Tararua Forest Park - Waiotauru Hut

Sunday 10/11/2019

Wanted to bag the new Waiotauru hut. Day walk. Hut bag. With Joe Upstairs. And lots of rain.

Waiotauru hut

At the new not complete some what un-doc like hut.

Roof trusses

The interior?

Took two hours and fifteen to get to the hut and two hours and fifty one minutes to get back, really hammered by the rain. Interior of the hut has potential to put a fire, some bunks, maybe even a small whisky bar, and stage for the dancing girls.

Waiotauru River

Trip Times

0839 Left car
1054 At the hut
1125 Left the hut
1406 Back at the car

References
Waiotauru Hut

Mt Richmond Forest Park - Captains Creek Hut

Not an over night stay walk, just a hut bag on the way home from Cullens creek hat bag, heading into Captains Creek hut for a tranquil river side evening meal.

Just about at road end

Cruising lite means the DOCware times are way off.

DOC Information

A very nice river side walk with a small two or three hundred meter climb, GPS location dosn't match quite a bit of the track.

Pelorous River

Beautiful clear pools

Occasional views of the ranges

Emerald Pools area.

Emerald Pools

Signage

Captains Creek Hut

Lots of people at the hut, many camping and a full hut, glad I’m not staying. Enjoyed my dinner at the riverside, even though a few sandflies had me for dinner.

Dinner at the river

One wee swing on the walk, crossed on way out as light was fading.

Swing bridge

Good easy fast walk out, getting dark, got to the end without a torch, tripped on roots and kicked a few stone though!

Track End

Trip Times

Saturday 02/11/2019

Road End to Captains Creek Hut
1510 Turning into Mt Richmond Forest Park road
1517 At road end, sorting pack etc
1530 Heading off on the track
1542 At the swing bridge
1554 At the Mount Richmond Forest Park boundry
1605 Emerald Pool
1746 Experimental area - barbed wire fence
1748 Sign pointing to Captains Creek hut
1748 At Captains Creek hut - a few tents and many people here
Total Time: 2 hours 38 minutes

Captains Creek Hut to Road End
1826 Left Captains Creek hut heading back to car
2000 At Emerald Pool
2015 Swingbridge
2038 Off the track, back at the car
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes

References
Cullen Creek Hut
Captains Creek Hut

Cullens Creek Hat Bag

This trip was a hut bag at an area, Cullensville, once gold mined, good DOC reference here, have to go back to complete the whole track and check out the gold mine workings at the Waikakaho road end.

Short History

A very hot trudge uphill in full on sun, hottest day Ive had a walk since winter! With 25.8 recorded at 3.15 p.m.

https://www.linkwater.soundswx.nz/

From Motueka took, about two hours too drive

https://www.google.co.nz/maps/dir/Motueka/Cullensville+Rd

to the car park near the end of Cullensville Road.

Car Park Cullensville Road

Interesting info on the board, photos a bit faded, this one shows the recorded amount of gold obtained:

Gold mined record

Walk along the old miners track.

Road leading to miners track

View across valley

Miners track

The derelict hut marked on the map, as there is an old fireplace here, it does seem a reason to have derelict marked, however should also have the hut that exists marked as private.

Private hut

Old fireplace

Private hut

Back at the car and off to the next hut bag.

Trip Times
Saturday 02/11/2019
1208 Headed off to bag the hut
1303 At the hut
1358 Back at the car

References
Linkwater School WX station
DOC Waikakaho Cullen Creek information