20-22 February 2025

Leader: Dave Cox

On a sunny Thursday morning our two cars converged on the Eketahuna café for caffeine and refreshments before heading for the Putara road end.

A straightforward walk along the valley and up the hill was somewhat marred by a wasp nest near the second bridge. No serious damage, hopefully DOC will sort it out.

At the track junction four of us dropped our packs and did a quick bag of Herepai Hut. It was nice to meet the Scottish couple who we had first met near Totara Flats the previous weekend. The other three of us headed straight for Roaring Stag.

On Friday we split into two groups, with the promise of fine weather by lunch time. One group headed up the hill and bagged Cattle Ridge, ignoring the not yet clear weather. The other group visited the hidden lake and also had drizzle and rain. After we all returned it was time to relax at the hut for the evening, watch the rain fall, the river rise, and the cheeky goats feeding close to the hut.

By Saturday morning the weather had finally cleared and we headed back to the cars. A very pleasant three days in a nice spot, with the bonus of getting to know the Scottish couple while we were all at Roaring Stag.

Those on the trip were:

Dave Cox, Julie James, Marian Cox, Owen Cox, Sandra Rowland, Susan Robertson, Douglas Walker

Currently there is no photo album for this trip.