Weekender
Original post
Has anyone got the perfect track for a long weekend? I'm looking for something 1-2 nights, 15-25km each day, within 3 hours of an airport and not too difficult to access. So far I've been looking at the Aotea track, Pouakai circuit, Old Man Hut circuit, Greenstone/Caples, and Anatoki/Waignaro circuit. I'd quite like to run around Tongariro but the travel to trek time isn't great. The doc website is almost too good - the amount of options is a bit overwhelming - so any suggestions would be appreciated.
All in the Tararuas ranging anywhere between 30 -> 1.5 hour drive from Wellington Airport.
Holdsworth -> Kaitoke (2 nights 3 days): http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/wellington-kapiti/places/tararua-forest-park/things-to-do/tracks/holdsworth-kaitoke-track/
Southern Crossing (2 nights 3 days): http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/wellington-kapiti/places/tararua-forest-park/things-to-do/tracks/tararua-southern-crossing/
Northern Crossing (3-4 nights 4-5 days): http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/wellington-kapiti/places/tararua-forest-park/things-to-do/tracks/tararua-northern-crossing/
Wow. Someone in DOC actually categorises "the Northern Crossing" as an official specific route in the Tararua?
The Southern Crossing's a well established thing which began as an early 20th century tourism venture, or attempted road, and you can often find by looking for a metre deep ditch. I always thought the Northern Crossing was just whatever route any random person decided to claim it was between east and west, but with no obvious consistency.
@izogi I guess the NC has been named by DOC because of the historical background of the SC when the Maoris used it to connect the Waiarapa to Wellington.
Otherwise anyone can call any route whatever they percieve it as such as the South-East Crossing or the Santa Clause Crossing lol
would you normally get a train wellington to waikanae and ??bus from the other end
I live in Waikanae so being familiar with the area, you can catch the train to Waikanae and then a bus to Otaki and then either catch a taxi or hitch hike to Otaki Forks - the other alternative to accessing the Tararua Ranges in Kapiti is to get the train to Waikanae and then catch a ride up Reikorangi and enter via the Kapakapanui Track, you can also access the Main Range from there in about a 3 - 4 day tramp
that's the unavoidable problem with a weekend trip - better off forking out for a transfer rather than spending half a day on transport
The easiest way is to pay a friend to take you
Or get an Uber. Has anyone done Greenstone/Caples in 3 days using the NZDA huts?
NZDA huts? There's only 1, the old upper Caples hut, and there's no need to stay there unless, maybe, you were coming over Steele Creek. The Caples had major track work done on it a couple of years ago, it's now a Great Walk highway for its entire length.
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| Forum | Tracks, routes, and huts |
|---|---|
| Started by | SianS |
| On | 21 October 2016 |
| Replies | 24 |
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