This article was first published in Tararua Tramper in April 2025
Ōrongorongo River Mouth- Mukamuka Stream-Catchpool.
SF Wednesday 12 March
I was uncertain as to how long this trip would take but estimated 10 hours for the approximately 25 km trip. The weather forecast was for southerly becoming strong and cold with showers, not great for a trip along the south coast but we decided to try our luck. We met at Catchpool, left a couple of cars and headed to the river mouth for a 7.50 a.m. start.
As it happened the sea was flat, wind light and with just a brief shower, we made good progress along the coast. Morning tea was at 10.15 at Mukamukaiti.
By the time we had dropped off the grass flats onto the shingle river bed of the Mukamuka we had a driving southerly behind us with freezing rain. We stopped to put on the rest of our wet weather gear and proceeded upstream. The rain proved to be short-lived, but the wind was still cold, so we stopped for a shortish lunch just before entering the bush.
At this point the terrain becomes steep but navigation straight forward with markers at crucial places to ensure we took the correct tributaries. We emerged on to the south saddle at 1.33 p.m. The sidle round to the spur to Goat Stream is slippy and eroding in places but reasonably well marked. The spur itself steep and slippery but we managed to take the left bifurcation and after a short afternoon tea outside JT’s hut we made it to Catchpool car park by 4.30.
David and Lynne both claimed to have done the trip before. David obviously keeps very good records and the next day he confirmed the following: ‘I was asked a couple of times if and when I had done this tramp previously. I guessed that it may have been 10 years ago. I wasn’t far out.
The answer is in February 2015. It was a TTC tramp led by Peter Reimann. Others on this tramp were Colin Cook, Bill Wheeler, Lynne White, Joan Basher, David Ogilvie, Wayne Perkins, Susan Guscott, Marilyn Richards, Warwick Wright, Mike Lear and Marg Pearce. It took them 8 hours 35 minutes.’
We were all pretty stoked the time taken was only five minutes shorter than our time, although I suspect there was a lot more lounging around in the sun. Joan Basher tells me she led the trip 18 months later, starting at Catchpool, in a time of 7 hrs 50 mins, so that is our challenge for next time.
GPS statistics: total distance: 26.7km, ascent: 1015m, descent: 985m, total time: 8 hours 40 minutes.
Karen Baker (leader and scribe), Anthony Hill, David McNabb, Janette Russell, Tim Stone, Lynne White, Catharina and Andrew Fisher (guests from HVTC)