Comet Road End

Weather forecast looks ominous, have had this trip in the Northen Ruahine's waiting for a three day weekend, so its Do It! First hut is in the Kaweka's, that is Comet hut, the other four are in the Ruahines.

Friday 20/10/2017
Friday was just a drive up country, didn't even get to the road end on Friday, just passed thru Taihape as it became Saturday.

Saturday 21/10/2017
Got to Comet Road end and parked up beside the empty hut at one thirty in the morning, dragged sleep material inside and crashed. After a beer beer of course.

Can of beer beer outside Comet hut

Woken by someone arriving at seven o'clock, so out of bed, ate breakfast and moved my car from the front of the hut.

Comet Hut

Headed off up the hill, and across the plateau, into the pine trees.

Pine tree place

There is a trig hidden among the pine trees.

The trig

An easy stroll across the flat top and then a nice descent to the Taruarau river, which is a swift pushy waist deep river to cross, and this is with no rainfall. Would not dream of crossing (drowning) this river if I could not see the bottom. There is a fly camp, with fly, each side of the river.

Taruarau River

After the river crossing it is up hill for a bit, with a nice view back to the river.

Looking back down at the river

Shutes hut for lunch was not far away.

Shutes Hut

Here is a view of the inside, quite an interesting hut. The current hut book starts the 20th of January 1985.

Shutes Hut inside

After lunch it was a good walk to Ruahine hut for the evening, with a down and up, and the another down and up. The terrain changed quite a bit over this section.

Ruahine Hut

Interesting comments in the hut book about the painting of the hut. Go there and have a read. Very nice location with some views. Good phone coverage here and in fact most of this trip with spark.

Sunday 22/10/2017
Had a nice relaxing sleep in before heading off to Dianes Hut for lunch. History about this hut is interesting, more detail would satisfy my curiosity.

Dianes Hut

Stopped here for lunch and a rest, then up the hill heading to bag Taruarau biv, before Shutes hut for the night.

Taruarau Biv

Dropped my pack at the junction and did a jog to the biv and back and then off to Shutes. Heading to Shutes could see a change in the clouds with a possibility of rain. This made me change plans and instead of staying the night at Shutes I continued on back to Comet hut. Got there just after dark and as some people seemed to be having a party at the hut decided to head home.

Got home just after 0200 hours Monday morning.

Trip Times
Saturday 21/10/2017
0801 Left Comet Hut
0829 Trig up on the plateua
0939 At the Taruarau river
1030 Shutes Hut
1127 Left Shutes Hut
1336 Koau Stream
1400 Left Koau stream
1653 Ruahine Hut
Sunday 22/10/2017
1101 Left Ruahine hut
1222 Track off road down to Dianes hut
1310 Dianes Hut
1452 Left Dianes hut
1554 At Taruarau Shutes Diane junction 
1602 Taruarau Biv
1616 Back at the junction
1741 Shutes Hut
1749 Left Shutes hut
1808 Tent fly campsite at Taruarau river
1828 Crossed the river snacked and heading up the hill
2037 Back to Comet hut

Maps
NZTopo50-BK37 Tikokino
NZTopo50-BJ37 Kuripapapango