This text was read by OCR from a scanned newsletter and has not been proofread yet, so expect odd characters and mistakes.
With lindsay and Sue Cuthbertson We entered from the Kiko road-end (This comes in about 20 km from the main road a few kilometres north of Turangi). The track up Ngapuketurua (1577 m) is in excellent condition as were all the tracks - poc staff have finally cut through literally miles of huge windfalls after the cyclone of Easter 1982. As we reached the bush edge threatening weather closed in and conditions became much cooler. This also decided which way round we would do our walk-about, so at the junction we took the track for Cascade Hut. Torrential showers prompted us to erect our small tent for our lunch stop at the very pleasant tops campsite - the weather gradually cleared and improved as we dropped down through the bush and it stayed fine for the rest of the trip. We stayed at the hut with four trampers from Auckland - the excellent campsites nearby were also occupied by other later arriving parties. A recent logbook entry told of three hunters having all their gear stolen while they were absent from the hut. Preparing breakfast next morning, a mature male member of the other party apparently failed to properly screw-on the cap of a WhisperLite primus. One corner of the hut seemed to suddenly erupt in flames. Some very quick action followed and there was no damage to the hut. However, there was two badly burnt polypropylene singlets and no chest hairs left on the owner of the ruined primus! A couple of hours later we were on the Waiatupuritia Saddle looking down into the North Arm and an hour or so on we were walking down this lovely stretch of high tussock country. We paused briefly at the unoccupied private McNutts Hut (there are a number of new red and white notices scattered around advising that one is not allowed to carry firearms and permission to enter is to be made to Air Charter, Taupo). At the end of the recently mown airstrip nearby we met a small party of DOC staff going the other way and were asked if we had hut tickets. Continuing down the North Arm we were at the junction with the Mangamingi Stream by early afternoon. Since the previous time we had been in this area another private A-frame type hut has been erected about an hour up the valley and we enjoyed some refreshment here with a party of four hunters who had been flown in for the holiday period. They had shot several animals. Another hour further up the valley brought us to our camp-site for the night - a beautiful little grassy clearing in the forest with a stream right alongside. The only disturbance that evening was from a very vocal hind nearby. Next morning the Mangamingi Saddle was reached in about 40 minutes. Ahead of us now was the superb open valley of the Mangamaire River and beyond this all the high peaks of the Kaimanawa Range - still shrouded in the morning mist. After crossing the river there was only about 100 metres of light scrub-bashing before we were in easy country again and rapidly gaining height. Weather on the tops was misty at first and we kept a careful eye on the compass, although there are plenty of cairns. At the junction of the main ridge with Makorako we met a six-
person Wellington party but they decided to leave the high point for another day. This was rather a pity as by the time we were on the top (5665 ft., 1727 m) the weather cleared and magnificent views were enjoyed in all directions. After lunch nearby (there is no water on the tops here, but we had some with us for a brew) we continued on towards the Rangitikei River and by late afternoon we were descending the exceptionally steep bush track to the pleasant little camp-site by the river.
On an absolutely splendid Easter Monday morning we ambled up the river, crossing now and then to avoid the deep clear pools and pausing frequently to watch blue duck (two different pairs were seen as well as one group of three birds). On reaching the Forks we visited the nearby campsite. Although still a very pleasant spot I remembered it as a relatively small clearing in the scrub close to the river. Now we found it enlarged five or six times, obviously cleared for helicopter landing and for large groups of hunters to camp ~- wooden framework and black plastic sheeting being much in evidence! I suppose some day a hut will be built here but in the meantime it maybe necessary to erect a toilet as the area is getting a lot of use. From the Forks it is an easy ascent up through the bush to the ridge where we joined the excellent track again just north of Ignimbrite Saddle. By lunchtime we were out on the tops once again and by early afternoon had crossed Ngapuketurua and were descending to meet the junction where we had gone the other way when starting the trip. About an hour before we reached the road-end we came across two young hunters in their camp and had a chat with them. Arriving at the road-end just on dark we noticed one car with its two front wheels missing and realised this must belong to the hunters we had just met. So back to their camp to pass on the bad news. Next morning by making use of their Spare wheel and our spare wheel (same make vehicle) we assisted them to get to Taupo where more wheels and tyres were purchased. Sue and I were fortunate that we had been able to leave our vehicle in the care of DOC in Turangi. We had been driven in and our vehicle had been driven in on the Monday for us to pick-up later (Thanks again, Paul).