Labour weekend 2013 - Whirinaki Cruisers - by Katy
The weather was perfect: clear, sunny and fresh. We walked through giant Rimu and Kahikatea forest with an under storey of tree-ferns and mosses. Our first stop about 15 minutes in was at Te Whaiti Nui a Toi canyon to see the Whirinaki River rushing through a narrow rock gorge below the footbridge. We continued on for another hour to Whirinaki waterfall for lunch at about 1pm. Shortly (45 minutes) after lunch we passed through Vern’s camp with toilet and a very well appointed open shelter including bunks, water/sink and wood burning stove. The track was wide and flat and wound along beside the Whirinaki River making for a very pleasant easy tramp. We spotted a mountain cabbage tree in flower and saw what we thought were blue ducks flying off in the distance. After another hour we reached the Kakanui stream junction. By this stage we were looking forward to the Central Whirinaki Hut and hoping it would be sited on the banks of the river for a quick wash. In another hour and a half we reached the 24-bunk hut and were pleased to find an empty bunk for everyone. There were three other trampers plus three from our fast party in the hut that night. We saw a pair of blue ducks in the river that night but it wouldn’t be until the next day that they showed us their four little black and white babies.
The next day (Sunday) John, Lindsay and Phil continued on the Mangamate Hut and the cruisers went for a day tramp to the caves about another 1.5 hours up the Whirinaki River. It turned out to be a large pumice cavern with a stream running through the floor of the cave. We scrambled about inside on slippery pumice sand to a vantage point at the back of the main cavern and took some photos. Then it was nice to snack outside in a patch of sunshine where we noticed red beech trees in flower. After morning tea we set off on the return and met up with a gang of three track maintenance crew from Murupara. The leader was very chatty and showed us a DOC 200 stoat trap and how it worked. They would be spending that night in the Warden’s quarters attached to Central Whirinaki Hut. We continued on to try a side track to Upper Whirinaki Hut. This was soon abandoned in favour of lunch - after which another blue duck was spotted.
Back at the hut after a hot brew, Peter went for a wash and discovered the blue duck pair with their four ducklings. There was a tip-toeing stampede to the river with cameras the catch the tiny ones swimming frantically in the torrent with parents on guard to make sure they weren’t swept away downstream. That night we had a full hut with overflows on the veranda and in tents under the beech trees. Notable was a father with his nine-year-old son who had done a three-day circuit including many stream bashes and ongaonga or tree nettle stings.
Monday morning dawned clear and crisp for our tramp back to the bus. We made good time, completing the trip in four hours. In the car park we met Heretaunga Tramping Club in their bus and exchanged tramping stories.
Thanks to Vivian, Lindsay, Pete and John for the photos.