Tabletop Sunday 25 May 2104

The day dawned grey and cold and promised worse: strong north-west winds turning south-west with snow to near sea level were forecast. Given we would be driving on forestry roads to around 400m, prudence suggested taking a 4wd – and two rather than one even though there were only five of us. So we set off from town, picking up Robbie on the way, and entered Herbert Forest via Mile Flat Road. On the way up the hill, we stopped for Robbie to show us some caves not far from the road complete with Maori rock drawings. At the top of the hill we reached One Tree Ridge Road and travelled north to the entrance to Hunters’ Access #3, which would be our end point, the plan being to do the more difficult leg first in case the weather packed up. We left one vehicle there and piled into the other to head further north for about 3km, then turned left on to a loop road and parked by the track leading to Hunters’ Access #1. The track started as an easy descent through pine trees and gorse. About half way down native bush took over but so did gravity – the track became very steep with alternating tree roots, rocks and mud. However, a rope put in place by hunters made the descent less hazardous than it might have been and we reached the river (Waianakarua South Branch) an hour from the start. The river was easily crossed and a hunters’ biv near the ridge top reached another hour later after a steady climb, initially through native bush and later through scrubby manuka, and a short smoko stop. The ridge-top walk through scrub and tussock to the highest point took another hour plus time taken to search out the entrance to the return route – eventually confirmed by map and GPS. Half an hour for lunch and the threatening sky prompted movement. The return route proved to be much easier – down a ridge which never got particularly steep, across the river again and up a steady climb through bush and forest to the logged area where we had parked one vehicle. The return trip took under one and a half hours in total. We then drove back to the other vehicle and down through the forest to the Findlays Road exit and home. Bill, Neville, Robbie, Ross F and John agreed it had been an interesting excursion in a familiar area but by new routes – and the weather had delivered only a scattered shower.