Jaysus, he's out in the boonies again
They let me out ot play in the Kiwi countryside again. This time in a place called Otaki Forks which is in the Tararua Ranges. I had decided to up the ante and try to do a medium walk after the jaunt to Mount Ruapehu - a medium walk is usual 5-8 hours long - so it was into the van and off to the wilds north of Wellington to spend another weekend away from my nice warm bed.
We spent Friday night in Parawai Hut and then were up and out for a 7:30 start to head into Rae Ridge on our way to Kime Hut (located at 1400m).
As this was a medium walk, we didn't follow a normal marked route instead we navigated a route that we were told was there, just not on the map! To cut a long story short, we ended up on a detour and had to spend the last two hours of the tramp walking in the dark - good job we had head torches :o) We spent 12 and a half hours getting to the hut - not even the one that we had planned to reach, and I have to say that I slept well that night. But the tramp was really great and the scenery amazing.
Anyway, enough of the boring chat and onto the photos - the huts are very comfie inside, honest, the group shares carrying the cooking equipment and food and the necessary gear for the weekend, so you can't really afford to loose anyone as they bound to be carrying the billy!
Looking down onto Otaki Forks
The footbridge over the river to Parawai Hut
Field Hut - one of the oldest DOC huts in NZ
Sunset from Mount Dennan (still two hours walking left!)
Parawai Hut, at the foot of the Tararuas
The well maintained path ;o)
We spent Friday night in Parawai Hut and then were up and out for a 7:30 start to head into Rae Ridge on our way to Kime Hut (located at 1400m).
As this was a medium walk, we didn't follow a normal marked route instead we navigated a route that we were told was there, just not on the map! To cut a long story short, we ended up on a detour and had to spend the last two hours of the tramp walking in the dark - good job we had head torches :o) We spent 12 and a half hours getting to the hut - not even the one that we had planned to reach, and I have to say that I slept well that night. But the tramp was really great and the scenery amazing.
Anyway, enough of the boring chat and onto the photos - the huts are very comfie inside, honest, the group shares carrying the cooking equipment and food and the necessary gear for the weekend, so you can't really afford to loose anyone as they bound to be carrying the billy!
Looking down onto Otaki Forks
The footbridge over the river to Parawai Hut
Field Hut - one of the oldest DOC huts in NZ
Sunset from Mount Dennan (still two hours walking left!)
Parawai Hut, at the foot of the Tararuas
The well maintained path ;o)posted by PaddyPADI at
9:42 am
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home