Te Araroa – Part Two

The 42 Traverse

Taumarunui was a great place to have a rest.  A former timber town, the buildings were old and graceful, a mix of art deco and heritage style.

Plans were made for the upcoming seven days which would encompass the 42 Traverse and iconic Round the Mountain track within the Tongariro National Park.  It was quite a struggle to get everything lined up, with huts and camping areas already completely booked up, organising the correct sequence of availability took some effort. 

Aubs, for his part, snavelled us a ride to Owhango at 9am with a young lad named Luke…the son of the woman who works at the Outdoor Store.  He really has a knack for this.  No road walking for us!

So, at around 9.30am we arrived at Owhango.  We were dropped off at the canoe centre, where the trail notes had said we were welcome to pitch our tents.  An employee, Jacob, told us to pitch anywhere and welcomed us to use the indoor facilities. 

With tents set up, we wandered to the local cafe, followed by a quick walk through the local reserve. The reserve was really lovely, with huge trees and river frontage.  We watched a family of Whio, an endemic and rare New Zealand duck, training fat, little ducklings to swim upriver.  These ducks are rapid river specialists and the most powerful duck swimmers in the world.  They number less than 2500, and conservation options are limited because of their specialist habitat.  It was fascinating to watch the group learning together. 

Back at the canoe facility, Aubs met another employee, who basically said, “The place is yours for the night.  Call this number if there is a burglary attempt”. The doors were left open for us. No further tempting was necessary.  Tents were packed up, and inside we went.

Inside, we had full range through an old hotel, the beds still unmade after guests had stayed, and food sitting in the kitchen uneaten. I decided to stay in “Dave’s” room, and rolled my sleeping bag out onto the top of the doona. It was…a little creepy.  Big, old creaky corridors and the ghosts of peoples past inhabited the space. Quite literally.

I didn’t sleep well, wracking and rolling with nightmares, and an uneasy feeling regarding bed bug possibilities.  The night passed without incident however.  No burglaries to report. 

The 42 Traverse had been both intimidating and fascinating me.  A strange name, but it turned out to be a very straightforward hike up and along a mountainous ridge. 

The river crossings were the standout features of the hike, the water clear and crisp.  We camped near one such creek, and both braved the cold to bathe and gasp in the waters freezing grip. 

I suspect we were very lucky that the area has been in drought. In different conditions, the 42 Traverse would have been a mud soaked, slippery hellhole. The ground on this occassion was fairly firm, and the mud puddles easy to navigate. 

Once on the road, we had decided we would try and hitch the 6km to the caravan park (no road walking for us!) The first person to come along picked us up and drove us to the front door.  I could definitely get used to this!

As a result of the bookings, we have an enforced rest at the caravan park for an extra day, before we can commence the Round the Mountain track.  I’ve spoilt myself with an ensuite cabin.  There is nothing to do except read my book and rest.  Perfect.