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.