The hut in Belmont Regional Park

Spotted Tin Hut in the Belmont Regional Park, as a hut not visited while checking out the hutbaggers.co.nz website.

Saturday 25/02/2018
Drove from Wellington to Petone and found a place to park. We wandered off up the main track looking for a likely track to take that would lead us to the hut. Didnt take long once in the area, followed a track up and then found a contour track tat lead us to the hut. Went straight down another track on the ridge to return.
Our start
Old water supply work
Track to old water supply area
Hec outside Tin Hut
Sign in the hut
Interior of Tin Hut
Hec on our way down
Location of hut is the red flag top middle.
Google Earth output

Donnelly Flats Shelter

The new Donnelly Flat shelter got added to the huts to bag so late Saturday evening went for a quick drive over the Rimataka's to Holdsworth car park. As I was not staying the night did not bring a whisky.

Another Holdsworth WTF moment. Arrived after 11pm and as I was putting my shoes on the local nanny state person come to see what I was up to asking "why are you here so late" and then telling me "to be quiet and drive slowly". 
DOCware direction detail
Sat at the shelter for a snack and drink, plenty big enough for a sleep spot.
Donnelly Flat Shelter
Walked back to the car and had a nice drive back to Wellington, a lot of effort for a single hut, has to be done though.





Taharua Road End into the Kaimanawa and Kawekas

The public holiday on Tuesday provided a good reason to take Monday off, giving four days for a trip. The planning of where to go was all last minute stuff, very indecisive if it should be Kaweka or Kaimanawa. Taharua road end into the Kaimanawa forest was decided as that gave us a way into the Kaweka forest by going from Boyd to Tussock hut. Us being Martin and myself.

The whisky I took along on this trip was the Springbank cask strength 12 year old, at 56.5%. Did share some and the comments involved petrol.
Springbank 12yo Cask Strength
Friday 02/02/2018
After work on Friday picked up Martin after a slow drive through town, leaving Wellington shortly after six, having a slow drive up to Otaki. Stopped to see my parents briefly and do some grocery shopping. Drove past midnight.

Saturday 03/02/2018
Parked the car at Helisika car park at the end of Taharua road just before one thirty Saturday morning, headed off at quarter to two in the morning, expecting to be at a hut in a few hours.
Helisika car park
We intended to go to Poronui hut for the "night", arriving there at four in the morning, finding it locked.
Poronui Hut
Locked, private hut
Not a public hut, so we decided to head onto Oamaru hut as it did not look far. We easily followed a track through the bush and then got lost in the river, crossing back and forwards and wandering thru bush. In the end we couldn't find a track so we used a compass bearing and took a straight line through the scrub and hit a track to the hut. Arriving there at five twenty, and as we unpacked on the verandah an alarm went off. Three hunters started there day as we went to sleep.
Successful hunters, one Sika stag
View from my bed
We did not sleep well and ended up packing up and heading off at ten thirty heading for Boyds hut and getting there just before six pm, one other walker there.
Leaving Oamaru hut
Oamaru River
The walk is easy river flats for the first three kilometers and then gets into the forest following the Oamaru river for about eight kilometers, then at a fork heads South along the Waitawhero stream.
This day there was no hum of wasps from the canopy, and all day saw only one wasp. This lack of wasps is something to check further.
Oamaru River
Fungi of interest
Old trees here
Mostly gentle track
Oamaru River
Lunch time on the Oamaru river
Mossy area Oamaru River
More interesting fungi
Fungi
View down from Waitawhero Saddle into Ngaruroro valley
Tussock area before the crossing
Crossing the Ngaruroro River
Boyd Hut
A very nice hut to sit and drink a dram after the evening meal, and discuss the endless walks we have in this country.
 

Sunday 04/02/2018
Up late having brunch on the verandah and then heading off to Tussock hut.
Brunch at Boyds
Boyds Hut
Heading South down the Ngaruroro
Martin in the Ngaruroro
Passing the airstrip
Interesting erosion here
Heading to cross the Ngaruroro
Ngaruroro River
Crossing the Ngaruroro River
Looking back into Ngaruroro River
Tussock Hut
Tussock had was occupied with three hunters who had flown in using Helisika, very popular area with helicopters flying over all day. Went for a walk to Harness, turned back at the junction.

Monday 05/02/2018
Left Tussock hut heading to Oamaru hut back the way we came, intention to stay the night at Oamaru hut.
slept out on the deck
Cruisey forest track
Looking towards the Ngaruroro
Martin on the track
Ngaruroro valley
As we wandered back out the forest, the wasp question got woken again as Martin got stung by one three times. Not a wasp free area. 
Oamaru Boyd track
North toward the Taharua
Arrived at Oamaru hut with lots of time still in the day. As we snacked we discussed how crazy the drive home would be the next day at the end of the long weekend. A late night drive home sounded a much better idea giving us a day to clean up before the short work week. Decision made we continued on to the road end, the. and the drive home.
The whiffy Oamaru hut
on the way out this is became a long road
Arrived at the car as the rain got heavier, very good timing. Drove South stopping for pizza in Taupo and an occasional coffee on the way.

Map Stuff
Google Earth and Topo NZ
Trip Times
Saturday 04/02/2018
0133 Arrived at Helisika car park
0146 Headed off along the Poronui access Route
0407 Poronui Hut
0421 Sign with "Oamaru Hut 35 mins"
0522 Oamaru Hut
1033 Left Oamaru Hut
1034 Sign with "Boyd Hut 5-7 hr" 
1422 Oamaru River Waitawhero Stream forks
1627 Crossing Ngaruroro River
1653 Boyd Hut Sunday 05/02/2018
1213 Left Boyd Hut
1309 Crossing the Ngaruroro River
1323 Heading East to Tussock
1515 Arrived Tussock Hut
1646 Left Tussock hut for walk to Harkness hut
2053 Back at Tussock hut
Monday 06/02/2018
0735 Left Tussock Hut
0944 Back at the Tussock Hut sign in the Ngaruroro
1039 Sign stating "Oamaru Hut 4-6hr"
1308 Oamaru River Waitawhero Stream forks
1608 Oamaru Hut
1721 Left Oamaru hut
2025 At the car