| Sat 14th September - Sun 15th September Applied Tramping Janet Wilson 0273418945 Applied tramping = social trapping trip. Destination TBA. If interested, please get in touch with Janet early in the week as plans can be very flexible eg a weekend trip may become a day trip or vice versa. |
| Sun 15th September Coppermine Loop Easy Peter Darragh 022 613 4180 A lovely loop walk in the southern Ruahines, north of Woodville. Follows the sidle track up the Coppermine Stream, crosses the stream before heading up then out to the farm land for panoramic views and the walk back down to the carpark. We may do a side trip to the Coppermine if keen. |
| Sat 21st September - Sun 22nd September Howlett's Hut Medium Anne Lawrence 06 357 1695 Howlett's is a really nice hut to spend the night it. There are options for getting there. One plan is to head in on the track from Kashmir Road via Daphne Hut. There is a short spell in the river, and then a steep grunt up Daphne Spur and along the ridge to Howlett's hut. An alternative plan is to go in from Longview Hut. This involves a climb to the tops near Longview Hut, summit Otumore, then traverse north to Daphne Ridge and Howlett's hut. |
| Sun 22nd September Foxton Foxtrot Easy Robyn Wheeler 0210748129 Meet at Milverton 0800, walk around sites of interest in Foxton Beach, history of the river, a day at the beach. Home by 3pm. |
| Thu 26th September Fern Walk Easy Robyn Wheeler 0210 748 129 A Thursday morning walk (0900 to 1200) followed by cup of tea at Robyn's place (Awahou South road). |
| Sat 28th September Toe Toe loop walk M David Soong 021722358 The Saturday Toe Toe loop walk usually departs from the Summerhill New World car park at 8am. Please text David before Friday to check if the walk is on and for further details. |
| Sun 29th September Ross Peak Easy-Medium Warren Wheeler 06 356 1998 Reprogrammed from June. This local trig point up in the leatherwood of the Ruahine Ranges is the next named peak north of Wharite. Access is from the end of No.2 Line, off Pohangina East Road. It is an easy 3 hours up a well cleared track to the summit where we will enjoy grand views on a good day. Return the same way. Depart Milverton Park 8.00am |
| Sat 5th October Toe Toe loop walk M David Soong 021722358 The Saturday Toe Toe loop walk usually departs from the Summerhill New World car park at 8am. Please text David before Friday to check if the walk is on and for further details. |
| Sun 6th October Ngauruhoe M/T Warren Wheeler 06 356 1998 Our annual anniversary trip of the 1996 Grandstand View Ruapehu erupting, we will zig zag up the west face to the crater. Crampons and ice axe essential. Depart PN 6.00am. We could do this as an overnight trip if there is sufficient interest. |
| Sat 12th October - Fri 18th October Great Barrier Island Easy/Medium Barry Scott 06 354 0510 THIS TRIP IS FULL Base camp will be Barry and Christine's house at Awana Bay 15 min up the coast from Claris airport. There is a mix of walks you can do as well as general exploring of the island. A walk up and over Hirakimata, the highest point on the island and breeding ground for the black petrel/takoketai is a must do. As are visits to Windy Canyon, Kaitoke Hot Pools and Harataonga Beach. Part of the arrangement this year would be some volunteer conservation work on Motu Kaikoura at Port Fitzroy removing wilding pines. There is a communal lodge to use and associated cabins where we can stay at overnight to explore the island a bit as well as do some work. |
| Sat 12th October - Sun 13th October Cattle Creek Hut Medium Blair Petersen 027 600 4263 Join me as I complete my quest to bag all of the livestock-related huts - that's Cow Creek, Cattle Creek, Cattle Ridge & Roaring Stag. |
| Sun 13th October No.1 Line Loop Medium Richard Lockett 06 323 0948 A bit of a local adventure in the Ruahines, up the No.1 Line (off Pohangina East Road) track to the lookout then off track down into the stream back to the roadend. |
| Sat 19th October Toe Toe loop walk M David Soong 021722358 The Saturday Toe Toe loop walk usually departs from the Summerhill New World car park at 8am. Please text David before Friday to check if the walk is on and for further details. |
| Fri 25th October - Mon 28th October Labour Weekend Holdsworth-Maungahuka Loop Medium-Fit Ernie Cook 027 303 1363 Friday October 25th to Monday October 28th. From Holdsworth car park we will aim to visit Totara Flats Hut, Neill Forks Hut, Maungahuka Hut, Aokaparangi Hut, Mid Waiohine Hut and Powell Hut. I envisage three fullish days and one shorter day. Possible option to visit the steel ladder if desired. Please contact Ernie Cook no later than the Sunday prior. May need to carry a tent if numbers dictate. Will be leaving early and walking slow. |
| Sun 27th October Field Hut Centennial Easy-Medium Blair Petersen 027 600 4263 Opened on 27th October 1924, Field Hut was one of the first purpose built tramping huts in the country, and is the oldest surviving recreational hut in the Tararua Ranges. You may have been there before, but not on such an occasion. If you haven't been there before, what better day to make your first visit than on the 100th anniversary of the day it opened. Join me for this once in a lifetime opportunity! |
| Sat 2nd November - Sun 3rd November Potluck at Syme Hut Medium Harley Betts 06 825 6250 Depart Palmy at 6.30 am Saturday for Dawson Falls carpark, about 40 mins past Hawera. The track to Syme hut starts off in beautiful mossy forest at about 900 m and steadily climbs through a range of vegetation zones through to tussock and then open scoria slopes at about 1400 m. From the start of the scoria it is about another 600 m climb to Syme hut which is perched on the summit of Fantham’s peak at just under 2000 m. Syme hut has probably the best views of any hut in the North Island which means it is perfect as a potluck dinner venue. So bring your favourite dinner dish along with whatever you need to prepare it with and enjoy (hopefully) a stunning sunset view while you wine and dine the evening away. Next day, take in (again, hopefully) a glorious sunrise over the central volcanoes over breakfast before heading back down the same way. As part of FMC’s “Love our huts” campaign, I’ve also nominated this trip’s participants (thanks to you all in advance!) for giving Syme hut a good spring clean before we leave, so we’ll bring along a few cleaning rags, brushes, sugar soap, window cleaner, etc and a bit of elbow grease. |
| Sat 2nd November Toe Toe loop walk M David Soong 021722358 The Saturday Toe Toe loop walk usually departs from the Summerhill New World car park at 8am. Please text David before Friday to check if the walk is on and for further details. |
| Sat 9th November - Sun 10th November McKinnon/Crow Huts F Chris Tuffley 06 359 2530 |
| Sat 16th November - Sun 17th November Iron Gates Hut Easy Peter Darragh 022 613 4180 Love our Huts campaign continues with this overnight trip up the Oroua River track. A good chance of seeing the resident blue duck/whio too. Depart Milverton Park 7.30am. |
| Sat 23rd November - Sun 24th November Love Our Huts Medium-Fit Richard Lockett 06 323 0948 A Ruahine trip to check and clean Mid Pohangina and Ngamoko Huts as part of the FMC Love Our Huts campaign for November. We will go via Cattle Creek Hut, downstream to Mid-Poh, then a side trip up the Pohangina River to Ngamoko Hut. |
| Sat 7th December Toe Toe loop walk M David Soong 021722358 The Saturday Toe Toe loop walk usually departs from the Summerhill New World car park at 8am. Please text David before Friday to check if the walk is on and for further details. |
| Sun 8th December Pinnacle Ridge Loop Easy-Medium Verity Elder 021 260 1885 From Holdsworth Carpark we keep to the right side of the river and head up to Pinnacle peak for views of the Tararuas and surrounding district. Following the ridge we then loop back and cross the river to Donnellys Flat and return. |
| Sun 15th December Short Knights Long Day Medium-Fit Warren Wheeler 06 356 1998 Celebrate the (almost) shortest night with a long day loopy trip in the Ruahines. We will go up Shorts Track, along the main range to Toka high point and down Knights Track. Depart PN 7.30am. Optional overnight trip camping at Toka, leaving PN mid-afternoon for sunset and sunrise next day. |