D17- Te Rangaakapua hut to Magatoatoa hut

The weather hasn't changed in the morning, so its back on with the coat and gloves and back into it. The track initaly follows the ridge through Leatherwood scrub and cloud forest. This tracks in worse condition than the last and it's easy to loose in limited visablility.
After about a km it heads west down a spur and its a repeat of yesterday only in reverse- leatherwood, stunted beech, snow damaged beech, and eventually into the mature podocarp of the Urewera rainforest. Loosing altitude the wind stops and visablility increases but the drizzel turns to rain. I miss the turn off to Magatoatoa and finally checking gps I've overshot by a km. Backtracking i find a rotting wooden sighn at the junction, the words unreadable but at least marking the spot. Its another 30mins down a more gentle spur to the stream. Magatoatoa hut is located on the other side between the forks.
It looks a bit rough on the outside but inside its flash by Urewera standards. Its got 6-8 bunks, woodburner and a tank. Its only 1-30 but with the rain and a sore foot i decide to split todays walk over 2 days, effectively  giving a second days rest. There's plenty to read and a dartboard if u get board with that. A tin of beetroot adds some well needed roughage to my diet.