Wet on the Waitotora

I travelled to Wanganui on Friday from Taupo and my friend, Blue, suggested I go via the River Road by the Whanganui River as it was "much more scenic" than the main road.   Well, yes...it was...if you were able to look at the river below as you negotiated the gravel road!!!!  He had omitted to tell me that the road was mainly gravel - more like our forestry roads than a highway!!! Anyway, I made it to my hosts' farm eventually.

On Saturday morning,we met up with 5 members of Wanganui Tramping Club and drove an hour to the road end along the side of the Waitotora River.  We then split into two groups for the tramp - the "boys" were taking the hard route to Trains Hut - by climbing an uncut ridge and basically making their own path through the bush, while we 3 "girls" followed the track to the hut.  The boys had to first kayak across the river to start their route.

After seeing them off, we girls set off and it took us 4 hours to reach the hut, negotiating swing bridges and narrow tracks along the bluff edge along the way.

Once at the hut,we drank tea and waited for the boys. 

We dunked our hot feet in the pool by the waterfall (that's me on the right below)

 The boys arrived 4 hours later...just as we were serving up our supper...as I had predicted earlier they would!!!

After spending the night in the hut,we started back...in pouring rain!  For only the 2nd time so far, I donned the waterproofs but, within an hour, the sun came out and the weather warmed up as we retraced the track back to the van and an hour's drive to the ice cream shop.

I found it interesting on the walk that they face some of the same access issues that we do.  At the end of the track, the landowner has erected a fence but has put a tiny gate in for access but, about 20m on, has dug a huge culvert, so preventing any vehicular access along what is a "public road".  The tramping club has taken up the case with the local council.

As with some of the other clubs I have met, the club does not offer any training to its members, but many have done Search and Rescue training for their own interest.  S and R is essential in the thick bush of NZ!!!