North Ohau with Tariga

Back in 2010 I bought a copy of Jonathan Kennett's Tararua Adventure Guide and learnt about Chamberlain Creek. Put that one on my hit list, and my daughter decided she wanted to do that trip as well. That is very appealing to do CC with Tariga. Conditional on this is her getting some experience of what the Tararua's is generous for. That is wet, cold, slippery stuff; character forming. So this weekends trip is to introduce Tariga to a similar thing except horizontal rather than vertical. Its such fun to be wandering up the gentle Ohau's in the dark.

Friday 15/08/2014
Eventually left Wellington much later than expected, dropped into visit my parents at Otaki, before we headed off to Poads Road.

Tariga leaving Poads Road

Getting dark thru the bush so we had our torches on before we got to the river. Enjoyed a gentle rain for most of the walk. Saw a single slowly moving eel in the North Ohau and a few crawlies. Cold and wet on arrival. So we got the fire cranked up and cooked food tea, finally off to bed after 0200 hours.

De booting at North Ohau

Saturday 16/08/2014
A relaxing day at North Ohau hut reading ebooks, eating food and collecting wood, all in the sun.

Sunday 17/08/2014
Left the hut once the sun was out for more wet foot river travel.

Tariga at North Ohau hut

At the old log that was spouting birds egg fungi.

Old Log

Looking like Crucibulum laeve

Heading on down and entering gorge proper.

Down North Ohau Gorge

We came to a beach with these bird foot prints, earlier a small black shag had flown up the river, maybe these are from that shag. Must do more watching and checking.

Bird foot prints

Cruising thru the wee rivers.

Water

The river walk can not be considered bad if its smiley time at the end, unless thats happyness to be out of the rivers.

Out of the Ohau

Noticed some interesting fungi in the fields, took a sample and well do a spore print and check the spores out with light microscope for identification.

Trip Times
15/08/2014
1711 Head off from Poads Road 
2008 North South Ohau junction
2250 North Ohau hut  
17/08/2014
1101 Left North Ohau hut
1247 North South Ohau junction
1250 Lunch time
1340 Off again
1453 Out of the river
1624 Poads Road

Map

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Density
None, as its a regularly visited hut by me.