Early morning views down the valley. Photo: Verity Jackson
If you are new to tramping or have a family, an overnight hike to this hut provides a real high-country adventure with minimal effort.
The valley track is perfect for those who are looking to build their outdoor experience, while still allowing for a bit of adventure with three river crossings. At the hut, enjoy the expansive views down the valley and across the high country.
Missed yesterday’s feature? There’s no time like the present to experience the Queen Charlotte Track’s bush and coast. The settled weather of autumn means the track is at its most beautiful, benign and empty right now.
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A breakfast fit for a tramper
At Back Country Cuisine, we believe in improving people's mental and physical wellbeing by reducing barriers to their participation in and enjoyment of the outdoors. Our range of freeze-dried meals do this by:
Making it easy to nourish yourself in the outdoors
Lessening the amount of gear you need to cook food in the outdoors
Reducing the weight of your pack
Taking the stress out of finding good food to eat in the outdoors.
Case in point is our gluten-free Cooked Breakfast, a hearty combo of freeze-dried smoky beef, tomato, egg and a hash brown potato mix. At just 90g, it’s light to carry and provides a 340g serving of tasty and nourishing food in just 10 to 15 minutes.
Quiz
When hiking SOBO (Southbound) on TA, which park do you reach first?
A. Kaimanawa Forest Park
B. Tararua Forest Park
C. Mt Richmond Forest Park
D. Raukumara Conservation Park
Scroll to the bottom of this email for the answer…
Current Issue - April 2026
Should you go NOBO or SOBO on TA, enter the Outdoor Photographer of the Year competition, why autumn is the season for Queen Charlotte Track, mapped trip reports, gear guides and dozens more articles!
Recipe: Dark chocolate, peanut butter and honey bites
Make this sweet treat with a protein punch.
Photo: Yvette Shaw
Profile
Time: 20 min
Serves: 1-2
Ingredients
170g dark chocolate
Crunchy peanut butter
Thick honey (helps for the chocolate to set around it)
Method
Boil water in a small pot then place a metal bowl with the chocolate inside on top to slowly melt. Stir constantly to prevent burning.
Once melted and gooey, take off heat and fill each hole on the tray a third full.
Spoon in a small amount of peanut butter on top of the chocolate, and place a little honey on top of that. The more centred it is, the easier it will be for the chocolate to cover and set around it.
Finally, fill to the top with the rest of the chocolate and then pop it into the fridge overnight to set.
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Poll results
On Monday we asked Wilderness Daily readers how you’ve spent your Easter long weekend.
The results are in: 14% of you went on a multi-day tramp, 30% of you did a day hike, 31% of you took a short walk and 25% of you stayed home and enjoyed hot cross buns.
Here is a selection of comments from readers:
“Epic trip in the Tararua! Made it up to Mangahuka hut from the eastern side.”
“Day hikes plus chocolate!”
“Weekend kayaking in Murchison.”
“Short walks each day including Te Mata Peak and Pandora Ponds in Napier.”
Quiz answer
Answer B - Tararua Forest Park
Although the Kaimanawa Forest Park and the Raukumara Conservation Park are further north, Te Araroa does not go through these parks.
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