29-30 November, 2025
We departed Glenda’s at 7:00am, enjoying a beautiful drive through Manawatū—some of us travelling through areas we’d never seen before. After a relaxed journey, we arrived at the farmland car park on Petersons Road. We geared up, and made the short walk to Alice Nash Memorial Lodge, where Susan planned to stay the night and meet up with us on the track the following day.
It was a clear, hot, blue-sky day, perfect for getting onto the track early. After a short break at the lodge, we set off up the track at around 11:20am, aiming for the Tunupo Trig before dropping down to Toka Bivvy for the night.
The track was well maintained but steep in places, and the heat made the climb feel quite energetic. By 2:30pm, we encountered a group from the Whanganui Tramping Club, five in total, though only two had continued to the tops. The other three had turned back due to the strong winds. They advised us that we still had a solid two-hour climb ahead to the trig and warned us that the tops were extremely windy.
Doing the maths, with our full weekend packs, we realised we would likely arrive at the trig closer to 5:00pm, and still have the descent to Toka Bivvy left after that. After a quick discussion, we decided that rather than pushing on late into deteriorating conditions, we would turn back and spend the night at the Alice Nash Lodge with Susan.
We arrived back at the lodge right on 5:00pm. To our delight, we found two dads there with three boys who were staying the night, one of them celebrating his 10th birthday, at the lodge. What a cool place for a birthday party! The kids were great company and added a fun, lively energy to the hut.
After a leisurely breakfast the next day, we set off down the track to the Oroua river campsite, a very picturesque spot surrounded by bush and birdsong. We enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere before climbing back up to the car park.
On the way home we stopped in Kimbolton for food at a lovely café, followed by a visit to their charming little gem, the “World’s Smallest Library.” Absolutely adorable.
Summary: Despite plans changing, the weekend turned into a fantastic trip with awesome company, beautiful weather, and plenty of memorable moments, proving once again that flexibility can make for the best adventures.
Party: Susan L, Jude H, Judith M, Paula K.