more photos from the Tawa Hut trip

Bush and Ducks

Closer to home this weekend. Have had our eye on the closest access to Urewera National Park for a while, the Moanui Valley in the backroads behind Matawai, just an hour or so from home. Bit of a slow start to a beautiful Saturday, but we found our way out the door and up the road, real frontier country close to the park, like Hikurangi a lot of decaying stumps still around from the great fires of a century ago. From the Moanui carpark we tramped into a nice bit of bush bumping into some trampers, including Vance who we had met up Mt Hikurangi. After crossing a singbridge the track climbed for a while up though farmland before crossing a saddle and descending into the Urewera wilds. We jogged down to Tawa Hut, through huge groves of (you guessed it) Tawa pierced by the occasional mighty rimu. Beautiful bush. From Tawa hut we could have continued down river and eventually completed a big loop back at the car, we thought about it, started it then backed out as the coldness and tightness of the river, combined with the lack of daylight left made retreat the wisest solution...we will return here for an adventure run (or tube) in summer! Saw a couple of blue ducks down in the river though which was awesome! I love these birds, their interesting colours, the way the play in the rapids, amazing.

Mt Pureora

So it was a mission weekend, down to Taupo to scout my adventure racing course, plenty of talking to farmers etc, but managed to fit in a couple of runs as well. Firstly yp Mt Pureora on Saturday, actually much cooler than the photos suggest then also in Whaka forest out the back of Rotorua on the way home. Good to see Brent in Rotorua all settled into his new home.

More Waikareiti photos

Lake Waikareiti

Last weekend we finally got to Lake Waikareiti! This little gem of a lake is just up above Lake Waikaremoana on a little plateau, its like a 45min walk and then if you get the keys for the dinghys from DOC an hour or so row to the hut on the other side. First thing we found out was that I suck at rowing...big time...it took me a while to admit this but I've come to terms with it now. Lets just say there was a fair bit circling going on! The girls managed to get us across however. It was fun staying at the hut, there were seven of us so we had plenty of people for a good game of pictionary and then charades which was hillarious. Next day Penny and I went for a run into the bush from the hut, then we cruised back across the lake and home as the weather started to crap out

Sunny Gizzy Sunday

A sunny day in the middle of winter when Steve and Kendyl came up for the weekend. Just relaxed in the sun on Cathryn's deck and then went up to Anaura Bay for the afternoon.

More Whanarua photos

Not much to report, I was down in Rotorua/Taupo for most of last week scouting out Adventure Races...but no photos unfortunately as it was raining all the time. Hanging out with Brent, he is well, a bit obsessed with Adventure Racing and has just bought a house in Rotorua, which should be way warmer than his flat. Rotorua is a cold place in winter! Penny is good, lots of hardwork as she was working the weekend, but we got out yesterday for an afternoon run followed by a game of squash and a jazz evening..nice