Kaitoke Maungahuka Circuit

The weather forecast didn't look too bad so I decided on a tops walk and wanted to go over the Tararua Peaks and didn't want to drive to far. Kaitoke and some circuit. Whisky for this trip was a Bowmore travel retail edition called Black Rock from Centre City Wines & Spirits.

Friday 26/12/2014
Left Kaitoke just before twelve heading up Marchant Ridge with an aim to go as far as possible, which ended up being Kime hut.
Views NE from Alpha
Views NE from Alpha
Very windy over the Beehives and on Hector. Stopped on Hector to watch the sun sink into the sea of clouds.
Neill Ridge
Hector
Sunset as leaving Hector
Stopped at Kime Hut for the night, had a quiet snack and beer as all resident were in bed.
Kime Hut
Saturday 27/12/2014
Left Kime early'ish and headed off to Maungahuka with not great views, mild breeze and quite warm.

Headwaters of Hector River
Tararua Range
Tararua Range
Stopped at Maungahuka for lunch and a few coffees, did cool down sitting in the hut.
Maungahuka Hut
A few minutes down from Maungahuka and I was out of that low hanging cloud and into the heat.
Heading to Concertina Knob
Cone and the swampy stuff, always enjoy the color here.
Cone swamp thing
Cone swamp thing
Cone Saddle
Cone Hut
Got to Cone Hut at eight thirty and was thinking of staying the night. Still another hour of day light so pushed on to Tutuwai getting there before dark.

Sunday 28/12/2014
A hot day and low river made me decide to travel from Tutuwai hut to Smiths Creek in the Tauherenikau. Not too many river crossings and no wet undies.
Tauherenikau River
Tauherenikau River
Tauherenikau River
Tauherenikau River

Tauherenikau River
Tauherenikau River
Tauherenikau River
Tauherenikau River
Trip Times

26/12/2014
1151 Left Kaitoke Kiwi Ranch car park
1724 Alpha Hut
1823 Left Alpha Hut
2119 Kime Hut
27/12/2014
0814 Left Kime Hut heading to Maungahuka
1119 Maungahuka Hut
1240 Left Maungahuka
1441 Neill Forks Hut
1635 Left Neill Forks Hut
1756 Cone Ridge
1911 Cone Junction
2007 Cone Saddle
2036 Cone Hut
2123 Tutuwai Hut
28/12/2014
1016 Left Tutuwai Hut for a slow wander out in the river. 
1516 Kaitoke Kiwi Ranch car park

Map

View Larger Topographic Map

Elevation Profile
Kaitoke to Kime Hut up Marchant Ridge
Kime Hut to Maungahuka to Neill Forks, Cone Ridge, Tutuwai
Tutuwai Hut to Kaitoke via Tauherenikau River
Density
This trip added one density removal from Maungahuka Hut.

Joe Gibbs Memorial Hut


Saturday 20/12/2014
A good evening wander into dogs barking, ciggies, and whisky at Tutuwai hut. Got there before the rain and needing a torch. Interesting evening yakking with two others, from them learnt of Joe Gibbs Memorial Hut.
Some view approx 40 min before hut
Sunday 21/12/2014
Checked out Joe Gibbs Memorial Hut on the Sunday.
Joe Gibbs Memorial Hut
Joe Gibbs Memorial Hut
Joe Gibbs Memorial Hut
Joe Gibbs Memorial Hut
Headed back to Kaitoke and car.

Trip Times

Saturday
1800 Left Kiwi Ranch car park
1938 Smith Creek Shelter
1954 Bridge
2119 Tutuwai Hut

 Sunday
1028 Left Tutuwai Hut
1235 Smith Creek Shelter
1410 Kiwi Ranch car park

Location
View www.topomap.co.nz

Able Tasman Coastal Track


Anthony, Tony, and I walk as far as Awaroa Hut over three days and then on the fourth day get a water taxi back to Marahau, with some inebriation at the Awaroa Lodge. All the days where hot and sunny with complementary sandflies.

Tuesday 02/12/2014
Tony and I stayed the night at Anthony's place in Ruby Bay. We left before nine in the morning, heading for Marahau, stopping for a coffee in Motueka.

My first visit to the new Anchorage hut, current impressions is that it looks like a 1970's church with glass.
Anchorage Hut
Anchorage Hut
Anchorage Hut
Anchorage Hut
We went for a walk along the beach and saw fruit peel and other vegetable matter floating. Plucked the rubbish out of the waves and placed it in two piles on the beach for photos. Don't know where it came from.
Rubbish lot one from the sea
Rubbish lot two from the sea

After dinner we did relax with some Sprig and Fern beer followed by some Bowmore, and after a few drams we discover that Tony has become a socialist. We blamed that on living in Aussie with its union presence.
Anthony and Tony at Anchorage
Wednesday 03/12/2014
About ten thirty we left Anchorage for Bark bay, crossed the Torrent Bay estuary.
Tony and Anthony leaving Anchorage
Torrent Bay estuary
Torrent Bay
Looking back at Torrent Bay
View thru the trees
The bay
Quarry stones on beach
Tony
A good night at bark bay with our own end bunk room, a bit strange waking upo with a young French chick sneaking around in the room. We decided she had been hunting for our whisky.

Thursday 04/12/2014
Left Bark Bay heading for Awaroa and mayhem.
Tony and Anthony before leaving
Old quarry rocks
Beach
OK here somewhere we got split up as Tony and I lagged behind Anthony on the way around the rocks. And we never caught up to Anthony for a while, seems he got chased up the hill by a seal :-).
Tony on the start of our beach walk

Tony
Rocks cloud and sea - all you need
Tony
Looking back
Out to sea
The Bridge
Sand in the bay golden
Nice walk but we took the hill way and got to the hut.
Awaroa Hut
Tony and Anthony 1
Tony and Anthony 2
Tony and Anthony 3
Tony and Anthony 4
Drunken fools stumbling back to the hut in dark and I provided them with much laughter when I fell over backwards in the estuary and disappeared from view; and further antics later.

Friday 05/12/2014
Hazy morning start with us in front of the hut.

Anthony, Tony, Ian outside Awaroa Hut
Off across the estuary which was full of water and required a few meters of swimming, never a problem with dry bags. Down the beach to the restaurant and a nice breakfast to throw up later.
Anthony and Tony Awaroa Lodge
The boat ride was bumpy and I felt a bit green, then the car ride up the hill had me depositing my breakfast on the side of the road. I had good times.

Some references:

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