D62- Orongorongo river to Turakirae head

Im blessed with perfect weather again for my final day. Continuing downriver, it opens up to the extent that 4wd can access from the beach, the flow becomes lost in the expanse of gravel. In many ways my last major river is a mirror imagae of the first. After 2km i take the Mt Mathews track on the true left. Its easy to miss if you're on the wrong side of the river, marker poles lead up the initaly dry bed of the Mathews stream. At the second forks a well maintained track climbs the steep spur between them. Its a bit of a slog, but my last climb so im not complaining. The Mt Mathews summit is an extra 2hrs (one way), so i dont bother, instead taking the track marked coast, which siddles to South saddle (545m).
South saddle sits in open tussock, with good veiws to the Orongorongo and the coast. Its all downhill from here. Passing the saddle marks my final crossing of the main devide. The track descends steeply into the head of the Mukamuka stream, where it stops with occasional markers continuing downstream to the coast. It starts off quite small and scrubby but soon opens out into vast shingle flats. By the time it reaches the mouth its 100's of metres across and the stream has become dry. Huge scree slopes drop into the stream on either side with occasional costal scrub clinging to the stable bits.
Reaching the beach is a milestone, being the first time I've seen the sea since Waiapu. Unlike the Rakumaras where there was a 3 day walk from ranges to sea, here the mountains drop right down to the coast. A quick dip is high on my priorities.
From here it's only 10km of coastline between me and Turakirae. A 4wd track runs above the high tide mark, removing the need to walk on the rocky beach. A doc sighn marks the start of the Wild coast track, and for the first time i see the words Turakirae head. The beach supposedly passes through a working farm, tho all i saw was a few undocked, sheep in costal scrub. Rounding windy point, the coastline changes from stony beaches and dunes to bolders and swamp. I wasn't intending to make it all the way today, i just got carried away when the head came into veiw. I pass Burneys Whare, private and locked, you probably could camp outside but the sandflies are terrible.
Approaching the head, the walking track leaves the 4wd track, taking a separate route closer to the coast. There's nothing to identify Turakirae head itself, and to most people its probably insigficant, but to me its the most important spot in the world right now. Almost running, i scamble across large bolders and lumps of bedrock, taking the reef which sticks out as far south as i can. It would be nice if there was a lighthouse to aim for, but instead i head for the furthest south point on the head without going in the water. Done.  From here the range ive been faithfully following drops below the sea level, only to resurface again in the Marlborough sounds. Im not sure how long i should stay here to justify the effort in getting here, i decide an hour should be surficent. I crack open the Ruatoria jet planes to celebrate. The weather is for once perfect for the occasion.
Finally leaving the rock, i continue around the head towards the road end ready to hitch out tommorow. The rocks turn back to dunes and i find a spot to camp amongst them. Its fitting that both my first and last nights were camped on the beach. There's a  beautiful sunset over the mainland as i set up my final camp on the beach.

D61- Wairongomai hut to Orongorongo river

Leaving my last hut behind, i head briefly upstream, turning left up Oreore stream for 300m to the first major forks. At the forks i head up the steep but obvious spur between them. It starts off in quite tropical bush, nikau palms, ferns and tangled with supple jack, the weather's pretty tropical to, in the way of temperature not monsoons for once.
It soon enters open beech and excellent game trails make easy work of the 300m climb to the top. Feeling a bit groggy still i take it slow. At the top it flattens out into a bit of a plautoe, with no obvious feature to follow i head SW for 1km to the unobvious Wairongomai saddle. Two small creeks are crossed, only 1 show on the map, both flowing east into the head of the Oreore.
From the saddle you could drop down into the head of the Orongorongo NE branch, but it would likely be small and scrubby at this stage. I continue SW along the developing ridgeline to pt 480, then drop down the spur to the west, meeting the creek at the first fork on the true left.
It's much more pleasant then the other Rimutaka streams, with travel easy going on bush flats or in the small gravel bed. There's plenty of campspots here if u needed one. A set of antlers hanging off a tree indicate it's accessible by humans or the deer are very stupid. Its about 1km to the confluence with the Orongorongo main branch.
The Orongorongo river is bigger but just as easy, travel alternates between bush flats or shingle/bolders. There's a bit of wading and bolders hopping but nothing tricky. I pass a small hunters hut in thr bush, a bit rugged but functional, with 2 bunks a dirt floor and open fire. About 4km down i hit an atv track which siddles the river, crossing twice for 1.5km. It passes a weir and small building, following a pipeline supplying water to Wainuiomata. It's of course authorised access only, but i don't see the sighn untill the end, and there no one ever there by the look of it. The pipeline and track dissappear into a long, locked tunnel so I retern to the riverbed.
Its much the same as before, tho now scattered with human artifacts, steel, planks etc. Eventually i meet the confluence with boulder creek, and the Papatahi track, crossing the range from east to west. An obvious sign here states no unauthorised access upriver due to being a catchment area, tho ive seen several boot marks so either- whoevers authorised regularly checks for naughty hunters, or more likely- no one cares.
From here the nature of the valley changes, it becomes a wide expanse of shingle and large bolders, the surrounding peaks also change. One might think getting closer to sea, the rolling bush clad hill would get smaller and fade out- not in the Rimutaka's. They rise into much higher, jagged peaks, with the higher slopes too steep to support anything but scree and scrub.
I pick a perfect camspot on a terrace above the river, being on the eastern bank i get the last of the evening sun and it warm enough for a recreational swim for once.

D60- Sick day

I should be finished by now. Im feeling a lot better than yesterday, just weak having not eaten in 24 hrs. Im still barely touching my food which dosent help. Its a shame to waste a good weather day but what can you do? It's nice however to sit in the sun

D59- Sick day

I didn't expect to be going anywhere today. Its Pissing down in the morning anyway so i haven't missed much. Ive only 2-3 days walking left but am less confident than ever about making it. When i final drag myself down to the river for water it's risen, very glad im not in the canyon now.

D58- Pakaratahi Headwaters to Wairongomai hut

I awoke in the night feeling terrible, severe chest pain and sick as a dog, im not sure what's caused it but im almost reaching for the PLB. Im a lot better in the morning, but still in no fit state to tackle the days challenges. Its only 7km today but it takes me more than that in hours. From the forks, i head up the unmarked spur, it starts off open bush but soon becomes thick head height scrub and very slow going. At the saddle, i swing E, aiming for Bawbaw, it soon becomes too steep and scrubby, so i siddle the southern face, just below the scrub untill i reach the second spur heading SW into the Wairongomai. The spurs not obvious to start with, and trying to stay on it is the main navigational challenge. I frequently take faulse spurs, requiring steep climbs back to the correct one. I should be tucked up in bed today, not doing this. A light drizzel adds to the scene. The last 500m becomes well defined and a good game trail leads down to the Wairongomai, dropping in just above the 3rd forks from the headwaters.
It starts off tight and scrubby, with one fall requiring a difficult climb around. Follows an easy section of bolders and shingle. After this it plunges into a series of canyons. A 3-4m fall requires a climb around but after that the sides become unsiddleable and everything must be tackled in the flow. There were on obvious escape routes if things went wrong or the river rose. A couple of deep sections required short swims, plus a couple of Shutes to slide down, travel upsteam would be almost impossible. Sevral logjams provided challenging downclimbs, while other provided invaluable log bridges.
For the final 500m it opens up into broad shingle. The hut sits above the river on the true right and is easy to miss. An arrow points to a short track leading to the hut, but is more visable heading upstream. Wairongomai hut is an older style nzfs hut, with 4 bunks, an open fire and water from the river. Looking through the book, the route i came down is known as Eager Beaver canyon, and is tackled by experienced canyoneers, with ropes and wetsuits, not crook trampers.
After lighting the fire i sit down only to wake up again just on dusk feeling terrible. Its rained again and my sleeping bag which was left outside for last nights condensation to dry is now soaked. A trip to the river for water takes everything I've got. I daren't eat anything in case it comes back out, and go to bed with a bowl and PLB, neither get used.

D57- Pakaratahi river to Pakaratahi headwaters

I wasn't expecting today to be easy. Heading upstream i immediately encounter a gourge, it's way to cold to swim this early so i climb around on tge the true right. Once back in the river, its reasonable going for the next few kms, some open shingle, some bush flats and some wading. When flowing its actually quite a small river but for most of its flow its still, almost stagnant, creating deep pools. Most of these were siddleable but getting back into the river prooved quite tricky.  One gourge i got too committed and ended up with a short swim.
Further upstream the sides become steeper and harder to siddle, small falls and logjams appear making very slow progress. Its much reminiscent of the Rakumaras, just much colder.
A 3m fall prooves unpassable and requires a steep climb over a knob to the east. I end up siddleing a flat terrace for some time to keep out of the water, it finally becomes too steep and im faced with a slippery descent back to the river. Im not exactly sure what happened next, only im falling, then im on the rocks below, followed by a shower of forest floor litter. Quick checkover- nothing broken, just a bruised knee, ripped pants(again), and quite shaken. It could of been much worse, looking back ive slid about 3m with the last 1 being vertical.
It would be nice to stop and rest, only there's been no where flat enough to pitch the bivvi the whole way, leaving no choice but to keep going. Upstream the river begins to fork, the flow can't be much more than a good hose, however it still manages to be deeper than me in places. Waterfall and log jams become more frequent, each requiring climbing in the flow. Eventually i end up at the last major forks, splitting SW, SE, with an obvious spur rising to baw bab saddle.
As promised there's a flat spot in the bush between the forks, the remains of a ground sheet suggest im not the first to use it. Perfect would be an overstatement, as would flat, but after that day, at almost dusk im very pleased to see it. Priorities- shelter, fire, food, sleep. #2 being the hardest and #4 the easiest.

D56- Tutuwai hut to Pakaratahi river

Today was the long day i needed after spending most of the last week hanging around in huts, and for once it was perfect weather for it. The pleasent walk continues beside the river heading downstream. Its a good track and the miles roll by quick. A new suspension bridge crosses the main river, well used by people and possums, then a single wire crosses the Merchant stream. 20 mins later is Smiths stream shelter. It's not as bad as its rep and would be ok in good weather, there's no windows or door but a good roof and walls, no mattress but a solid sleeping platform.
Carring on, the track leaves the river, following Smiths stream, a well benched track then swithbacks to puffer saddle. Whilst its not a big climb, it does cross the main devide via the low point between the Tararua's and Rimutaka's. Once at the top, mature podocarp gives way to gourse and scrub, theres occasional veiws to the Rimutaka's and the highway. A short drop down to the carpark at kiwi ranch road marks the end of my Taruarua traverse. Im not blown away by the Tararua's (not metephoricaly anyway), if you include drizzel, its rained all 11 of the full days ive spent in the range, even on the 1 fine afternoon on the tops its only a repeat of the Ruahines, just muddier.
There's not much on Kiwi ranch, a YMCA center and a few lifestyle blocks, i find my last food drop burried on the lifestyle block, with permission of course, the owners arnt in but fortunately im able to recharge my phone at the YMCA. Checking the forecast ive got a fine windows to do the difficult section of the Rimutaka's. The Rimutaka's are my last range, yet possibly the most difficult, there's no track running north-south and the ridgeline is below the bush- my traverse involves mainly rivers and saddles, it will be slow going and challenging, a slip up here could still end the trip, then id have to start again from East Cape. There's only 2 public huts in the range, and ill only pass one, so a few nights in the biv will be req.
At the end of Kiwi ranch, i turn left into Marchant rd for 2km to the SH2 ( Rimutaka Road). From here its a short but unpleasant 500m along the 2, crossing the Pakaratahi and turning left into Gilbert road. I was expecting to be able to acess the Rimutaka rail trail from here but instead it ends in private farm houses, no choice but drop into the river. It starts off open shingle, but soon becomes hemmed in by blackberry on either side, leaving the only way forward wading up the river. I can see the rail trail on the true left, i just can't get to it.
Its a slow 2.5 km upstream before i find a route through the blackberry leading up to the trail. The Rimutaka rail trail following the old path of the railway before it was tunneld right through the range. Its easy walking and popular with cyclists. Its starts off in pine and regen scrub, but eventually becomes mature bush. I pass a designated campsite, but its only 4.30, and i really need to get up the river more, to make tommorow easier. There's a short tunnel and a few bridges before the trail leaves the Pakaratahi and follows a small creek to the east, its not obvious and i missed it the first time. Its too steep to drop into the Pakaratahi itself, so i drop into the side creek and follow it through a short canyon to the main river. Theres nowhere obvious to camp heading upstream and the only place i found was a small patch of sand that required serious excavation to allow for a bivvi site, its only inches above the water so better not flood. Its a perfect evening for a night out, without a cloud or breath of wind.

D55- Neil forks hut to Tutuwai hut

I wouldn't describe it as a cracker of a morning, however its not raining and ive got dry gear which is about as good as it gets. From the hut, the track briefly follows Neil creek before a 600m slog to cone ridge. Turning right i meander along the ridgeline untill Mt Cone which pops out just above the tree line. At the ironic spot height of 1080m, its my last Taruarua peak. There's a radio mast along with an engineer and idling chopper at the summit. The sun pops out very briefly, attempting to get some vital charge into my phone, i find the chargers faulty, without navigation i can't do the Rimutaka's.
Descending cone, i reach a cross roads and take the signed track to Cone hut, beside the Tauhereniukau river. Cone hut is a historic toatra slab design much like the ones built in Urewera, theres 4 bunks an open fire and a long walk to the river for water.
Its only an hour to Tutuwai, a track follows broad flats beside the river on the true left, through grassy terraces and podocarp forest. The river is unlike most in the Tararua's, being open and shingle, tho like most in the area its flow is more than its catchment size would suggest- cant think why.
Tutuwai is located on a terrace above the river. A large 20bunk with a woodburner and tank. Its classified as serviced, but what the service is is unclear, its not fuel or a saw to cut it with, possibly the locked wardens apartment. Its only 3.30 so ive got a bit of time to kill without moving on to the derilct Smith steam shelter. Its not really swimming weather, but i decide a wash is in order in case i have to go into houses tommorow at Merchant road to charge my phone. Hanging the charger above a candle for a while, im able to get some life out of it,  so suspect moisture ingress- it supposedly works underwater. It does need to be held in a certain position, so strapped to my pack wont work. Just as im about to celebrate the first full day without rain in the Tararua's, a light drizzel sets in.

D54- Mangahuka hut Niel Forks hut

The next section of tops between Mangahuka and Kime is known as the southern crossing. The topography creates winds exeding elsewhere in the range, on top of that the ridgeline gets steeper, a steel ladder provides acess between 2 otherwise unpassable peaks. If anything the conditions have deteriorated overnight so instead i take the escape route to Niel Forks on the shelterd easten side.
Putting on wet clothes is less than pleasent, even less pleasent is the first km back on the exposed ridge before the spur drops to the SE. Once below the tree line the wind stops, its a relatively easy 1000m drop down to the Hector river, it just goes on a bit, the vegetation changes from goblin forest to beech and final podocarp. A swing bridge crosses the river to Niel Forks hut, located beside the confluence with Niel creek. At just over 300m, its sea level as far as im concerned tho im still cold from wearing wet clothes. Its about as typical as they get, former nzfs with a deck and woodstove added, there's 6 bunks and water from the river. The rain eases to showers.
Its only 12.30 but pushing onto Cone would only give me a really short day tommorow so instead i get the fire going and dry gear. After 2 nights without fire its wonderful.

D53- Bad Weather day

Im in a bit of a pickle. The weather's unchanged from yesterday and with all my dry clothes wet there's no way im going back out in the wind and rain, however staying here without a fire they'll never dry. The majority of the day is spent wrapped in a blanket, attempting to stitch what's left of my pants untill i run out of thread. Despite my dedicated needlework it looks like ill be walking the Rimutaka's in undies. After a second dinner of scroggin im craving rise.

D52- Andersons memorial hut to Mangahuka hut

The Tararua's are back to their usual self- gales and clag. From Andersons the ridge line stays below the tree line for 2km. One back into open country im hit by the real force of tge the weather. The wind whipped and the rain came again. Im frequently cluthing onto clumps of tussock to prevent being blown off the ridge.
About half way i pass the junction to Aokaperangi hut, i consider the half hour detour for a break from thr weather but it would only prolong the misery. It soon becomes the worst conditions I've walked in. Im wearing every layer I've got but despite the exertion im still loosing heat. I cant fight the wind any more and end up siddleing the shelterd easten side through thick leatherwood scrub. I fall waist deep into a tarn i couldn't see through the mist. Something looks unusual at the far end, i don't realise what it is untill i just about walk straight into Mangahuka hut. Mangahuka's reasonably flash, and has been recently built/replaced( they don't last long up here). There's 10 bunks a large deck and a tank but it misses one critical aspect- a fire. Being at 1330m, there'd  be nothing to burn even if you did fancy your chances at getting a fire going outside. Im not too worried about cooking with enough dry food to eat, more of a concern is not being able to dry out soaked clothing. By the time i reach the hut im shivering uncontrollably, its 2pm but theres nothing realy to do but crawl into the sleeping bag to keep warm. With the amount of people that snuff it from hypothermia around here, a coal fire would be nice. I wake up 6 hrs later and not suprisingly can't sleep through the night.

D51- Dracophyllum hut to Andersons memorial hut

Im in a bit of a mess. My pants are ripped to the point of being almost shorts, socks are burnt, everything's thick with mud. Having not washed properly sinse the Ngaruroro im getting a bit feral. With a flat headlight and my only candle burnt ive got no way of seeing after dark, which is coming increasingly earlier each day. On top of that its still raining for the seventh consecutive day.
Continuing south along the ridge, it hovers around the tree line for what seems like forever. The drizzel stops and the clouds very slowly part. By the time i finally emerge into open tussock the suns out. Having not seen a blue sky sinse coppermine It's amazing. The phones soon back to life and i know exactly where i am, where im going and what the weather's going to do, which isn't good news. After one short peak, Nicholls hut is found on the east. There's 6 bunks a tank and a fire, but being above the tree line there's little to burn. It sits on the TA trail so gets a lot of use. The area south of here has been recently 1080'd and the absence of the usual hunters is noticeable through the book.
From here the ridge climbs up to Mt Crawford(1462). The clouds just about gone and i get my first glimpse of the west coast as well as good veiws out to the Wairarapa. Ruapehu pokes out above the clouds now in the distance north and a high range to the south has me confused for the longest time untill i realise im looking at the Marlborough sounds.
At the next peak, junction knob, the TA heads west leaving a less trampled, less muddy ridge. It an hours gentle descent to Andersons at the bush line- easy. Andersons Memorial hut is architecturally identical to Nicholls, being west facing, one would expect it to suffer the wind, but this evening it basks in the glorious evening sunshine.

D50- Mangahao Flats hut to Dracophyllum hut

Its not raining. Its grey and miserable and the forests saturated but its good to be moving. The well maintained track continues upstream, the sides become steeper and there's a few climbs around slips and bluffs. About an hour up the river forks and an unbridged crossing required. It's back to normal flows and the bolders are suprisingly grippy, having had a good sandblast. After a second forks, the main flow is crosses before a short climb to Griddlestone saddle.
At the saddle i take a left turn to
Pukematawai peak. With no maps to look at im just guessing from names that sound familiar. Its not too steep, but its a long slog with a heavy pack. Im treated to a white sky for 30min before the fog rolls in and visablility is reduced to a few metres. At 1432m, Pukematawai is well above the tree line and my first Tararua summit. There's a moderate wind and a light drizzel but its the best days weather sinse Woodville. From the summit i head south along the main range, its polled with a well worn, muddy foot track. Eventually the track dips beneath the tree line, an hour later Dracophyllum hut is reached.
There's only 2 bunks and its closer to a bivvi box than a hut, the difference is its higher and thr bunks are stacked, making room for a small bench. There no fireplace, so an external fire is required, in these conditions its again challenging and uses up my only fireligher and candle. If i could have any two things other than sun it would be fireligher and phone batteries.

D49- Bad Weather day

Its the same again. There's only about 10 days walking left but it could easily take me twice that with the weather. By mid afternoon it reduces to a drizzel and the river drops significantly. The tracks still flooded but at least im able to get out and pick up the driftwood left by the flood for the next lot.

D48- Bad Weather day

Its still pissing down in the morning thobit must of eased overnight as the rivers dropped well over a meter. There's not much to do other than dry out gear and watch it rise again. The highlight of the day is watching a fire circle on a grassy terrace above the river get washed away.

D47- Burton's Whare site to Mangahao flats hut.

I can't say im enjoying the Tararua's so far, tho today was worse than the last 2 combined. It's not actually raining in the morning tho it looks like it wants to. By 10-30 it gets it's wish. From the Whare site, the track continues south as a benched pack track.  It soon leaves the podocarp forest and enters scrub and grass. There's a rotting tin shelter here that could be used if you had to tho it'd be pretty grim. After 2 hours it turns into a muddy 4wd track which leads to the
Tokomaro road end. Its about a km to the Mangahao road which siddles the Mangahao river passing dams #3, #2 and #1, repectively. Dam #3 looks almost empty. From here the TA turns right down a tramping track but i continue to the road end which takes forever. Dam#2 is full to the brim, creating a long fingerlake, its hard to judge the river level between dams but it looks worringly high. The road ends at dam #1, the river level can't be seen beyond the resivour.
Crossing the levy wall i find my penultimate food drop after 40mins digging through mud and rocks in the pissing rain. Im ahead of progress and still have surplus food from Woodville, the result a very heavy pack but enough food for 2-3 days rest. Given the Tararua weather it may be worth the wait/weight.
Recrossing the dam, a track siddles on the true left. There's no sighn, and with my phone flat after 4 days of no sun, ive no idear of distance. What i do know is its now 3pm and with my headlight also flat i won't be walking after dark. I assumed it would be a riverbed route above the dam, however the siddle track continues to the hut. The muds in a different league, usually above the knees. A swing bridge crossesthe river a third of the way up, the rivers already in flood and fast becoming uncrossable. The next time i see it, it's a monster, a raging torrent carrying logs, rolling bolders downstream.  Waterfall spring from every surface, even out of the trees. The track itself becomes a river. A sign indicates a river route or high route, is obvious which i take.
Another bridge crosses the river and it seems to have dropped, until i realise it's a mere side stream. Finally upon dusk, the hut clearing comes into veiw, along with a final obstacle- an unbridged stream. It turns out to be only waist deep but theres no way of telling through the muddy flow.
Mangahao hut's pretty flash, tho anything would of been after that day. There's 16 bunks, a woodburner and a plumbed in sink, there's even enough dry wood for a fire.

D46- Hardings park to Burton's Whare site.

There's a strong wind in the morning, but it's mostly dry other than a constant drizzel and a few regular showers, finally by 9am the rain sets in. At the end of the trap line is a PNCC tramping track, an area known as Hardings park. Its recently developed and again not marked on the map. From the junction signs lead to 'carpark' and 'loop'. Following my route guide of a previous trampers experience i left onto loop. It climbs onto open scrub and heads along the main range. Eventually it swings back north in a loop. A track or stoat line supposedly continues south here but in the poor visablility i dont find it. Im not bush bashing in this and continue north where i reach a junction and a map of Hardings park. After 4 hours of rain wind and mud im almost back where i started.
From here i change my horse and take the sledge track which drops steeply off the range to the Kahuterawa stream. Once off the range the rain stops. Here a benched track siddles the true right NW to the road end.
Its here that my route merges with the Te Aroha trail (TA). The TA is a continuous trail running from Cape Regina to Bluff. Whilst a lot of the route covers less interesting terrain, what it does provide is a marked route and legal access across private land. Crossing a bridge over the stream, TA follows 'Back track', a well maintained route through podocarp forest, instead i follow zig zig road though post logging wasteland, saving 30 mins. The area is PNCC owned, but sinse logging has been put aside for recreational purpose. There's a carpark at the end of Scotts road which is open for vehicle access. I follow this for a few days through farmland,  turning left at the intersection. A locked gate stands at the entrance to private forestry with a no entry without permit sighn, however being on the TA grants legal walking access. Markers guide the way through a series of logging roads then a muddy 4wd track to the 'Burton's track', and the start of the Tararua forest park. The rain reterns after a 2 hour drought.
The track winds its way through thick mud and podocarp forest before crossing a stream then siddleing the Tokomaro river. 2 crossings are required heading upstream, its discoulerd from the rain but only knee deep. Meeting a local possumer im told its rained all summer.
Shortly after the second crossing i reach the burtons whare site. The whare's long gone but left is a flat grassy clearing making a perfect campspot. The rains stopped but firelighting is no easier than the previous night.

D45- Manawatu gourge reserve to Hardings park

There's a light drizzel in the morning so i get in an early pack up just as it starts to rain. Time to tackle the Tararua's. I've heard the Tararua's described as the Ruahines on steroids. Theres potentially the windiest spot in the country and being on the west coast they get a wee bit of rain. On an average year they receive 40 fine days, but none are forecast. Being close to a large population base they're one of the more visited wildernesses in the country, they frequently take lives.
Im expecting no water supply for the first leg so ive scavenging extra bottles from the roadside and refill them from the tank. Im dubious about the supply, expecting it's from the effluent rich Manawatu, but theres not much choice.
Continuing on gourge road i turn right up Hall block which climbs steeply, siddleing a valley head. Crossing a small stream, i dump the cow shit and refill. At the top it turns into north range road, it passes through the Tararua wind farm but with the weather i can bearly see the top of the turbines. There should be good veiws out to Palmy, but with the Manawatu weather they're only theoretical. The road becomes privately owned by the power company and legal access continues along a muddy 4wd track first on the west then the east before rejoining the road.
North range road finishes at the busy Pahiatua road which crosses the range. South range road continues on the far side. Further down the road, a sigh reads 'permit required', tho I've read at the other end it says 'keep to the track'. The land is PNCC owned and forms the catchment area for the city's water supply. Contamination and public health are stated as the reason for no entry, as notice beside warns of poison dropped in the area- good look ah.
South range road seems to go on forever through ex forestry scrub. As the road turns west a trap line marked H1 continues south. There not marked on my map but are briefly described in my route guides. Frequent checking of gps is required despite diminishing battery power. Knowledge is power- Power is knowledge.
It crosses a tributary then Otangane stream, i was hoping to find a campsite here but no such luck. I had no idear how far id get today, the result- ive covered miles but end up at 7.30 setting up in a saturated muddy forest. A matress of ferns helps keep me out of the water. I had pretty much decided a fire was out of the equation, tho through perseverance, probably luck and the superior burning quality of tawa i blaze is established. It would have to go down as the hardest fire ive ever lit, tho with a good fuel stack drying its not too bad. I had condemned the evening to one of cold oats and and an early night in wet clothes, instead I've got boiled rice and burnt socks