Mt Matthews Orongoronga's

Paul and I head off for a day walk to Mt Matthews. If you are a fit person then the walk times are approx half what is on the signs.

Saturday 28/07/2013
Got Paul and we drove to the Catchpool car park and headed off for a day walk to Mt Matthews. That Turere Stream bridge, is a structure with similarities to the last Kime Hut. Hope it gets washed away soon and is replaced with something more practical. There are good views from above South Saddle.

Lake Onoke, Ocean Beach, Palliser Bay

And Jokington the city way in the distance where you can find a cask strength whisky from a single barrel, butt, tun, hogshead or whatever made from European oak and filled with Olorosso sherry in Herez for decades, then filed at a distillery on an island; the Northen most one on Orkney, or from Jura, Isle of Skye or even most desirable from Islay, and aged for at least twelve years and preferably no more than twenty five years.

And on the way out there was a bit of a problem as I like to travel fast I soon left Paul behind. Stopping at the bottom where the track joins Matthews stream. OK somebody lost the track and headed out leaving me waiting for them... was he malicious or just plain lost? He lost the track in just the right place to miss me. So I waited an hour and eventually walked back up the track. Meet two others who where heading up as we where heading down, so I knew he was either very lost or at the car. So I headed off to the car park hoping he was at the car.

The map for Mt Matthews


View Larger Topographic Map

Travel Time
0845 Left the end car park
0936 Turere Stream
1017 Heading up Matthews stream, stopped here for a snack
1041 At DOC sign

1122 South Saddle junction

1228 Mt Matthews, stopped and waited for Paul
1300ish Off down 
1323 South Saddle junction
1350 Matthews stream - waitinf for Paul
1500 Heading back to car
1513 Orongorongo River
1537 Turere Stream
1642 Car park

Saddle to Mt Matthews

 

Kime Hut and More Clag

Telecom signal in the hut good enough to browse the Internet and ring out while in bed.

Another walk to Kime Hut with intentions to go further. Once there after an hour of wind and rain it was just not going to happen. So it was food and lots of hot drinks and an early night.

Friday 05/07/2013
I got to Otaki Forks and was the only car there. Headed off to Fields where to wait for Jessie. Once I got there I decided to light the fire and keep warm. Jessie and dog arrived, not Jessie's dog, just some dog that followed him to Fields. So all three of us ended up staying the night.

Saturday 06/07/2013
I was still in bed when another tramper turned up, he was doing a day walk to Hector and back. IT was quite a wet and windy day when we set off. The dog was gone so we assumed it had wandered back to Otaki Forks. Quite amused when near Table Top we met the other tramper with what he thought was our dog. He had turned back at the sign much to the dogs joy. A few photos as we headed towards Bridge Peak.

And another after Bridge Peak, a total lack of snow.

Once in the hut we realised just how cold it was. Took longer than normal to get cloths changed and cooker going as fingers where a bit slow.

Sunday 07/07/2013
Left the hut after nine and got to Fields about an hour later, very breif stop to strip of excess gear. Down to the forks and off home.