The hut that Baine built

Ōrongorongo Valley

Driving down SH2 I had no idea where exactly we were headed. My friend Emily was visiting from Whangarei, and we had been intending to do the Cattle Ridge loop in the Tararuas but the weather forecast was looking terrible. Entering Petone we made a snap decision to head west over the Wainuiamata hill to the Ōrongorongo Valley.

The Ōrongorongo, a shortened version of Te Wai ō Rongorongo — the waters of Rongorongo, holds a special place in tramping lore. Since the turn of last century it has attracted trampers, trappers and even the odd deserter with the lure of lush bush and lofty mountain tops just a stone’s throw from Wellington. In the early days this involved a ferry to Eastbourne, followed by a walk to Gollans Stream, over to the Wainuiomata River and then the ‘Gutbuster’ to Catchpool Stream and the Ōrongorongo (see graphic below).

Source: https://www.orongorongoclub.org.nz/post/the-five-mile

For us it was a simple 40 minute drive from the CBD to get to the Catchpool carpark. A light drizzle was falling when we got out of the car, although the weather was hot and muggy. We had just smashed back a party pack of Dunkin Donuts (other donut providers are available) and were itching to get going down the track…