D35- Taruarua bivvy to Aranga hut

Its cold in the morning, which isn't suprising considering the forecast was to drop to zero and there's no heatinh in the bivvi. The wind has stopped but been replaced with mist and drizzel.
A sign warns that the ridgeline south of Taruarua is private, Maori land, tho according to the book everyone seems to go that way so I'd guess there's quite a casual stance on the matter. After the first 10mins however the track is unmaintained, it hovers around the bush line, making it quite scrubby in places. The Ruahine tops are different to the Kaweka, being more tussock than open scree and are slower going, eventually it rises above the bush line and the rain clears for a bit. At the high point i meet a rough atv track that runs east to meet the No Mans road end, there's a hut here but its not No Mans hut, which lies a km down the road. Its made of fridge pannels and has a generator, chiller, wood/electric  stoves and a shower, clearly not a doc structure. Its presumably private tho there's no mention of it, only the words 'no dick heads'.
No Mans road is the boundary between public/private land and there seems to be confusion over who owns it, to further complicate things access is thought big hill station on a ballot system allowing 3 parties through per week, not suprisingly, there no trafic. Leaving the hut i follow the road east for 500m, i leave in hail which turns to light sleet then rain. The track heading south to Aranga is not signed, but obvious it a well maintained route on public land. Its starts off a well poled route through open tussock. After passing the trig at Ohawai (1368m), it gradualy descends to the tree line where it follows a well maintained, marked track. The rain comes and goes but clears up in the end.
After a short boggy section i reach the Aranga/parkes peak junction. From here its 20mins east to the hut. Aranga hut lies on the boundary between public/private land and there's confusion as to who owns it, there also seems to be confusion as to who maintains it. I heard it was a bit rough but i wasn't expecting what i found. It makes Comet look like a five star. There's holes in the walls and floor, theres 2.5 bunks left that haven't been choped up for firewood, enough bits of moldy, rat chewed foam to make a matrees, and obvious signs of both rat and possum in residence. A corner if full of damp moldy rubbish. A water tank is full despite the gutters having long fallen off. The original fireplace has rotted and fallen down and instead a chimney jammed through the roof with a rusting metal bucket placed half way up.
Camping out seems a better option, but the grounds uneven and boggy and the sky promises more rain and its still cold. The next stop's Kylie biv, 4 hours away so i reluctantly move my gear in.
I decide on an outside fire, more to keep out of the place for longer than for safety/smoke inhalation. Everything soaked but i get a fire going eventually in a pile of scrap metal found lying around.