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The Tararua – a concise guide to the range’s history and nature
The Tararua Range isn’t just a mountain chain; it is the rugged soul of New Zealand’s outdoor heritage. As the birth-place of the country’s first tramping club in 1919, the peaks and valleys define a national pastime, transforming mist and mud into a celebrated pursuit of adventure. Today, the “Tararua slog” remains a rite of…
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Totara Flats via Waiohine Gorge Track: The Active Slip Warning
If you are planning a trip to Totara Flats Hut in the Tararua Range, you have likely seen the alert for the Waiohine Gorge Track. DOC notes that there is no longer access to pass above a large active slip about 1 km downstream from the flats. They claim that the only access past the…
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Totara Flats and Sarah’s cup of tea
Forget Totara Flats Hut—the ultimate luxury is a campfire brew in the solitude of the flats Sarah heads into the Tararua Forest Park to visit the iconic Totara Flats. Leaving the bustle of Totara Flats Hut, she walks onto the flats and finds a place to camp in the shelter of the bush.. Then boiling…
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Holdsworth to Mitre: A Guide to a Tararua Day Tramp
The Holdsworth to Mitre Tramp The route Brian attempted is a legendary “classic” in the Tararua Forest Park, but it is quite demanding. It connects Mt. Holdsworth (1470m) to Mitre (1571m) via the Broken Axe Pinnacles. The story of Brian’s misadventure The narrative begins with Brian (real name altered to avoid disapprobation) planning his favourite…
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Totara Flats | How the Wellington Fault Created a Tramper’s Delight
Totara Flats is widely considered one of the Tararua Forest Park’s most idyllic places—a camper’s delight of grassy terraces, blooming rata, and deep swimming holes. But beneath the tranquil surface of these river flats lies a violent geological history. From ancient forests buried three meters deep to the massive tectonic shifts of the Wellington Fault…
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Exploring the Tararua Range: Huts, Ridges, and Alpine Flowers
The Tararua Range is mostly known for its misty and moody weather, but in the heart of summer, the peaks and valleys transform into a vibrant alpine playground. From the edelweiss blooming on the slopes of Brockett to the refreshing crystal pools of the lower gorges, mid-summer offers a rare window of golden weather…
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A Tararua Range high: Maungahuka Hut – my ‘why’ of tramping
Story by: Sarah Fisher Photos: Sarah and Tony G Date: March 2022. The hut that started it all for me … Years ago, when I got my first Tararua Forest Park map for a school tramp and on the front of it was a beautiful photo of Maungahuka Hut high on the Tararua Range next…
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🌴Ozzie’s Track – a forgotten route in the Tararua Forest Park
Ozzie’s Track is one of those mostly-forgotten routes in the Tararua Range that doesn’t appear on today’s topomaps but lives on in trampers’ conversations—particularly those of the members of the Manawatu Tramping and Skiing Club who have adopted the track and now maintain it. Tucked into the Ōhau River valley on the western side of…
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The Wellington Fault: Why the Tararua Range is one of New Zealand’s Biggest Jigsaw Puzzles
Some faults in the Tararuas The Tararua Range is famous for its ‘faults’—usually the relentless rain or the 80-day-a-year sunshine quota. But look deeper at the topography, and you’ll find the real faults: the tectonic scars that have literally torn the landscape apart. The Wellington Fault, a geological giant, snakes its way from the South…
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The Hidden Lake of Tararua: A Day Trip to Arcus Dam
The Hidden Lake of Tararua: A Day Trip to Arcus Dam An easy hike to a lake created by the Arcus Dam followed by some more difficult off-track walking connecting to tracks at Otaki Forks, including a route map. While the Tararua Forest Park is famous for its ridge-top tarns including one on the iconic…
