in a long while. There's no evidence of a track at the start, however once out of the thick low lying scrub occasional permalot markers appear and its reasonably followable to the summit. The bush is prodominantly punga and tawa with the odd large podocarp. The summit of 800m isn't high by Rakumara standards, however its the highest point so far and the highest for a good while. 
After the summit the track deteriorates and its easier to follow a compass bearing south along the main ridge. I miss the unobvious spur heading west and somehow do a 180 looking for it. GPS and compass are invaluable.
There's a few markers untill pt 790 where they stop. 
Ive heard there's no track down the spur marked on the map, and ive tried the main spur heading west on a previous trip. Either way, by this stage all spurs drop into the same catchment, so its a case of picking one and following it. I pick the easier looking spur heading NW, and am surprised to find it contains a track. I loose the track again half way down and its time to put the compass down and bush bash downhill to the stream. The last half a k though thick scrub takes over an hour. I bump into the track again 20m before the steam.
Its a relief to finally reach the broad gravel of the Mangatutara stream, at some point I've crossed the main divide as rivers now flow west into the Motu/ Bay of Plenty. A blue shape stands out in the bush, and im surprised to see a hunter and son, fly camping in the valley, its the first white faces I've seen since the lighthouse.
The Mangatutara's an easy and pleasant walk. There's 2 short gourge sections seperated by broad gravel flats. Mangatutara hut's rumoured to still exist, and in fact it does. Its easy to miss and walk straight past, last time i was here there was thick scrub making it invisible from the stream. The scrubs been recently cut and if you stand in the right place it can be seen from the riverbed. Probably more importantly deer in the riverbed can be seen from the hut.
Mangatutara hut gets more visitors than Oronui, buts its mostly fly in hunters, with only 2 or 3 tramping parties a year. Its got 6 bunks, tank water, an open fire place, and the best stocked food cuboard I've seen. Being a day ahead of schedule, I've got more than enough food so i swap some rice for noodles.

D3 (part 2) Ruatoria to Tapuaeroa river

After leaving the big smoke its a few kms along roads to the SH35 bridge over the Waiapu. Then its back into the river for the last 2 kms to its source where the Mata forks SE and the Tapuaeroa NE.
I continue up the much smaller Tapuaeroa which is basically a downsized version of the Waiapu. The crossings are rarely knee deep and its mainy shingle/bolders rather than sand.
Beehives placed on the shingle reinsurer me its unlikely to flood.
Further upstream the vally narrows slightly, Hickurangi disappaers behind cloud, goats and hares cross cross the river, geese and gulls circle above and herds of bovine and equine roam together as if one. Fencing is obviously an issue in the region.
Later on the clouds turn to drizzel and the wind picks up again making it a less than pleasent walk. I walk as far as i can and find the perfect campspot tucked into a kanuka clearing on the true right. Its shelterd from the wind and im glad to be sleeping on grass not sand as another dust bowl picks up on the far side of the river.

D4- Tapuaeroa river to Oronui hut

Its another clear day and i get an early start in, continuing up river. Regular tributaries on either side further diminish the flow. The amount of fencing materials washed upbin the riverbed possibly explains the lack of elsewhere.
Theres a road running parallel to the river  and i decide to follow it for a few kms to give the feet a break from the bolders. I pass a modern looking woolshed in action, although ive seen more hoses than sheep in the surrounding farmland. Two rickety wooden bridges span first a large tributary than the Tapuaeroa itself, both rivers lost in the vast expanse of gravel.
A doc sighn marks the start of the track to Hickurangi, but theres no indication of the route to Oronui hut, only a sighn saying im entering the private Gate forest and to use channel 95.
I drop back to what is left of the Tapuaeroa where its the same old, only smaller. The sides become pine and eventually bush as i near the Rakumara forest park boundry, where things start to change. I leave behind the easy going land of the Ngati Porou people and enter the least visited wilderness in the country. Its also the start of undisputed public land.
The riverbed narrows significantly and walking in the flow is required. Bolders range from the size of footballs to a large van. It enters a resonably tricky gourge where a few crossings are required mid rapid. A series of deep pooks require scrambling around but provide an intresting spot for a swim with the pack off. A grassy clearing above the river looks like it may of once contained a hut.
Above the fist gourge it get easier and theres a few spots where you can get out of the river onto terraces. The bush is prodominantly punga and scrub with mature tress higher up. At the Oronui/Mangarata forks i take the Oronui which enters another gourge. The sides are steep, however its easy going shingle most of the way and its the easiest section sinse entering the park.
Above the gourge the steam forks 3 ways. An orange triangle marks the track to the hut but can easily be walked past if your not looking, as i did on a previous trip. Oronui hut is surrounded in waist high grass. Theres 6 bunks, a woodburner and tank water. Its intresting to see a food drop in the hut for someone walking the lenth of NZ. Its the first night in a hut this trip and im knackered after the longest and hardest day so far.

D3 (part 1) Waiapu river to Ruatoria

The wind has stoped and its overcast in the morning. Continuing upriver is much the same as yesterday. The river is slightly narrower with a defined bank on either side so crossings are more frequent. There only knee deep but slippery with all the cattle/ horses roaming the riverbed.
I leave the river on the true right and join waiomatani road where its a couple of kms to rua.
Ruatoria is not as bad as its rep, theres a cop shop, fire sation , hotel, heath center and a post shop, however the foursquare is the sole reason for my visit. After restocking supplys i eat lunch at a picknick table in the center. I attract less attention than expected being a pakeha with an expensive looking tramping pack.
Heading into the ranges from here i will likely out of reception untill the napier/taupo road so it may be while between posts

D2 Tapirau stream to Waiapu River

The wind had picked up last night and i awaken to find my possessions scattered around the beach. Its almost high tide and i need low tide for the bluffs so i have a cruisy pack up and dont break camp till 8.30.  Its about 1.5 km to the bluffs walking down soft sand with tide in.
Theres a group of indigenous fishermen in a 4wd and i approach with caution, however their frendly and tell me its not possible to pass the bluffs and give me permission to use the private track through Haha. Theres a small private hut tucked into the start of the track gradualy climbs through nikau palms and manuka to the high point of 220m. From there its downhill to the Rangitukoa road which is followed to the flats.
Theres another short 4wd track and a small but muddy stream crossing to rejoin the beach, south of the bluffs. Gone are the golden beaches of the north, instead we have a steeper beach of  mixed sand /shingle completely littered with wood.
Its a couple of kms south to the Waiapu lagaon where im beconed toward a ute.
Im offered a beer and warned i may get shot walking up the river and should travel by road. I thank him for the advice and drink but take only the latter.
The freshwater lagoon makes a great spot for a middy swim and respite from the 30deg heat. Leaving the costline behind i head up a large expanse of mud flats beside the laggon. The Waiapu is deep and uncrossable at this stage but theres a good crossing spot upstream of the Poruporu.
I enter the largest sand/ shingle flats iv everseen. The wind increases and becomes a full on sand storm and feels more like the sahara than East cape.
The next 10km upriver pass slowly and with not a tree around and sand obstructing veiws of either bank the only indicator of progress is the sacred mt Hickurangi getting ever so slightly closer.  One crossing becomes almost a swim, but its probably the warmest river ive swam in.
Theres no shelter to camp near so i make a makeshift winbreak from my tarp. Thankfully the wind is easing as o settle down for a second night in the shifting sands.

D1- East Cape to Tapirau stream

Hitching to east cape from napier was easier than anticipated and by 2pm im at the end of east cape road. Its a 15min climb up 800 steps to the lighthouse which marks the offical starting point of my trip.
Whilst i was going to make tommorow the official start, its still early and there's no where to camp near the lighthouse so i crack on.
Back at the road end there's no obvious acess to the beach so i take through a muddy cattle pugged paddock. Once on the beach heading south it's an easy walk at low tide on hard sand. Not wanting to tackle waikori bluff today i pick a campspot amoungst the dunes where there's a stream, puhutakawa trees and enough drift wood for a wind break and a fire.

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