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.