Neill Forks

Solo walk to probably my most favorite East Tararua hut.

Friday 26/10/2012
Walked into Neill Forks hut on Friday night,  was early Saturday by the time I got there. There was a variety of insects out for the evening walk up Cone Ridge and down to Neill Forks.

Green moth is it native?

Millipedes

Flat Red Worm

Wainuia urnula

More millipedes...

Saturday 28/10/2012
Spent the day exploring up and down the Hector river until the cold and deep water was not enjoyable. Back to Neill Forks hut for fire, food, and a dram.

Pool North of Neill Forks

Sunday 28/10/2012
Sunday was a leisurely walk out day with some views along the way.

Green

Cone Ridge sign where old track was

Trip Times
Friday 26/10/2012
1955 Left Holdsworth Road end
2039 Rocky lookout
2109 Pig Flat Junction
2140 Totara Creek
2252 Swing over the Waiohine
2254 Totara Flats hut
2304 Left Totara Flats hut
0102 Neill Forks turnoff
0158 Neill Forks hut
Sunday 28/10/2012
1205 Left Neill Forks hut
1330 On Cone Ridge
1452 Totara Flats hut
1622 Left Totara Flats hut
1831 Pig Flat Kunction
1852 Rocky Lookout
1940 Holdsworth Road end

Map

View Larger Topographic Map

Neill Forks

An exercise trip as its a half day walk to Neill Forks hut with some wee up and downs both ways, and it was raining hard. A great hut to go when your really wet as the fire is awesome and the wood supply plentiful. Good whisky too. Trip whisky being one of the Jura boutique bottles.

Jura Boutique Cask

Scored this one from Centre City Wines and Spirits

Saturday 13/10/2012
Got to Holdsworth and it was bucketing down, so went to the shelter to sort my pack. Quite a few other trampers sitting out the rain.  I headed off and was wet by the time I got to Rocky Lookout.
The Totara Creek track was a minor creek and Totara creek at the bottom was only just passable, had to go upstream and cross it where it was braided. Furthur down the track there was this weird rubbery looking fungi.

Fungi?

Got to the swing bridge and took a photo as the river was up, as below, and then the next photo is how it was on Sunday on the way back.

Waiohine up

Waiohine down

Stopped at Totara hut for a drink and snack, then off up Cone Ridge into the wind. Cone Peak Wind Speed

Sunday 14/10/2012
I broke my new spoon, one of those things called a spork. Stupid thing. In two its not much useful.

spork rubbish

So now have me something better, this metal thing.

Lifelong spoon

I left Neill Forks after lunch and headed off into the sun, so different weather to Saturday.

View of Tararau Peaks with snow

Last nights snow dusting

Trip Times
13/10/2012
1232 Left Holdsworth car park
1327 Rocky Lookout
1348 Pig Flat junction
1418 Totara Flat creek
1525 Totara Flats hut
1550 Left Totara Flats hut
1745 Neill Forks turnoff on Cone Ridge
1831 Neill Forks hut
14/10/2012
1406 Left Neill Forks hut
1519 Cone Ridge
1651 Totara Flats hut
1708 Left Totara Flats hut
1905 Pig Flat junction
1925 Rocky Lookout
2007 Holdsworth car park

 

The Place


View Larger Topographic Map

Density
I'm not growing the fish any legs, might have to go North and check out the Ruahines.

Te Matawai

Carl and I doing an Ohau trip, too much rain so we didn't walk up the river, we took Gables track and headed to Te Matawai.

Friday 05/10/2012
A rain walking exercise with Carl, got to the hut after mid night and got a fire going and ate food. A few beers and whiskys later and it was almost four in the morning.

Saturday 06/10/2012
Did not do much this day as it was a sleep in type of day. In the end we decided to head down to South Ohau. It was a fast blast down the hill.

Carl at Te Matawai

Chopper Pad view

Sunday 07/10/2012
We decided to explore the falls up South Ohau before walking out.

Checking out Dowling Falls

View of dusting from top of escape route

Trip Times
05/10/2012
1859 Left Poads Road
2005 Heading up Gables
2248 Richards Knob
2356 Yeates track junction
0031 Te Matawai hut
06/10/2012
1701 Left Te Matawai
1723 Yeates track
1759 South Ohau
07/10/2012
1022 Left South Ohau
Went for a walk up South Ohau to check out Dowling Falls
1335 Back at South Ohau hut
1428 Left South Ohu hut, heading up escape route
1600 Onto Gables
1728 Onto Gorge track
1821 Poads Road car park