Kahui Hut

Yesterday Dad and I went for a wander up to Kahui Hut along Puniho Track then back down to the RTM Track on Kahui Track.  The RTM Track had a warning on that section and for once it was not an exaggerated warning, if anything it was not a strong enough warning.  Most of the track was spent dodging deep mud puddles and clambering down steep banks to cross a river then scramble up the other side.  Dad decided to wash his boots in a river along the way and then afterwards decided one was not dirty enough no more so stuck it into mud about mid calf deep.  Missie has now down 5 out of the 8 huts which she is pretty stoked with :)

Hut #5 :)

Hi-5'ing with the mountain as a backdrop

Bandana Buddies

Yup we were warned...

Nice waterfall that almost made it worth it

Picnic time at the end of the RTM section

Trying to look thoughtful, think I look more asleep which is how I felt so its fitting :)

Pouakai Crossing

Today Dad, Sus, Missie and I did the Pouakai Crossing.  We started from the Mangorei Road end as the Tarns are better to go to in the morning, or so I have been told.  For me I would rather walk up the Mangorei Track than down it so I like starting that end better.  Mum very kindly got up early to drop us off which was much appreciated.  Obviously we stopped at Pouakai Hut for a photo stop so Missie could tick it off on her hut list (Sus had already been this year), then we wandered over to the Tarns for the standard photo stop.

After a short coffee break on the Plateau we then headed down to the swamp.  Along the way we encountered mud, lots and lots of mud.  Up until here it had mostly been boardwalks we were walking on so not so much mud.  I very gracefully, I would like to think, managed to end up sitting in a giant mud puddle when I lost my balance trying to avoid it.  I know, so classy of me.  I then, a bit further down the track, managed to get my whole boot in the mud, but only one of them so one was brown and mudded and the other was just a lil mudded.  It was ok though because after the bridge at the swamp a lot of the boardwalk was under water so my boots got washed, so kind of the mountain really.

After a lunch stop at Holly Hut (yup another hut ticked off Missie's list) we then walked up and up and up and up (just keep adding ups till you are tired and you will be almost there) just to come back down again.  We got to North Egmont 7 hours after leaving which I think was a good effort for us, ok so Dad and Sus would have been able to do it way faster and Bro even faster I bet but I'm still stoked with the effort.  Mum then came and picked us up and had afternoon tea with us up at the cafe there.  I also found a donation box for maintenance and upgrades on Egmont National Park so am happy, conned Mum and Dad out of some coinage to put in as I didn't have any :) next time I will though :)

Overall it was a tiring but good day :) cheers Pa for coming along for a wander :)

Pouakai Hut, duh hehe

The Tarns

Pouakai Plateau

Heading down to the swamp no 1 (Missie suits green)

Heading down to the swamp no 2 (I'm a sucker for cool trees)

The bridge at the swamp

Holly Hut, duh hehe

Lunch break at Holly Hut

Dof having a refreshing drink

More Mountain Wandering

Today Dad and I went for a few wanders round Dawson Falls.  The first wander was to Dawson Falls themselves, both the base of the falls and the lookout, then we wandered to Wilkies Pools and were sad to see they had built a bridge over the stream but atlst you could still rock hop up to the pools themselves.  Then we headed to Waingongoro Hut via the cool swing bridge, had a food stop then headed back to Dawson Falls carpark via the Powerstation.  On our way back home we stopped at the Cardiff Walkway which by the way does not take you to Cardiff, pretty mean if you ask me, I mean Capt Jack Harkness could surely rig something up from his end to transport us there but Noooooo he hasn't, so rude! The Cardiff Walkway was a lot more steep up and down than either me or dad expected, not sure I would do it again though the view of the mountain in a couple places were pretty awesome :)

My Mountain

 Dawson Falls

Chilling at Wilkies Pools

View of Mountain from cool swing bridge

They made it to the hut :)

At Waingongoro Hut

Massive as sign at start of Cardiff Walkway

One of the cool Mountain views along the Cardiff Walkway

Mountain through the lookout, Cardiff Walkway

On lookout, Cardiff Walkway

Mountain there, then mountain gone

Went for a tramp with Pa yesterday, woulda said a wander but there were too many ups and not enough downs for it to be a wander.  The mountain was out in all its prettiness and amazing-ness at the start but halfway from Stratford side to North Egmont side it disappeared behind cloud.  It was mostly back again by the time we got back to Spartz who was parked on the Stratford side so I think it was just hiding from NP people :)

I'm still alive

Just thought  I would let you know I'm still alive, Dad mentioned the other day he wasn't sure if I was as there hasn't been a post for a lil while.  I've been mostly chilling which has involved a lot of cricket watching and reading, and been for a couple wanders up the mountain since Christmas, the first with Bro and Pa and the second with just Pa, well just Pa and Sus and Missie hehe.

Tramp with Bro and Pa

Tramp yesterday with Pa

They say you learn something new every day

Well today I learnt that going tramping on a pretty much solidly uphill track after giving blood the day before is not the smartest thing to do.  I got rather lightheaded so had to cut my originally planned route short but I still got some cool as views.  Missie had a blast as well cos we came up with a harness for her on my backpack so she could hang there and get all the good views I was getting :) I and also learnt that me and the puffer are still not friends, woah look at that I learnt two things today, I must be done for the week now :) hehe