4-5 October 2026
Leader: Tony Quayle
The plan was for 11 of us to head into the Ruahines for a two day tramp heading up the Tamaki River West Branch to Cattle Creek Hut. The weather intervened.
With well communicated democratic leadership and accurate foresight Tony encouraged us to vote on moving the trip forward a day to miss the forecasted rain.
The hardy Group A departed on the planned Saturday and a discerning group B left for a Sunday, Monday trip. I was very happy to be in Group B for a dry two days of mostly river travel.
Our group met in Dannevirke for a necessary group meet and a reasonable coffee. We gathered at the Tamaki West Road end about 11.30 and set off in good weather with some cloud cover. We met a large group of teenagers who were out for a Duke of Edinburgh overnight jaunt, learning how to light a fire with wet branches.
Our plan was to travel via the river which proved very good, steering clear of the thicket willows and staying alongside, or in, the river. These willows were planted to slow down the enormous erosion, still occurring in the Tamaki.
About 1.00pm we crossed paths with the intrepid Group A, exchanging stories of rain, damp firewood, warm sleeping bags and the promise of an empty Cattle Creek Hut.
We arrived at Stanfield Hut at 2.00pm, taking 2 hours from the car park. What a great little hut, very tidy and cared for, a good rest. We had had a lunch break before the hut by the river, so we quickly moved on from Stanfield. From the hut at 560 m we followed the river ascending the ridge to 908 m. The going was good, considering we missed the rain the day before. Along the ridge there were tall grasses and flaxes that hid the muddy ruts underfoot. From the ridge above Cattle Creek Hut there were great views across the hills and looking East. There was no wind. At 860 m the turnoff down to the river and hut was steep and slippery even though we had a dry day.
Arriving at the hut we collected wood for a fire and Gordon set to work on making damp wood burn, all those years with FENZ paying dividends!!! Notices warned the tank water was possibly dodgy so we were careful to boil water. We made ourselves comfortable and settled in to staying warm and sharing good humour as the temperature outside slowly dropped. At 3am, when nature called, there was an enormously deep night sky, so clear, so inspiring, so cold!!!
In the frosted morning we found wet socks and boots frozen solid, too hard to use even the laces. Some had the clarity to fill their boots with warm water to get into them!!! At 8.20 am we headed smartly up the 160 m rise to the ridgeline where we were greeted with the gently warming sun, I could finally get my shoes on properly!!!
We were able to remove layers and head down the ridge to 908 and Stanfield with a beautiful, clear warm day. Coming off the ridge we could really take in the erosion that's happening along the Tamaki and how the willows are gripping the silt and rocks. The ridge itself is crumbling away with track markers collapsing in places.
We arrived at Stanfield for a welcome break at 11 and by way of another democratic process initiated by the Group Leader we voted to go via the river again rather than up the Holmes Ridge Track. By 1pm we were having another break sitting on a log in the warm spring sun. As a group we were quite relaxed!!!
The walk out via the river was very pleasant and we easily navigated the labyrinth of willows to find our way to the track and then car park.
We arrived at the vehicles before 2pm, so 4.5 hours with good breaks from Cattle Creek Hut. The previous day taking 5 hours with breaks and a long chat with our fellow Group A trampers.
A fine overnight tramp. Many thanks to everyone in the group, especially Tony for the idea and his leadership.
Those on the trip were:
Elisabeth Hynes, Gordon Balfour, Jerri Bassi, Kate Livingston, Marian Cox, Shauna Powell, Tony Quayle
Currently there is no photo album for this trip.