Im still tired from yesterday( normal on new years day). However its another long slog so an early start is required. The benched track continues for half a km before turning away up the Kahanui. Im going south up the makakaore stream, so its back to the riverbed. Its not worth descbing- starts of broad but soon narrowes with a few bolders. It could be any stream I've walked up so far.
2.5 hours up stream an orange triangle marks a track on the true right, which follows a terrace to Makakaore hut- 6 bunks, open fire and tank. Being further from the road it get less use than the busier huts in the valley
Its about the same again upstream to the Te Ranga track. Its starts off very easy with grassy banks either side and the most deer sighn yet- 4 seen. Half way up it narrows and the gradient increases and back to bolder scrambles and wading through deep pools between rapids. A crumpled piece of aluminium washed up in the debris has no explanation- there's nothing further upstream from here. It looks like part of an aircraft wreckage.
I cant say I've been looking forward to climbing Te Rangaakapua, partly because i can't say Te Rangaakapua, partly because it's a 700m climb straight up from the vally floor. The marker indicating the start of the track is almost completely obscured by scrub, tho I've smashed some of it back now, still you need to know where to look. The track is not maintained but has new orange markers starting about 100m up, i loose it a few times but it's relitively easy to find in the open forest, it's just bloody steep, climbing the first 500m in just over a km.
The forest has been slowly changing up the valley, but once on the spur is predominantly beech, gone are the tawa, punga, supple jack tangled semi sub- tropical forest ive seen so far. Part of the way up theres a section where fallen branches litter the track, all uniform age and can only be snow damage from the dumping in August.
Nearing the top the trees shrink and become stunted mountain beech ( cloud /goblin forest). Entering the clouds it starts to drizzel and a mountain wind picks up. Once on the ridge it drops, climbs, drops and climbs untill poping out above the tree line at the summit. At 1320m it's not Everest, but its the highest peak for miles and the highest so far this trip. I've also crossed the magic line between the Waioeka conservation area and Te Urewera national park. There's meant to be panoramic veiws over the Waioeka, Waikaramoa and Whakatane catchments, tho all i see is mist. Its also cold for the first time.
The poorly cut track continues through cloud forest and leatherwood scrub untill the hut. Te Rangaakapua hut is a sanctuary from the storm., its a tiny 3 bunk hut with a woodburner and water tank. Its cosy and warm with the fire going. Its parlty carpeted and full of odds and ends, pots and pans, and enough reading for a week stranded in a storm. It's rarely visited, with only 2 parties sighning in in 2016.
Congratulations on your walk. There used to be a small bivvy on the true right at the base of the climb in the Makakoere Stream, that might explain the metal you found in the stream bed.
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