Wilderness Magazine
Login
Subscribe
Wilderness Magazine
Feb 4, 2026
The Tararua's forgotten traverse
The Tararua's forgotten traverse
00:00
23:17
Transcript
0:01
Hi, it's Alistair here from Wilderness. I'm joined by Sam Harrison, whose story, "The Tararua's Forgotten Traverse", follows a four-day tramp linking remote huts and Orewera Ridge in Tararua Forest Park.
0:15
Sam's going to read his story, and afterwards we'll have a brief Q&A about the trip. Kia ora, Sam. Over to you. Kia ora. Uh, here's the story. The Tararua's Forgotten Traverse.
0:27
The Otaki River is the beating heart of the Western Tararua Range. It flows from under the main range, fringed by dense forest and rugged peaks.
0:36
Its headwaters are bounded by one side, uh, by O- Orewera Ridge, a once popular traverse that faded into obscurity following the big storm of 1936.
0:47
That was a tropical cyclone that devastated the ridge, destroyed Waipahu Hut, and killed tramper Ralph Wood, who died of exposure on nearby Twin Peak.
0:56
Today, the watershed is ringed by remote huts and paths less, less tra- traveled, a veritable playground for long weekend adventures and a wilderness calling me from the rat race of Lambton Quay and Willis Street.
1:09
So it was that in the weeks leading up to King's Birthday weekend, I formed a plan with James, a stranger that I had met through the tramping club, to link the remote hu- huts that surround the Otaki.
1:19
We would begin from Pohs Road and take, take in Waipahu Hut, then continue counterclockwise down Orewera Ridge through Island Forks, Wai-o-wai-wai, Otaki, Jacquefillon to Matawai huts before re-emerging four days later at Pohs Road.
1:35
The sun had long since set when we arrived at the road end. By torchlight, the paddocks gave way to forest and then steep hillside, and soon we were battling gusts along the ridge leading to Waipahu.
1:47
Through the trees, we could see the twinkling lights of Levin. It was rather beautiful, and after three hours of walking, we reached the welcome shelter of Waipahu Hut. Clag and wind greeted us the following morning.
2:00
From the hut, we strode up through goblin forest and out onto the open tops.
2:04
Nearing Waipahu, with cloud obscuring the ridge ahead, we had a short discussion about the best way to approach Orewera, and soon found ourselves crashing through scrub, attempting to break through to the more open forest beyond the bush line.
2:17
Unfortunately, our chosen point of entry led only to a vertical slope. From our new position, we could see the summit of Orewera partially obscured by an impenetrable wall of leatherwood.
2:28
In a rare moment of clear-headedness, we retraced our steps, traversed, and soon discovered a much easier path onto the ridge. The forest cloaking Orewera Ridge was a stunted, moss-covered maze.
2:41
Periodic marker tape and a faint foot trail guided our way, reminding us that we were not the first to this wilderness. Orewera Ridge was first used by Māori as a route over the Tararua into the Wairarapa.
2:55
Pākehā trampers followed, and the first tramping party traversed the ridge in 1928. It took us about two hours to reach the clearing where the New Zealand Forest Service Orewera Bivvy stood until 2007.
3:09
A rain collector sat in its place, and there was a hunter's camp in the trees. A small lake in the clearing was drained by an earthquake a century ago.
3:18
From the clearing, we continued along the ridgeline, slipping and sliding perilously on the slick forest floor. We marveled at incr- in- intricate moss topiary as we pushed through the stands of dripping horopito.
3:32
Twice, we were almost punished for not paying enough attention to navigation, the first time on a sp- on a spur towards Makaretu, and the second time heading to Murray Creek.
3:42
We were thankful that the wreck- wreckage of the big storm of 1936 had long since rotted away.
3:48
The storm, a spectacular deluge, and a gale centered on the Western Tararua Range flattened the forest along the ridge like pickup sticks, and for a long time, the route was all but written off by trampers.
4:01
The ridge dragged on, but the further we went, the more open the bush became. At the ridge's end, we headed to the northwest, picking up a good ground trail along the spur towards Island Forks.
4:12
The spur led us to a terrace above the river, and from there we headed downstream, emerging behind Island Forks Hut. The hut was neat and tidy, but the surrounda- sur- surroundings were dank.
4:24
James and I sat on the petite porch and debated our next move. We had intended to stay there, but with two hours of daylight left, Wai-o-wai-wai Hut was calling.
4:35
Much to the dismay of my feet, I stood up, jammed my mouth full of sour squirms, and shouldered my pack. Our route from here followed the Wai-o-wai-wai River, the water surprisingly warm for midwinter.
4:48
Luckily, as there was only a few hundred river crossings. The banks were slippery and the rivers full of deep pools. Concentration was paramount.
4:57
For such a short traverse, the Wai-o-wai-wai Gorge was memorable for its waist-deep wades, trout tickling, and shin to rock action.
5:06
We left the gorge at Chaney Creek, the river widening with stony bank- banks perfect for ambling.
5:12
We crossed the swing bridge to Wai-o-wai-wai Hut in twilight and stumbled along the track in the dark until we came upon the hut. The following day, we set off just as the sun was beginning to think of rising.
5:26
We sauntered up the track and back up along the river, retracing our steps. Rather than walking up the, uh, to the Wai-o-wai-wai/Otaki forks, we ducked into the bush to hunt for any vestiges of a trail.
5:38
Much to our delight, we found blue triangles, which we followed deeper into the bush, slowly climbing to the three hundred and twenty meter contour.
5:46
This trail was easy enough to follow until the second creek draining Shoulder Knob, where a plethora of markers exploded in every direction, all terminating in dead ends.
5:57
Eventually, we gave up any of hope of following a marked trail and decided to venture out alone in the general direction of a big marked slip in the riverbank.
6:06
The discovery of the old rusky, uh, the old rusty tin lid reaffirmed that we had made the right decision.
6:13
At about 8:30 AM, we emerged near the slip at a high bluff above the Otaki and walked downriver a short distance before finding a spot we could scramble down to join it.
6:23
The travel up the Otaki from here was pleasantly free of windfall but came with other challenges. Alternating between banks, we tried our best to keep our fresh undies dry.
6:33
For the most part, this could be achieved by scooting through the, uh, the open forest on either bank.
6:38
At one particularly challenging section of river, however, I climbed down to the water and discovered the only way forward was to clamber around a rocky outcrop that ended in a deep pool.
6:48
With a bit of luck, I thought maybe I could avoid a swim by jumping onto a submerged rock. I was surprised when this acrobatic feat did not end in a doggy paddle. James wasn't so lucky.
7:01
Misjudging his jump, he ended up in the river. The sun shone kindly, and as he dried, we passed Kelleher Creek, and the river began to mellow with widening banks. A few trout gave us a wary passing gaze.
7:15
We soon found ourselves outside mid-Otaki Hut, w- which would have been idyllic if the air were not filled with the odor of a decaying deer carcass left carelessly close to the hut.
7:28
Holding our noses, we didn't let this ruin our enjoyable lunch in the sun at the hut's picnic table. There used to be a blazed trail up the spur to Kelleher, and this was our intended way to the tops.
7:41
We departed around midday, first heading up a foot trail behind the hut before entering the bush to begin our climb. There was the odd marker, but for the most part, we were simply following a faint footpad up the hill.
7:54
The hill steepened until we were pushing through dwarf trees to stay on rocky pinnacles. These pinnacles offered our first views out over Uria Ridge and the scene of our exploits the day before.
8:07
The forest eventually succumbed to the altitude, and the main range stretched out before us. Puke Matawai seemed impossibly distant to the north, while Nichols to the south looked much larger than it had on the map.
8:19
We had a relatively easy climb to the summit of Kelleher, and from there dropped steeply to join the main range track, a section of Te Araroa Trail.
8:29
Even with the rude undulations and mud, we were quite happy to have a track after several days of forging our own path.
8:36
Dracophyllum Hut was guarded by one last stiff climb, which we conquered before collapsing outside the door around 3:30 PM.
8:45
Despite the early hour, we did not hesitate with dinner plans, and while we waited for this to rehydrate, we sat in front of the little hut admiring the sky as it lit up with the sunset, the twisted forest around us illuminated in the most otherworldly way.
8:59
But by the time we left the hut around 7:30 AM the next morning, the overnight rain had halted its assault, but the wind raged on. Claire clung to the ridge tops with an iron grip.
9:11
Our route to Puke Matawai began with a muddy stomp through goblin forests following a series of never-ending knobs.
9:18
The weather teased improvement, even offering a tentative view of Te Matawai Hut, though this proved short-lived.
9:24
As we gained elevation, our world became enveloped in, uh, in gray, with only the, the occasional view down to the park valley to give us our bearings.
9:34
This hostile climate soon stripped u- soon stripped us of our inhibitions, and we embraced the madness, singing our voices hoarse as our glutes screamed.
9:44
By the time we were nearing Puke Matawai, I had lost all feeling in my fingers.
9:48
We huddled under a rock near the summit to put extra layers on, scoff- scoffing down more sour squirms befo- before working up the strength to move on.
9:57
Quickly passing over the almost summit of Puke Matawai, we stumbled down the Dora Track, rapidly losing elevation for which we had fought so hard.
10:07
It was a full hour of rocks and mud before we finally graced the porch of Te Matawai Hut just before midday.
10:13
We slumped on the bench outside and demolished the last of our snacks, including a bag of nachos that James had babysat for the best part of three days.
10:22
From Te- from Te Matawai, we continued in search of Butcher's Saddle and Richards Knob.
10:28
By this point, we had both lost a little bit of our sparkle, our minds firmly fixed on a hot shower and a mattress that we wouldn't stick to.
10:37
There was a sense of relief once we broke above the tree line again, sloshing our way up to the crest of the knob. At the track junction, we had a decision to make:
10:47
a mud fest down Gable End or climbing to go down the easy way to Waipahu. We flipped a metaphorical coin. Gable End came out top. My track notes simply read "Mud."
11:03
Being so close to home, we powered through this morass, boosting our way down the ridge and into the forest. We stopped for one, one final snack when we reached the Uho- Uhau River Track.
11:15
Imagine our delight when we discovered that the gorge track had recently received some TLC, and the slips were freshly benched. At 3:30 PM, we caught sight of the green pasture around Powd's Road. Civilization at last.
11:33
Thanks, Sam. What a great trip. Can we start the Q&A with you talking us through the planning for the trip and why you chose this route? Yeah.
11:42
Th- uh, there's a little thing that I've begun calling toxic hut bagging, um, which is where you just... you find, uh, all the huts in hard-to-get-to places, and you try and draw these imaginary lines between them.
11:55
Uh, and this was one of those trips.
11:56
So we really wanted to get into, into Island Forks and mid-Otaki, and it was trying to figure out, okay, what's a kind of a, a route that we can, um, string together, make the most of a long weekend and kind of see, see the backside of the, the Tararuas.
12:11
So that was one driver. And then I've just done a lot of reading about, uh, the history of the area around Urewera and the, the historic trails there, so I was keen to check that out as well
12:22
Sorry, did you say toxic hut bagging? Yeah, yeah. So it's toxic because it's, um, it really s- [chuckles] it really starts to dictate where you go. Um, and yeah, I don't know.
12:38
We have a bit of a competition between some of the people in the tramping club about, you know, how toxic can you be in your, [chuckles] your exploits or your, your, uh, route, route choices.
12:47
You know, the, the, the greater the out and back or the, the diversion that you take to get to a hut, the more, the more toxic the experience. It's almost a badge of honor, but you don't really feel that at the time.
12:58
[chuckles] Excellent. Uh, which club do you belong to? Because, yeah, you do reference that in the story. Yeah. I'm a, I'm a, um, member of the Wellington Tramping and Mountaineering Club.
13:10
So we've got about, uh, 600 odd members on our books, but, um, about 100 to 200 active members around the, the Wellington region. Nice.
13:20
You mentioned that James was someone you'd, you'd only just met, so I'm just wondering what it's like committing to such a, um, demanding trip with someone you barely know. Yeah.
13:31
I, I think a lot of the, the groundwork goes in early on. So before the trip, you, [chuckles] you try and suss people out. Um, and the club's a really good place to do that, kind of meet like-minded people.
13:42
And then I think early on in a trip, I'll try and s- [chuckles] do some more sussing and, and, and make sure that, uh, kind of my, uh, everyone's, well, yeah, skill levels are to expectations and maybe test the, the pace and things a little bit and, and then you kind of tease everything out, and you build up that, that strong working relationship, um, as you get through, especially on a kind of three to four-day trip like this one when you're going through some pretty, pretty rough country.
14:09
Having that, uh, working relationship's really important. Yeah. And would you say you know James a lot better now? Definitely.
14:19
[chuckles] You mentioned that you did a fair bit of reading up on the area before you did that trip, and, um, you know, Orewa Ridge does have some history associated with it, especially that big storm.
14:31
Uh, but also Māori used it and early trampers. So how aware of that history were you when you were on the trip? So the, the, the physical remnants of, of the histories is pretty much all, um, rotted away or been removed.
14:47
So the, the Forest Service bivvies, uh, was removed 2007.
14:51
Most of the storm damage has disappeared, but really the, um, having done, yeah, read up, um, about the area before, it was, uh, the, the storm of 1936 is something that's kind of, you know, been passed down through folklore as this kind of cataclysmic event where, where, you know, trees are snapping like twigs.
15:10
And, uh, I think the closest thing I can really think of is something like Cyclone Gabrielle and, and all of the slash piles and things.
15:18
But, you know, basically the, the bush collapses under, under that kind of storm, and then it just becomes a massive maze of logs and, you know, uh, tree fall to climb over, under, through. Uh, yeah, a real torture fest.
15:33
Yeah. Yeah. But it wasn't, y- as you say, it was rotted away. Was that, was the travel there a torture fest, do you think, still? No, no. It's, um, it's, it's a lot better than, uh, the accounts that I'd read.
15:46
Even in the 1990s, I think it was, it was still difficult.
15:49
But yeah, the bushes, uh, especially as you end up down that w- uh, Island Forks side, um, the bush definitely opens, opens up, and the, the tree fall wasn't, uh, nearly so bad.
15:59
The, the worst bit really was getting into the, the tree line on the Orewa Waipahu side. Are any of your, um, club mates doing that trip or, or are you hearing, are you hearing of people exploring Orewa Ridge at all?
16:18
Most people, if they're going into Orewa Ridge, will drop down directly to Middle Otaki Hut. It's kind of a shorter loop, but then you miss out on the toxic hut bag of, um, Island Forks.
16:28
So it's a, I think it's a route with a, a growing presence as people look to explore kind of further away from the, the beaten track.
16:38
And there were some times on your trip where navigation was, uh, playing quite a big part and maybe a couple of moments where it might have unraveled.
16:46
Um, how did you approach decision-making when things weren't clear, and what level of navigation ability do you need to complete this trip, do you think? Yeah.
16:55
I, I've definitely learnt from, from past mistakes that it's better to take, um, a more precautionary approach.
17:02
So usually, you know, you're, you're walking along, and you, you'll get kind of a gut feeling that something probably isn't right, and if you get that feeling, it usually isn't right.
17:09
So in, in those kinds of situations, I find it really just helps to stop, take a second, kind of survey your surroundings, bring the map out, and then consult the rest of the group and kind of ask, "Hey, has anyone else seen a, a marker or is anyone else, um, you know, feel like we're on the right track or, or, you know, we've gone off track or anything?"
17:27
And, and kind of make a group decision about things 'cause if you're feeling off, the chances are someone else is feeling off as well.
17:34
In terms of this trip, uh, the, the nav along the, the ridge is fairly easy for, for an off-track, um, trip if you're, if you're comf- comfortable being off the track.
17:43
In saying that, you know, anything can happen, and the, the Tararuas are, are harsh, harsh, a harsh, um, mistress in that regard.
17:51
You know, you've gotta, um, really be prepared to, to be stuck out for a night or something, um, if, if you're not, if you fail at your nav.
17:59
So is there any gear that you took that you were especially glad to have, um, on this particular trip, or is there anything that you might have even wished you had brought with you?
18:09
So on, on this trip, I was trying to... I thought James might be particularly fast, which he turned out to be, so I tried to go as lightweight and, and compact as I could, which also helps a bit with the bush bashing.
18:20
So I, I had actually managed to shove everything into my 40-liter, um, Macpac Pursuit. And as part of that, I was trying out, um-
18:30
A new system with their, the, it's called Nitro, the Macpac Nitro, um, which is made of Polartec Alpha fabric. Incredibly lightweight, um, but really warm when you've stopped moving.
18:43
Um, and so it was really interesting to try that out 'cause it, it, it's really, [chuckles] it's really hard to move away from the classic polyprop that's got so many things going for it.
18:50
But it's, it's nice to know that, you know, to have another tool in your arsenal of, um, when you're making your decisions about what you're gonna pack. You mentioned sour squibs a bit throughout the story.
19:01
Um, what's going on there, Sam? It's, it's one of those things that's kind of built up across, uh, many trips that they're just a snack, so it tends to come out when, when the morale gets a bit low or something.
19:13
It, it's, they're... You don't have to have any arguments about how many squares you're gonna eat, you know, how much you're gonna break up. The packaging doesn't s- disintegrate when it gets wet.
19:22
Um, and they kinda give you that, that sugar hit that you need, you know, when you need that, um, pep in your step to get, get up the hill.
19:30
And looking back on this trip, what moments really stick with you now, the ones that kinda make the whole trip feel like it was worth it? Probably two moments spring to mind.
19:40
One, not necessarily whether it made the, the trip worth it, but, uh, watching James go into the drink in the river was...
19:47
I, I enjoyed that moment, as I'm sure he would enjoy watching me, [chuckles] me go into the river. But probably the night that we spent up at Dracophilum Biv, it was just the most incredible sunset.
19:57
You know, we could see the entire main range, which, you know, isn't necessarily a given for the Tararuas, and yet the, the Goblin Forest or the moss was just, um, kind of enveloped in this orange glow that was really hard to photograph but really special.
20:11
Just on the photographs actually, Sam, I mean, you're a really good photographer.
20:15
Do you mind just sharing what kinda camera gear you take with you, and is there anything special that you need to produce the images you're making? Yeah. So I usually, um, I guess I'm a bit old school now.
20:26
I carry a big DSLR. Um, and probably the most important thing that I find to produce good tramping photos is actually to have it on hand.
20:37
So a lot of the photos, you'll see a shot, and if it's not easy to get your camera, you won't take the photo or you'll miss the moment.
20:46
So I have it in a, um, a low pro kind of padded case, a top load of zoom that I can just pull it out really easily in front of me, and that, that means that if I see something, I can get it out at, at hand.
20:56
So I think that's probably the key, the key innovation. But it, it's a big heavy camera and, you know, probably [chuckles] if...
21:04
Uh, even having any sort of camera on hand, I think that, that's the key, um, 'cause a lot of it's about not necessarily what you're using but where you are and, and being in the right moment.
21:14
There wa- there was a really cool line in the story, um, when you said that you were, your minds were fixated on, um, a mattress you wouldn't stick to, and I think we can all kind of relate to that.
21:26
Have you ever considered buying a sheet and put the dock mattresses? You know the ones I mean? Yeah, yeah, no, I know exactly what you mean.
21:32
I think they're a good idea, and I think there is definitely a market out there for it. I find that it's probably a bit duplicative of having, um, like a sleeping bag liner.
21:42
But I think the thing that fascinates me more is, well, the thing that I love is finding those little experiences that you have when you're tramping that people can relate to that aren't really obvious.
21:55
So things like a sticky mattress or a nors- Norske toilet or, you know, these little things that are kind of the un- unsung heroes of the backcountry are...
22:04
I find that kind of stuff fascinating, the, the, the experiences that we have that are kind of every day in doing what we love but, uh, yeah, connect us all. Yeah.
22:15
They, they definitely help us relate to what you're going through and w- where you've been. Can I just ask you, what's your key advice for anyone looking to tackle this route themselves, Sam? Yeah.
22:27
I think definitely weather is an important one for this route.
22:30
Not so much the visibility on the tops, but just ensuring that river levels aren't too high because you will be in and out of the river, um, both coming down the Waitawaia Gorge and then heading up the Otaki and the Upper Otaki towards Middle Otaki.
22:45
Um, yeah, that, that's probably the main, the main hazard with this route.
22:49
Between that, uh, and then also just, um, taking your time, um, heading down Oriora or getting onto Oriora Ridge so you don't make the same mistake that we did, um, and you, you come in in a nice spot, um, [chuckles] where you're not gonna end up in a, a thicket of leatherwood.
23:06
Well, thanks so much for joining us, Sam, and for sharing your experience of traveling through the Tararuas' lesser-known corners. If you enjoyed this episode, click the podcast tag at the top of the article for more.
The Wild Podcast
Recent episodes
A fascination with feathers
Feb 11, 2026
The past beneath our boots
Dec 16, 2025
High Country Gold
Nov 13, 2025
