1st Sept 2024, A Frame (Traverse) hut. 6 of us headed north via Dannevirke to Tamaki West road end. We met 3 young hunters in the carpark with their binoculars scanning the hills. We got sorted, boots on and walked thru the campground area, crossing the small side creek. The track headed uphill pretty quickly, was steep in places, quite a good zig-zag for most of the lower 2/3rds. There was some great open patches with good views, good scrubby forest with lots of ferns and Pseudowintera. The soft bush track and rocky patches changed to more open muddy patches with good strong Brachyglottis on the track edges up higher.
We met a group of Duke of Ed girls heading downhill after their night at the hut - still wearing their windproof jackets - an indication of the conditions at top of the hill.
After 2 hours 10 mins we reached the 4WD track and rounded the corner to find the A frame hut.
We sheltered inside for our lunch and put on our warm clothes or jackets for the icy cold wind for the open section at the top and our return down the hill which took 2 hours.
On the trip : Nigel, Mike K, Nathan, Josh, David and Sandra.
