Member-only story
Gone with the wind
Kāweka Range and Manson Country, Kaweka Forest Park
Sometimes it takes the end of one plan for another to succeed. Labour Weekend was approaching and Hugh, Aimee and I were rearing to get down to the South Island. Yet the weather had other ideas, with a storm forecast to roll through bringing severe rain. My eyes scanned desperately over the forecasts to find a glimmer of hope. It came in the form of the Kāweka Range, part of the North Island’s mountainous spine. Other than some wind the weather forecast looked alright (it’s all relative). Our plan was to start at the Lakes carpark. We would climb over “The Tits” to join the main range, bagging Studholme Saddle Hut on our way to Back Ridge Hut. The following day we would climb back to the range, traversing passed Ballard Hut to Venison Tops for the night. Our third day would see us drop to the Ngaruroro River before climbing up to Manson (1448m) and Manson Hut. From there we would drop back to the Ngaruroro at Kiwi Mouth Hut. The final day would be spent following Kiwi Creek to Kiwi Saddle Hut, before a short traverse back to the car.
