27-31 December 2019

Leader: Owen Cox

The idea for the trip was to have a decent length of time loafing in the upper reaches of the Otaki. Normally, we head through at a trot so we can get the trip done in the couple of days available.

Four Parawais, with full packs, in from Ohau accompanied by Peter with a diminutive day pack. After a break at the old Ohau hut site we carried on up river to the fork of the North and South Ohau for lunch. Peter headed back down as he was only doing a day trip. Good of him to come as it meant we didn’t have to retrieve a car from Ohau at the end of the trip. The trip up the gorge to South Ohau was its normal fun but this time the water was below my shorts. We stopped at South Ohau hut briefly. This doesn’t seem to get much use as people are clearly avoiding the river. Sad to see some mould on the interior walls. The climb up the Yeates track was the normal plod, though the track has lower use so the old mud bits are no longer there. We dropped down the old cullers route to the Otaki. This is getting a bit indistinct though it is open bush. We camped on the beautiful, small grassy flat just down river from the cullers route. The forecast said we would have light rain in the night and early morning. This duly came with intermittent drizzle from dark until 10am.

We had a sleep in to avoid the drizzle. This cleared as we got ready and before we started. Good amble down the river. Past Waiopehu Stream the river opens out a bit. Just after lunch we rounded a corner and photographed a deer feeding. The wander down the river was very enjoyable with wonderful bush and the odd trout. We camped on the flat by the new Mid Otaki Hut. Enjoyed a camp fire in the outdoor fire place and a visit from the local morepork.

Great spot but a pity some of those flying in don’t take their rubbish out. The hut has a small hollow next to the meat safe that is being used as a rubbish pit and the contents are not things you would carry in. The other sad thing was a picture of a deer on the wall with a comment that was close to deer as you could expect at Mid Otaki. Given the flat is well chewed and the numbers evident from sign and our sightings it seems some people expect to shoot deer from the porch.

The third day was sunny and we set off in the sun. Heaps of deer sign on the flat below the hut and we watched a small mob wander across the flats and then up a slip after they saw us. Had our first swim in a pool just above Kelliher Stream. We had lunch on the old campsite below a massive old slip just after a narrow section of river. I had thought we’d camp on a flat about 2km above Waitewaewae Forks. This wasn’t very inviting. The best bit has washed away and the remaining sites are a long way from a pool. So we carried on down to the gorgy bit below the large terrace that extends to Waitewaewae Forks. We had a short climb, with a couple of near vertical bits, to a terrace then a sidle to avoid a swim. Easy route down in the river bed and then easy travel to our campsite on the gravel above Waitewaewae Forks. Local eel checked us out in the evening.

The next day was mainly fine but with some cloud. We left packs at Waitewaewae Forks and headed up the Waitewaewae to the forks of the East and West Waitewaewae Rivers and Island Forks Hut. River bed is a bit slippery compared to the Otaki but nice without packs. The open flats part way up were well chewed by animals (goats and deer) to the extent you could be forgiven for thinking the flats we being farmed. Above the flats we came across many goats, and each of the nannies had at least 2 kids attached. Above the flats the banks closed in and going got slower with some chest deep wades. The river opened out near the forks (and yet another deer). Just before the forks I head-butted a branch which drew blood on my forehead – made it look worse than a scratch. We checked out the small hut (the toilet is about a quarter the size of the hut) and loafed on the flat in the sun for a while. The walk back down to the Otaki was quicker. We had lunch in the early afternoon by the Otaki and headed down to Waitewaewae Hut for the night. On the way we checked out the old hut site. This has turned into a bit of a swamp. TA walkers are the main users of Waitewaewae Hut now but on this occasion there was no one else at the hut.

On the fifth and final day we headed out over the Plateau and down Saddle Creek. We had lunch at the old boiler. We then dropped to the Waitatapia at Papa Creek and found an easy sidle along the terrace so only two crossings to past the active slip. We then went up the hunters track back to the tram track. This is pretty steep in places, someone has even put a rope in but this isn’t really needed, as the track is cut and marked.

It took about an hour from here to the Forks. We were home reasonably early in the afternoon.

The headwaters of the Otaki and Waitewaewae rivers are wonderful with good forest. Unfortunately they also have heaps of deer and goats and not a lot of bird life. Seemed to be less birds than in the past, despite some of the river being in the Project Kaka area.

Those on the trip were:

Owen Cox, Marian Cox, David Williams, Tim Allott