Journey with me through Kahurangi National Park on this 5 night 6 day hike. Covering 68km we reach a unique, seldom visited remote hut, cross 4 saddles, called Lawrence, Unnamed, Kakapo and Little Wanganui.
Day 1 - we head from the road end head to Belltown Manunui Hut. Track has sections of fern overgrowth and one section to negotiate a slip, requiring a climb up slippery rocks then a muddy sidle with a chain for assistance. At times there are narrow sidles before gradually descending to Lawrence Stream and a short distance to the hut.
Day 2 - from Belltown Manunui Hut to Kakapo Hut via Lawrence and Unnamed Saddles. The track to the Kakapo starts behind the old Belltown Hut Site. The track climbs up to about the 550m contour where the bush opens up and the track sidles up to Lawrence Saddle. Then drops down to Bellbird Creek before a steep 250m climb to Unnamed Saddle. From here the track is steep with the first section a shear 60m descent before climbing steeply up again. Then drops down to Kakapo River and joins the trap line to the hut.
Day 3 - leaving Kakapo Hut the first 3km of track follows the trap line before ending at a clearing in the river. From here until the creek that drains the Black Lakes, no track, this section is tough pushing through bush, scrub and rocks. Finally the permalot marker is reached and the well worn, clear trail up to Kakapo Saddle and down to Hector Creek and the Wangapeka Track. The next 1 hour and 45 minutes follows the river down to Trevor Carter Hut.
Day 4 - the Lost Valley Track leads away from Trevor Carter Hut and rejoins the Wangapeka Track at Helicopter Flat Hut. First part of the track is quite overgrown with waist high fern, it's a long climb to the saddle before dropping down to the river in front of Helicopter Flat Hut. From here the Wangapeka Track sidles above the river, crossing at the Taipo Swingbridge with easy terrain to Taipo Hut.
Day 5 - track from Taipo Hut climbs steeply to Stag Flat and the emergency shelter, passing through the open flat it is then a final short steep with incremental zig zags to Little Wanganui Saddle. The saddle sits at the bush edge, the track then passes two lakes then drops back into the bush for the steep descent down to the Little Wanganui Gorge and another emergency shelter. Crossing the gorge and head down to Tangent Creek. The track then climbs through the bush avoiding slips before dropping back down at Smith Creek and an easy trail to Belltown Manunui Hut.
Day 6 - returning to the road end.
0:00 Day 1 - road end to Belltown Manunui Hut
1:18 Day 2 - Belltown Manunui Hut to Kakapo Hut
3:47 Day 3 - Kakapo Hut to Trevor Carter Hut
7:15 Day 4 - Trevor Carter Hut to Taipo Hut
9:38 Day 5 - Taipo Hut to Belltown Manunui Hut
12:47 Day 6 - Belltown Manunui Hut to road end