Friday - We started at Poads Road and headed to Waiopehu Hut for lunch. Then onto Te Matawai Hut.
Saturday - Up the Dora Track to Pukematawai and south along the Te Araroa Trail to Dracophyllum Hut for lunch. Then south to Nichols Hut.
Sunday - Up and over Mt Crawford and along to Junction Knob and down to Waitwwaewae Hut.
Monday - Out to Otaki Forks along the Waitewaewae Track.
Sidebar
Te Araroa Trail Tararuas 12-15 May
View from near Twin Peak - Levin in the distance and Waiopehu Hut's red roof at bottom right
Rex putting on storm gear. Mt Waiopehu in the background.
Marian, Owen, Paula and Chris on Twin Peak. (Chris returned to join John shortly after this point)
Richards Knob and Gable End Ridge just above middle picture
Late afternoon sun on Levin and Lake Horowhenua
John and Chris decided to remain at Waiopehu Hut
Daylight on Saturday morning and Chris had forgotten that he still had head torch on!
Waiapehu Hut
The forward party at Te Matawai Hut Saturday morning - they had a long slog through the mud on Friday night arriving in the dark at 7:30pm.
Mt Pukematawai to the left with a dusting of snow
Saturday morning view from Waiopehu Hut. Marian, Owen, Rex, and Paula are somewhere up there in the mist - Mt Pukematawai left and bumpy Tararua Main Range to the right.
A light dusting of snow up towards Pukematawai
Looking cold!
Looking over to the Tararua Main Range
The turnoff to go south on the main range
Going south on the Tararua Main Range
Dracophyllum Hut and a hot drink
Nichols Hut
Sunday Morning
Nichols Hut
Looking back down on Nichols Hut
Mt Crawford in the distance
Junction Knob
Dropping down to Waitewaewae Hut
Waitewaewae Hut
