The trail begins on the gradually inclined Deadman’s Track, up a spur leading to the rounded tops of the Whanahuia Range. Shortly after starting, a junction is reached, left…
It was up the Makaroro River that missionary explorer William Colenso toiled in 1845, on his first trip to the Ruahine Range. Colenso was guided by a strong party…
The eastern Kaweka Range rises from forested foothills into steep mountains, which reach 1700m. It’s high, hard, rocky country, often snow-bound in winter, and seemingly utterly unsuited for grazing…
The Tūtira Walkway passes through a mixture of farmland, exotic and native forests in the hill country of Hawke’s Bay and provides views over Lake Tūtira. The lake lies…
No short walk showcases the ethereal wonder of Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne Conservation Park better than the Waterfall Loop Track. It loops around a stunning section of the Whirinaki River,…
After a trip to Ruahine Corner Hut, our tramping team had descended to Ikawatea Forks Hut, and from there assumed it would be a couple of easy days out…
At nearly 1000m, the Makahu Saddle Road end is over halfway to the Kaweka tops – a welcome leg-up to anyone tackling the summit ridge. From here, it’s a…
Shine Falls is the highest waterfall in Hawke’s Bay and is a must-visit for any tramper visiting in the region. The track weaves beneath impressive limestone cliffs and through…
Onepoto to Panekire Hut 9km, 4-6hr From Onepoto Shelter, the track will test lungs and legs with a strenuous ascent to Panekire Bluff. Views over the lake are spectacular,…
From the car park, the track quickly leaves the farmland for the mossy still of the beech forest. The 12 bunk Triplex Hut is reached within five minutes, making…
Hawke’s Bay Ridge is about 7km long, connecting Iron Peg on the Hikurangi Range with Ohuinga on the main Ruahine Range. A superb option in good weather is to…
You won’t find ‘Hawke’s Bay Ridge’ on any modern topo maps, but local trampers know and use the name. It was likely coined by tramper, botanist and mapmaker extraordinaire,…
Tramp up Golden Crown Ridge, which makes a slow but steady transition from burnt scrub to thin forest. At the top of the ridge, the gradient eases and soon…
I have walked over and beside many historic pā sites, but Otatara Pā Historic Reserve near Napier is a standout. This is not only because of the dramatic pouwhenua…
Manson Country invokes images of remote, wild terrain and campfires where weary souls might share tales of backcountry adventure. According to the book Shelter from the storm, the remote…
Up, up and at ’em Traverse Hut, formerly A-Frame Hut, sits forlornly atop the Ruahine Range, looking out over the Hawke’s Bay. Unfortunately, it has been consistently vandalised over…
The five gorges This loop walk in the foothills of the Kaweka Range can be done in two-four days depending on your desired intensity level. With three huts and…
Perched at 1170m near its namesake saddle, the hut occupies a small clearing in the beech forest. The most direct access is from The Lakes car park, up the…
A track to make your head ring Pick a sunny day to walk the Bell Rock Track to be rewarded with spectacular views of the Hawke’s Bay countryside. The…
Sitting on a beach on a lake dotted with forest-covered islands, Sandy Bay Hut has an almost tropical setting – but at 900m in Te Urewera it can feel…
Howletts Hut is named after one of New Zealand’s pioneering trampers; William Howlett, who set up a ‘sort of alpine club’ in the 1890s, and spent innumerable summers botanising…
Beyond Sunrise Hut Top Maropea Hut was built in 1958 by the New Zealand Forest Service. It is situated about 1.5km to the north-west of Armstrong Saddle. We started…
Better in daylight Tramping in the dark can be exciting, but it means you don’t get to see anything much. So after tramping into Skips Hut (Whangatawhia) in the…
Parks Peak puffer A 700-800m ascent looked like just the ticket for the kind of tramp I wanted: a quick, moderately tough tramp with the option to overnight, and…
Around 60 huts are scattered around Ruahine Forest Park, most of them built in the 1960s by the Forest Service to shelter deer cullers who went bush for weeks…
Situated near the heart of the peninsula, Mahia Peninsula Scenic Reserve represents one of the last pieces of lowland coastal forest remaining on the east coast.Hikers are taken through…
In country as precipitous and rugged as the Kaweka Range, there are limited options for family tramping. Happily, one accessible option suitable for school-age children is the track to…
Iron Gate Hut, on the western side of Ruahine Forest Park, is a wee gem set beside the Oroua River. With the road end only an hour,s drive from…
For the North Island tramper seeking a weekend experience that encompasses all the necessary staples, the Ruahines is your range. Steep, crumbling peaks, exposed tops with gasping drops; neat,…
According to DOC, the track from Upper Matakuhia Hut to Lower Matakuhia Hut isn’t worth attempting. Wilderness begs to differ. You can begin the track on Pine Milling Road,…
The walk up Middle Ridge Track to Middle Hill Hut is a bit of a grunt at times but there’s enough flat sections to break up the climb. From…
If you’re in the mood for a remote tramp-and-camp, an excursion through two splendid Te Urewera valleys to Te U bivvy will get you well away from it all.…
The track follows the Whirinaki River to a junction, where the track splits towards Managamate Hut or continues on to Whirinaki Central. A few kilometres from here is Vern’s…
This trip begins with a cruisey amble up the Waipawa River to Waipawa Forks Hut, which is reached in about an hour. From the hut, the valley narrows and…
A walk with a mixture of bush track and forestry road. Start by crossing the Makaroro River before joining up with the forestry roads to the end of Leatherwood…
Strike out up the hill to Longview Hut and then continue along the ridge past Rocky Knob and pt1174 until the track junction near pt1164. Drop down Makaretu Hut.…
A poled track crosses Moorcock Stream then heads north on the true left bank through paddocks before swinging west towards the tops through regenerating scrub. It’s about an hour…
If an isolated getaway is what you,re after, then Kiritaki Hut is well worth considering. From the road-end a well-marked trail leads up Oruakeretaki Stream before heading up a…
The popular Kaweka Ranges have several trips ideal for young trampers. From ‘The Gums’ car park, the well-graded track winds its way alongside the Mohaka River, passing several good…
Take a step back in time with a day or overnight trip to historic Shute’s Hut, a rabbiter’s hut built in 1920 and made with local stone and cement…
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