Labour Weekend – 24 – 27 October, 2025
Numbers started at five but illness took its toll on two, so three of us crammed into Nic’s Tiida at 6am, following a coffee stop at Bay View BP. We arrived at Helisika’s yard at Poronui Station for a boots on start at 8.15am. The plan was to get to Boyd hut on the first day to make the extension through to Tussock hut possible within the four days. DoC distances indicated 24 km for the day. But modern technology from Nic and Anton’s Garmins at the end of the day said it was 29km! At least the first 10km through Poronui Station was flat, but nevertheless it was a footslog.
Morning tea at Oamaru hut, where I wanted a brew, but alas I had for the first time in 35 years forgotten a gas canister! However I was lucky to find a half full one there! Then the plod up the Oamaru valley with a lunch stop on the way.
Onwards to the Waitawhero saddle, the watershed between the Ngaruroro and Mohaka rivers. Both Nic and Anton had not been in this area before, it blew them away to see the vista into the Ngaruroro headwaters, the tussock terraces and across to the Boyd airstrip. On the map from here, it did not seem far to go but in reality still a couple of hours. We arrived at Boyd hut at 7.45pm so had been on the hoof for close to 12 hours! A quick meal and to the bunkrooms to rest our tired bodies.
Saturday morning, up at about 6 and a side trip up about 300m to Boyd Rocks, a series of rocky outcrops from where 360 degree views are possible and fortunately clear skies, Ruapehu and the main Kaimanawa range and Makorako the highest point to the west and east to the distant Kaweka tops. We think there should be a notice in the hut to ‘advertise’ this as a must do side trip, there is not even a sign at the hut indicating the track to it.
Back down and packs on, heading over to the Tussock valley. Down the airstrip and to the Ngaruroro River side to cross by the white cliffs. Nic noticed (I had not ever seen before) some implements in the tussock beside the strip; a set of light discs, a tine ripper and a set of levelling bars. I am told that a light tractor was disassembled, carried in in pieces on pack horses from the Golden Hills bulldozed road at the back of Ngamatea Station. Then reassembled to cultivate and level the strip. After a boot high only crossing of the Ngaruroro, a sweat up the ridge on a still sunny day and over to Tussock hut by about 2.30. A lazy afternoon taking it all in, including a snooze for some.
Day three was going around to the headwaters of the Tussock (Harkness) valley to follow a supposed hunter’s track/route to the Otorehinaiti Saddle bivvy, then down the Otorehinaiti River back to the Oamaru. There were absolutely no route indications at all, so in the end we spent seven hours off track, taking in lunch at the one bunk bivvy, finally emerging at the Oamaru confluence about 4.30pm, then on to Oamaru hut at 6.30. Quite surprisingly, for a long weekend we found no one at the huts visited until today, a hunter from Pukekohe.
There was a weather change coming later in the fourth day so we were not concerned about the Mohaka crossing early tomorrow. Away at 7.30 to an easier crossing than on the way in. Then the long plod for 10km back through Poronui station. Rain started enough to need coats so that’s the way the trip ended.
We were so lucky with the weather; we had crossed the river to Oamaru hut on the way in with the river running at 14 cumecs (cubic metres of water per second) which was swiftish! On the way out on the Monday morning it was 8 cumecs so easier. Later on that day at 5pm it was running at 60 cumecs! The measuring station is just down the Mohaka from Poronui Station. Good timing and the weather predictions were spot on.
Thanks to having Nic and Anton as long distance capable comrades made the marathon possible. I am sure they would have done day one an hour or so more quickly without me! Good company and a big trip ticked off the list.
Party: Anton D, Nic W, John M