That ‘other’ crossing: the Aorangi Crossing

The Aorangi Forest Park, a hidden gem best served with friends.

Move long enough in tramping circles in Wellington and you’ll soon hear of various crossings of the Tararuas, it’s a concept that’s been cut more ways than a birthday shout cake at work. That’s all good and well, but it was the small green patch on the other side of the Remutakas that was catching my eye, specifically the “Aorangi Crossing”. The crossing traverses the forest park of the same name, linking Cape Palliser with the Puturangi Pinnacles.

This was how I found myself bundled in a car with Mat, weaving our way over to the Wairarapa behind Regan and Susie. The trip was formulated as the inaugural outing of our little outdoors ‘club’, a test run if you will (to see if we would kill each other or not). I was a little concerned when Regan pulled over driving up the Remutakas. When we finally reached the Pinnacles it took some time for the others to show up — turns out Regan just stopped to shove a burger in his face, and had taken the opportunity to give Susie an unsolicited tour of where he grew up as a Wairarapa bogan. The sun was well and truly setting by the time we all squeezed into one car for the leg down to Mangatoetoe.