A summit in the clouds
I believe there’s something that defines the difference between an ‘adventurer’ and an ‘outdoorsman’. An ‘outdoorsman’ enjoys getting out in the wild and just experiencing nature in any way he/she can, whether it’s a tramp or a climb or any of a number of different outdoor activities. An ‘adventurer’ also enjoys the outdoors, but does so with a sense of purpose. An adventurer sets a goal that challenges their limits and lets nothing stop him/her from achieving it.
I have always aspired to be an adventurer, yet have never made that step up; I’ve never had that sense of purpose. Well, I’ve decided to test myself and see if I’ve got what it takes. I’ve decided that a good goal is to summit the highest peak in all 14 of New Zealand’s national parks. This will require me to acquire mountaineering skills as ultimately to achieve my goal I’ll need to climb Mt Cook, however for now my humble tramping skills and a bit of determination are all that will be required to summit the first of the 14 peaks - Mt Manuoha in Te Urewera National Park.
The first adventure in the Ureweras is negotiating the two-hour drive along the gravel road to Lake Waikaremoana, the starting point for our tramp. The road is in great condition, but it’s long and windy - those unfortunate enough to suffer from motion sickness, beware. Also, be wary of livestock on the road as horses and cows roam freely. On numerous occasions we rounded a corner only to have to jam on the brakes to avoid collision.
We eventually arrived at Waikaremoana late and more than ready for a good sleep in anticipation of the coming day. Waikaremoana Motor Camp features lakeside cabins - perfect for those on fishing trips, those looking to relax in the serenity of the lake or those of us about to tramp into the bush and keen on a comfortable night’s sleep before getting underway.
We arose at the slovenly time of 8.30am (we hadn’t arrived in the Motor Camp until 12am), made our final pack check, bought our backcountry hut passes ($5 each) from the Aniwaniwa DoC office and made towards the water taxi that would transport us to the start of the track. The track begins on the far side of Lake Waikaremoana and the starting point can be reached either by car drop-off via SH 38 or water taxi. (The water taxi option adds an extra approx 45mins walking time.) Jeff’s Homebay Water Taxi and Cruises is the local water taxi company, owned and operated by Jeff Adams. Jeff has great knowledge of local myth, hunting and tramping areas and certainly makes the water taxi the preferred option over a drive to the start of the track. The scenery from the boat is nothing short of spectacular, featuring Panekiri bluff looming out of the ever-present morning mist.
Our landing point marking the start of our tramp was Hopuruahine Landing. This is also the drop-off/start point of the Waikaremoana Great Walk when walked in the reverse direction. After an easy 30min walk we reached the starting point of the tramp up to Mt Manuoha and Manuoha Hut. This entrance is not signposted so make sure you have a good map or ask Jeff for directions.
Almost immediately we found evidence of the damage caused by a huge snowfall in 2006, trees fallen over the track in many places provide a reminder of the vast damage that was done. For the most part these trees have either been cut or had steps cut into them so are not too much of a hassle and we didn’t find that they slowed us down much. (Bear in mind that we have good fitness and agility levels, it could be more difficult depending on age and fitness.)
The first hour of the tramp up to Manuoha Hut is steep and gruelling - take a rest every 15-20 mins to ensure you don’t push yourself too far. This initial section results in a big gain in elevation and the track, although uphill, is much easier from here onwards.
We reached the summit in a shade over four hours with good weather conditions; allow at least six hours. The summit of Mt Manuoha is the highest point in Te Urewera National Park (1392m) and provides spectacular views of the rest of the park - well, it does when you have actual visibility. Of course we summited to find ourselves immersed in a thick layer of cloud with a view of effectively 10 metres. We made our way towards Manuoha Hut (2 mins) with the hope that the morning will dawn with not a cloud in the sky… Manuoha Hut is classed as a backcountry hut, sleeps six, has a small wood burner and is pretty comfortable. The wood burner is not a stove so make sure you bring an adequate stove. On arriving at the hut it was starting to get rather chilly so we decided to light the fire - eventually, after about an hour, I managed to get the fire burning steadily. Although I fear the chimney may have been partially blocked as a rather unhealthy stream of smoke filled the hut - requiring us to sleep with the door open. The temperature promptly dropped to about -5 overnight, not a good time to discover that your sleeping bag is slightly inadequate at this temperature. Needless to say I learned that a few mattresses can make great blankets and I had a very warm sleep, if slightly suffocating.
Day two dawned with an almighty frost and my tramping companion (Jamie Moore) discovering that his boots were frozen solid as he left them out wet overnight. After thawing Jamie’s boots out on the stove and a satisfying Watties all-day-breakfast we headed back to the summit, hoping the views were better than the previous afternoon. We were greeted with brilliant 360-degree views of the entire National Park, the Pacific Ocean, and even Mt Ruapehu, Tongariro and Ngauruhoe in the distance.
After a while spent admiring the views we decided it was time to descend into our second and final day of tramping. We would be proceeding to Sandy Bay Hut (eight hours DoC time) and then around Lake Waikareiti to the end of our tramp (4 ½ hours DoC time), the Aniwaniwa Visitor Centre.
The first section of the day’s tramp was classed as a route so I wasn’t sure what to expect in regard to track quality. We soon found that the track was in good condition and was not difficult to follow, we set a very solid pace and found the going relatively easy due to the fact that this section of the tramp continues almost entirely downhill. However, don’t take this section lightly, it’s 15.2km so still a very decent walk. I was particularly looking forward to this section of the tramp as we passed through the ‘Goblin Forest’. This consists of Silver Beech trees covered with moss and lichen; it really is quite eerie and feels like you’ve just walked onto the set of director Tim Burton’s latest film. After 15mins the route passed onto the Pukepuke Range and provides the odd glimpse of Lake Waikareiti and Kaipo Lagoon.
We reached Kaipo Lagoon after about three hours of fast tramping in near perfect conditions. From this point the track is more defined. The track meanders past Sopps Hollow, Lake Henrietta and the Clay Patch, which along the lagoon, make up ‘The Tundra’. An hour later we sauntered into Sandy Bay Hut exactly four hours after we left the summit of Mt Manuoha. We had very good conditions through this section so make sure you allow the full seven hours for the descent.
Sandy Bay Hut sits on the shore of Lake Waikareiti. The lake is unique in that it is free of pollution and all introduced aquatic plants. The islands in the lake are possum-free, allowing rare red and yellow-flowered mistletoes to flourish. Rahui Island is also quite unique as it features a lake on the island itself. The hut is classed as a Great Walk Hut and therefore bookings are essential ($25 per night - adult). Rowboats can be hired at the Aniwaniwa Visitor Centre and can be used, to great success, to catch trout on the lake. We arrived to find the hut filled with a generous group of fisherman who were kind enough to give us three sumptuous trout. Although it was far too cold for us to swim, Sandy Bay is an ideal swimming spot in summer as the bay is large and shallow. The feeling in this magic place is one of absolute serenity and isolation. A perfect way to get away from the trials and tribulations of city life.
From Sandy Bay Hut back to the Visitor Centre we found the track in very good condition and we made excellent progress. We reached the far side of the lake in two hours (allow four), from here it is just a short 45min walk down a very well maintained track to the Visitor Centre. I thoroughly enjoyed this tramp and would certainly recommend it to experienced trampers. It features epic views, amazing native forests and the highest point in Te Urewera National Park. When planning your trip, please consider your level of fitness and experience. This tramp is normally done as a three day trip, we condensed it into a two day trip by combining the second and third days into one. We found this to be comfortably achievable in near perfect conditions with good levels of fitness.
