I could of pushed on to Woodville today, tho it would of been a long day and potentially left me in the town with nowhere to camp, so i decide to drag it out over 2 days. Given it a half day i have a lie in and a cooked breakfast with the hunters. The wind has completely stoped and been replaced with thick fog, tho it later burns off.
From the hut its a short climb before droping down to another rocky Ruahine riverbed- Raparapawai stream. Following it downstream for 2.5km, a steep track leads up to a ridgeline. It drops slightly to a scrubby, muddy slip where it stops. From here im left to pick a way downhill untill it opens up to a steep side creek which can be followed to the Mangaatua stream. There's a good campspot in here, tucked onto a terrace, tho im keen to get to the next vally. The next bit a repeat of the last, going downsteam to a track which is climbs steeply up then steeply down to the Coppermine stream.
I pass the remains of Coppermine hut, a concrete fire base in a small scrubby clearing, this was my first option for a campspot tonight but its uneven and a long walk to the stream for water. Scouting the creek up and down its narrow, bouldery and offers no hope of a campspot. The only viable option seems to be camp on the track it's self. The area's popular with day walkers who probably wouldn't approve of such activities, so i leave setting up camp till later and explore the short walk to the mine. The mine itself is very unimpressive, its been filled in and there's no evidence of its existence other than a sign. A short tunnel a bit further back is known as the magazine, a short, wet hole with wetas on the ceiling.
Its not the perfect spot to camp, but is the perfect night at least, still, clear and warm, something very rare in the Ruahines.
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