ADV229 online

Hike one: Mangaehuehu Hut
Two days, one night
9km one way – approximately 6 hours return
This hut is best accessed from the Ohakune Mountain Road, at
the 11km mark, with parking available at the track entrance. The
sign indicated that it was just under 9km to the hut and for the
first few kilometres you follow a well maintained track through the
bush. Within minutes you cross the first of many bridges before
gently climbing out of the bush onto an impressive boardwalk
that meanders through the wetlands. From here, on a clear day,
you can see the lifts of Turoa. The trail then heads back into the
beech forest and down to Waitonga Falls.
The 39m falls are the highest in the Tongariro National Park and
if you only have a few hours it’s worth the walk just to this point
and back again.
After the falls, the track becomes a little more rustic and is
littered with swing bridges and the occasional river crossing.
Although the river had a steady flow when we were there due to
the spring melt, (we could cross without getting our feet wet), you
needed to keep a look out for the orange markers on the other
side of the stream to know where the track went as this was not
overly obvious at first glance.
Previous Page: The lifts at Turoa Ski Field were visible in the background.
Top: Waitonga Falls / Insert: Well maintained boardwalks through some of the Dr Seuss like trees
28//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/#229