Latitude 38 Degrees South - Day 4 - It's All Downhill from Here!

The day dawned with a thick fog enveloping the ridgetop - a real pea-souper. Packed up and ready to tackle the last 9km of my first NZ Great Walk!

From Panekiri Hut, the track once again undulated along the ridgeline through more of the beautiful cloud forest. Openings in the forest would normally have afforded good views of the bluffs and the lake but the low cloud persisted. After 1.5 hours, we detoured from the track to "Bald Knob", a rocky bluff which usually offers the biggest views of Lake Waikaremoana. Unfortunately all we were looking at was a large white abyss. Not picture perfect, but as a good friend once said to me - "We can see blue skies anytime. But, clouds and mist, that's special." From Bald Knob, it was another hour to the Puketapu Trig (1180m) where we caught glimpses of the lake. 

 

One hour of very steep downhill track to end the hike awaited. I couldn't wait to tackle this! I really wanted to test my downhill billygoat running. I set off wanting to get down as quickly (and safely) as I could. And yes, it only took me 30 mins to reach the trailhead at Onepoto Bay.
Just enough time to have one last swim in the beautiful lake before the heavens opened up again with another drenching rain. 

I remember I was smiling, actually beaming from ear to ear, as I ran down that last hill. 
Smiling because I had enjoyed the hike, smiling because of my fitness, smiling because I had actually done this all by myself, and smiling because I was having fun!

Latitude 38 Degrees South - Day 3 - Fifty Shades of Green

Woken just after 5 am by birdsong echoing around the sheltered inlet of the lake. Dozed until 6.30 as another civilised 9am start today

Breakfast was another treat - bagels with a variety of spreads. Mine - savoury, then sweet - smoked salmon and cream cheese, followed by boysenberry jam, and plunger coffee - magnifico! Rob presented me with my phone which he had plucked out from under the hut. Phew! We then said our goodbyes to Rob as we wouldn't be seeing him again until the end of the hike.

Today's hike was taking us up to the ridgetop and an overnight stay at Panekiri Hut. It was only a short hike of 7.6 kms, but estimated to take between 4-5 hours, with a steep climb of 600m. Bring it on!
We set off just after 9am, with the track climbing steeply directly behind the hut. The track does flatten off in sections so you can enjoy walking through the beech, podocarp and kamahi forest. The forest changes after passing through 800m into cloud forest whiere you expect elves and fairies to appear from behind the next tree - magical. A cool change was building. Low cloud rolled in, bringing with it mists that swirled around the trees creating silhouettes and shadows. I was loving every minute of it.

After about 3 hours of hard climbing, we reached a clearing where we stopped to snack. From here, we could look back over the lake to our lunch spot of yesterday, feeling accomplished. On a fine day, you can catch glimpses of the east coast of NZ from this ridgetop, but Mother Nature was intervening and we had no such luck.

By now, the group had spread out over a long distance with the last person nearly an hour behind us. Callum was happy for me to take the lead group on. We followed the undulating ridgeline track towards Panekiri Hut. This was completely different to anything I had experienced before. Here, the dense vegetation of the forest clings to the mountain ridges and cloaks the valleys. And how many shades of green could I describe to you - forest green, moss green. fern green, lime green, asparagus, teal, emerald.............there would be at least 50 shades of green!

We reached the hut at 1pm. No views from here as the weather continued to deteriorate and just as the last person arrived at 2pm, the rain came down. Warmly ensconced in the hut with a fire, I spent the afternoon chatting, reading and devouring the cheese platter. Walking Legends have negotiated with DOC to keep some non-perishable supplies in the hut, so Callum needed to bring up only a few items for dinner. We had carried out own sleeping gear and essentials for 1 night. I also carried my cider supply. A large group of students and 2 teachers on a Duke of Ed hike arrived during the afternoon. We almost had to put up the full-house sign. 

The rain continued falling steadily throughout the night....................

Panekiri Hut

Latitude 38 Degrees South - Day 2 - Lakeside and Loving It!

First experience of sleeping in a  DOC hut overnight - Hmmmmm, where's my tent!

Even my ipod and headphones could not drown out the "two snorer symphony". There is always a silver lining though..... toilet stop at 1230am contemplating how many sleeping tablets i was going to take revealed a cloudless and brilliant starry sky - truly spectacular
Wished I was camping outside.......off to face the music again and back into the hut......

I was awoken from my slumber by another member of the group stating that it was 7.30am and reminding me that lunches needed to be made before the scheduled breakfast at 8am. I leapt out of bed, ran around like a headless chook preparing for the day ahead, Breakfast was wonderful - poached eggs on muffins with spinach and hollandaise sauce and plenty of coffee! It was only then that I discovered that we were actually an hour ahead of schedule. (WHAT, it's only 7am, not 8!!??). Definitely not a morning person today!

We left Waiharuru Hut at 9am, again being allowed to walk at our own pace. Relatively flat walk out towards Marauiti Hut. (6km) Sunny and warm with a forecast for 25C, it was nice to be walking along shaded forest track - even saw some rainbow trout gliding around the shallows near the shoreline. Lots of scenic lakeside and lookout spots.

Panekiri Bluff in the background

Lost count of the suspension bridges

Marauiti Hut

We reached Marauiti Hut in 2 hours, had a drinks stop, then continued onto Marauiti Campsite, 30 mins ahead. Morning tea was taken here and we were presented with an option to take a boat trip around to the lunch spot. Needless to say, I was here to hike!
The next section was undulating passing through groves of kamahi and tree ferns
After about 1.5 hours, we scrambled down to a massive granite rock slab which was our lunch spot. A small stream sent water tumbling over the crevices and into the lake, creating a waterslide. Our guide Callum had a few slides, but I chose not to, preferring not to injure myself and saving myself for a swim later.
The views across the lake from here were amazing. Callum pointed out the ridgetop we would be walking along on the following two days. Rocky outcrops and bluffs - looks superb!

Panakiri Bluffs

Look at that ridgetop!

Waterslide anyone!

An hour on from lunch was Korokoro campsite where we regrouped and had a snack. We all took the optional walk to Korokoro Falls which took 1 hour return and involved using a metal cable to ford a small river crossing. The falls were beautiful and are about 22 metres tall, but it was dangerously slippery down to the base, so no opportunity for a Norsca shower here!

Korokoro Falls

Back at the track junction, it was another 1 hour to Waiopaoa Hut. It was getting late (after 5pm by this stage). The track hugged the edge of the lake and passed through kanuka forest to Waiopaoa Stream , then crossed grassy flats to the Hut. 
A brief and brisk lake swim cleansed off the sweat from a long day's hiking (9 hours and 18.3km).

Dinner by candlelight was served outside by Rob, who I discovered today, is the owner of the Walking Legends Guided Walk company. BBQ lamb backstrap accompanied by grilled eggpplant, asparagus and capsicum and a couscous salad, followed by pavlova with kiwifruit - yummy! Wine was also included on the trip. I had asked whether some ciders could be supplied and they came to the party! We toasted a great day's walking!

My bad luck with mobile phones this year then continued while I was packing away my gear on the verandah of the hut. I placed my phone on the wooden bench adjacent to the walls of the hut when I accidentally knocked it off and it fell through the slats of the hut verandah floor to land underneath the hut!!! It was nowhere to be seen and I could not believe what had happened. Rob reassured me that he would try and get it out the folllowing morning using a trapdoor to access under the decked verandah. Arrgghh! I hope so! Rob also sourced a pair of earplugs for me and after a quick game of scrabble, it was off to bed. 

Latitude 38 Degrees South - Lake Waikaremoana - Day 1

The day began with a 3 hour scenic drive from Rotorua, We journeyed through plantation pine forests and remote villages, and then through dense rainforest into the heart of Te Urewera National Park and the secluded Lake Waikaremoana.

Firstly we stopped to pick up the "boat man", Rob. We then had morning tea alongside a marae honouring  the ancestor of a local family who had fought with Te Kuiti in the Maori Wars.
The road soon turned to gravel and was reminiscent of the mountain roads of Peru, but not nearly as bad. I had a front seat as I was picked up first, and I had warned them that I did suffer from travel sickness occasionally.
There were 7 people booked onto the hike including myself - two French speaking ladies from New Caledonia in their 60's, two other Australians - a lady from Canberra and a man from Bathurst, one Kiwi lady and a lad from US who is currently studying in Auckland. We arrived at Hopururahine at around 12 noon - the start of the Lake Waikaremoana Walking Legends Walk is actually the end of the official Great Walk Track
The walk began with us crossing a suspension bridge, (the first of many) and the track following an estuary, home to a variety of water birds, before we caught our first glimpse of the lake itself. The hike followed the shores of the Whanganui Inlet and we reached our lunch spot at Whanganui Hut after about 90 mins.

The guide, Callum had sussed us all out by lunchtime and had sensed that some of us were stronger hikers than others. He sent us off after lunch to "walk at your own pace". The track was boggy in places with fallen logs and tree roots common obstacles
I reached Waiharuru Hut completing our 10.5 km afternoon hike about 30 mins ahead of the pack where we were welcomed with drinks and a cheese platter. First things first, there was an opportunity not to be missed and a promise to keep to myself - to have a swim in the lake. The water was cold, but not as cold as I had experienced in the Aussie Alps a few years back.

Refreshed and changed into clean clothes, a hearty cooked meal awaited. Tonight - porterhouse steak with mash and salad, followed by fruit salad. A long twilight delayed the star -gazing and I was entertained by the guides strumming some familiar and not-so-familiar NZ musical tunes on the acoustic guitar. There was a possum skulking around but unfortunately (according to the guides) it did not take up any of the baits in the nearby traps. However, we were lucky to hear the night time calls of the North Island brown kiwi and the morepork / ruru.