This article was first published in Tararua Tramper in March 2025
‘The stream of 1000 waterfalls’ Aka ‘Gerald’s stream’
MF - Wednesday 5 February
There is a side stream off Te Whakatūrākau River in the Tararua Range that climbs up to East Holdsworth on the up-river side of the East Holdsworth Track. Some of us ascended this stream a couple of years ago on another trip led by Gerald.
With steep sides, many waterfalls and cascades, much heaving and tip toeing and route finding involved, this is a pretty, interesting and demanding ascent.
Gerald is leading a trip to repeat this journey. Over an hour up Te Whakatūrākau from the Holdsworth car park, we come to our side stream and its bridge. We cross the stream, and, leaving the track, drop down the stream bank, downstream of the bridge, to enter the stream.
The gradient is initially easy. But there has been much vegetation regrowth in the last two years making travel in and around the stream bed more effortful. There is a remarkable amount of thistle growing. And we wade through large fields of biddy bids which rip at our legs and cover our bodies, clothing and even hair.
The stream relentlessly climbs and steepens. Waterfall after waterfall, some easy, some challenging to navigate. This is called ‘the stream of 1000 waterfalls’ for good reason.
Travel is slower than expected. We stop for lunch just upstream of a giant boulder the size of, and much heavier than, a small house. The boulder seems stable at the moment. It wasn’t here two years ago and has arrived from somewhere more recently. As is the case with the new and extensive slip activity above the boulder. This must have been quite an event. We have a sweet sunny lunch, then scramble on up the steep slip and bear right into the bushy stream again. In a little while we run out of time. We won’t get to the top of the stream today. So we exit the stream up a steep bank on the true right heading for the East Holdsworth track and our descent route. As we climb up, I spy another big waterfall in the stream that would have forced us onto this sidle anyway.
Heading towards the track things are still steep and another deep, steep-sided gully blocks our way so we keep sidling upwards to find better ground. We reach the East Holdsworth track and turn left to head home. It’s late. Down we go. The track itself is still steep in parts and slow going.
Back at Te Whakatūrākau River we have another hour’s walking to the cars. The evening light on the forested hills is a joy. We didn’t get to the very top of our stream today. But Gerald assures there will be another opportunity. He admits to being a bit obsessed with this route.
If I can just say, this is the sort of trip I really love.
Gerald Leather (leader), Lois Buckrell, David McNabb, Kate Pitney, Steve Pitney, Janette Russell, Mike Wespel-Rose (scribe), Lynne White