Another hammering for the Tararuas?

These gales have been pretty bad. This in The Herald on 3rd Aug; "MetService forecaster Frances Russell said the worst-affected areas yesterday included the Tararua Ranges, Mt Taranaki and the west of the central North Island including Tongariro National Park." Hope all the huts are still standing.

Shes not looking too good. right now. Just a long white cloud. Hoping to do a three dayer tues-thurs. But not looking to hot. I have a big five week trip in Peru next month which Im finding difficult to keep fit for with this miserable weather weve been having in Welly.

300mm of rain http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/10342670/Heavy-rain-and-flooding-in-Wairarapa

couple of trampers overdue in the Tararuas. it says the track is well bridged, but is it? I remember Totara creek being a major potential problem to cross, with no bridge http://www.police.govt.nz/news/updates/34011 Overdue trampers in the Tararua Ranges - Wairarapa - Wellington" A search for two overdue trampers has been initiated by Wairarapa Search and Rescue in the area of Totara Flats in the Tararua Forest Park. The two women, aged 40 and 60 (mother and daughter), left Mt. Holdsworth carpark at about 9am on Sunday 3rd August. They intended to walk to the Waiohine Gorge Road end via Totara Flats using the Department of Conservation track that negiotates this area. There has been heavy rain in the Tararua's (as much as 150 mm). The two women are not equipped for an overnight stay. The track is well serviced by bridges but rivers in the area are flooded. They failed to reach Waiohine Gorge Road end where they were due to be picked up at 5.30pm. It is about a 17km walk from Holdsworth Lodge to the Waiohine Gorge Road end. Two search teams were deployed into the park to look for the women at 10.30pm. Heavy rain is continuing to fall in the area. It is hoped that the search teams will locate the women on the track or in the shelter of Totara Flats Hut. If they are found, it is intended that the two women and the search team will be flown out after daylight. The Incident Control Point for the search is the Wairarapa Search and Rescue base situated at Hood Aerodrome.

missing trampers found http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/10344079/Search-teams-find-trapped-trampers

@waynowski , totara creek was bridged, and the track now climbs up the true left side onto the ridge, so the tricky side streams red rocks etc, and the main creek shouldn't be a problem apparently DOC bridged Clem and Makaka creek and also another before the big slip, with intention of getting all weather access. Lot of rain though, so other creeks might have been a problem for the overdue party?

totora creek has a dry weather track that all but avoids it to the new bridge 400 meters from where it joins the Wahine. You dont even see the creek before then. The old original track the have gone to minor lengths to avoid you using it ie big logs on the Holdworth end where it branches into the dry track and markers gone for several hundred meters at each end. Also a few slips etc that make it more exciting. Of course the dry track takes half an hour longer. Clem creek is the one everyone worries about on the way to Wahine road end. Not a pleasant trip in torrential rain though even with all the bridges working. Id wait the weather out as well

I remember sleeping next to a flooded clem creek one very wet night on one of my first tramps. Horrible night I was never going two tramp again. Two weeks later..... lol.

i'm amazed, at someone taking their 60yo mother into the tararuas to walk from holdsworth to walls whare in that weather and no overnight shelter with them.... what did they expect? no doubt they either didnt speak to anyone from DOC or who knew what they were doing or they didnt listen... as i speak, just saw this update http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/10347363/Heavy-rain-catches-out-mother-and-daughter-trampers

I should be a weather forecaster I had a feeling tues-thurs would be a goer.