Tramp Reflections 831 - Te Rere Tukahia Hut Track, Kaimais

8 November 2009

Eleven of us left from the Pac-n-Save at 7:30 a.m. for the two hour drive to the Hot Springs Road Car Park, the beginning of our track. Our group consisted of our tramp leader, Sheila, our co-leader, Lynne, and Louise, Vince, Sue, Peter, Chris, Rose, Tony, Clare and myself. In addition, we picked up Alistair on the way to make it was an even dozen. It was a beautiful sunny day by the time we reached the far side of the Kaimais outside of Katikati. As Lynne, our tramp co-leader, was a bit under the weather, she decided to take the van into Katikati and visit a friend of hers while the rest of use were enjoying our tramp. With Lynne out of the tramp, Peter agreed to take over the duty of the co-leader to be our "Tail-end Charlie" and make sure we didn't leave anyone behind.

We began our tramp on the Tuahu Walkway, which consisted of a gradual incline until we reached the top of the ridge. There was one stream crossing; however, as the rains have tapered off lately, the crossing was fairly easy, and no one had to get their boots wet if they didn't want to. We took a small detour near the beginning of the track onto a "Kauri Loop" to view a couple of large Kauri trees, and to take somewhat of a "Group Picture." About an hour and a half into the tramp, Louise turned her ankle on some slick rocks while crossing a small creek. Although she bravely persisted on for the remaining half-hour until we reached the top of the ridge, she determined that returning the two hours back to the beginning of our track was going to be a better idea than suffering through the projected five hours remaining in our planned tramp. After a "first" lunch at the top of the ridge, where we enjoyed great views of the Waikato, Sheila called Lynne to have her come back to the beginning of the track, and Clare agreed to accompany Louise back down the track. Clare, Louise and Lynne spent the rest of the afternoon sipping coffees at the Robert Harris Café in Katikati. Personally, I think Clare just agreed to accompany Louise back to the van in order to get out of writing the trip report she had earlier volunteered to do.

After our "first" lunch, we left the Tuahu Walkway to take the undulating North South Track along the ridge of the kiamais for about two hours until we reached the Te Rere A Tukahia Hut. We spent about a half an hour at the Te Rere A Tukahia Hut, where we had our "second" lunch and enjoyed the views of the surrounding bush. We left the Te Rere A Tukahia Hut when the wind started to pick up and some threatening clouds began to roll in, but they soon passed us by and the sun returned for the rest of our tramp. Although the majority of the tramp was through the bush, we passed several clearing which allowed us to enjoy the otherwise sunny day. From the Te Rere A Tukahia Hut it was downhill for most the remaining day along the Te Rere A Tukahia Track, with only one more relatively easy stream crossing near the end. The last half-hour of the tramp wound through a Kauri Grove (one of the best I have seen since moving to New Zealand). It did not have the largest Kauri trees we have seen, but it probably had the most numerous. Clare and Lynne met us on the trail as we neared the van for our two hour drive back to Hamilton (with a quick stop in Katikati for ice cream). There were no other medical emergencies on the tramp, that is if you don't count the cramp in Sheila's leg that caused us to immediately pull the van over on the way home. While we completed the tramp in about an hour less than anticipated, it was still good workout for all. Thanks to Sheila and Lynne for an enjoyable Spring day.

Written by Don Stover and Clare Summers.

Photographs by unknown (Panasonic DMC-FX520).