Kia ora koutou
Welcome to our March 2025 newsletter of the Greater Wellington Backcountry Network Inc.
Our members have been busy this summer. After three years, our track work program has been aimed at clearing nearly all of the remote tracks in Tararua and Aorangi forest parks that require servicing by helicopter. This has almost been achieved, with some individual tracks still to be done before the winter. And also leave time to get our hut program completed before the bad Tararua weather sets in.
Our program in the forest parks wouldn’t be possible without the funding support we have received this year (July 2024 to June 2025). Trust House Foundation have again given us great support, by funding substantial work on Tutuwai hut, and also enabling the clearing of the Renata Track.
The Backcountry Trust have helped fund extensive track clearing at Winchcombe, Cone Ridge, and the Southern Main Range. Also contributing to this work was a community grant from Carterton District Council. Trust have also contributed to major renovations to Dorset Ridge hut, and also funded re-roofing of the Waitewaewae hut.
A Give a Little page resulted in funding to complete Dorset Ridge hut recladding and lots more, thanks to an extremely generous donation by a long time Tararua tramper.
Other donations made direct to our account are only used to improve our huts and tracks..
We also received a funding grant from PubCharities, to enable the establishment of tent sites at Nichols and Dracophyllum huts, on the te Araroa Trail.
Local Te Araroa Wellington Trust collaborated in installing wooden “Rafts” in the Plateau section of the Waitewaewae track, and also helped fund the installation of tent sites at Nichols and Dracophyllum.
We are hopeful that we may receive further funding to enable upgrading of muddy, eroded sections of the Puffer track at kaitoke.
Local DOC Wairarapa again provided an annual funding grant to the GWBN.
Charitable Trusts have been extremely generous this year, and their contribution to our annual program has been approximately 60 percent of our total funding of $116,000. The remainder being provided by DOC and the Backcountry Trust.
All this has enabled our volunteers to continuing bringing tracks and huts up to a good standard in the forest parks.
Stihl Shop Masterton have also continued their support for our volunteer program. Our Stihl Scrub bars and chainsaws have had a good work out this summer.
We supported the Federated Mountain Clubs initiative “Love our Huts” this summer. It looks like all of the huts in the forest parks received some loving. Our trial to assess the effectiveness of supplying cleaning materials at huts continues and far there appears to have been a good response. Eventually, it is envisaged that cleaning materials will be left at all huts in our forest parks, so that huts users can do their bit.
Tramping and developing our ranges goes back over 100 years in our forest parks, and that tradition still exists within our communities. At a time when theres the old debate about DOC’s lack of funding is occuring, it has been inspiring to work on huts and tracks with our members who simply dont want to see our precious hut and track network become abandoned. The long hours and hard work put in by our volunteers is showing that with the right support from the department, the community can take ownership and make a difference in keeping our backcountry network maintained for current and future generations.
Nga mihi nui
Derrick Field – Chair GWBN
Volunteers
We now have a membership of 265, of which 204 have indicated they are interested in undertaking volunteer hut and/or track maintenance.
Over the last eight months this year, volunteers have spent 102 days doing 2725 hours of mahi on huts and tracks in our forest parks. Maintenance on 23 tracks totalling 97 kilometres was undertaken as well as work on huts. Thirty GWBN members have made themselves available to achieve this great result. A fantastic effort by everyone.
Huts
Tutuwai Hut; A GWBN volunteer team led by Steve Wilman, gave the popular Tutuwai hut a complete repaint inside and out. The team found that the hut condition wasnt to good and considerable time was spent in preparation for painting..
The team at Tutuwai, Martyn Wilman, Rosie McIntyre,Jenny Mc Carthy,Megan Sety, David Lyttle (kneeling) and Steve Wilman. With all the preparation needed, the team worked very long hours to get the job done. The team spent 400 hours over five days getting the hut spic and span.
When working on tracks, huts sites and helicopter pads were cleared of vegetation regrowth at 11 huts. Along with removing rubbish and minor repairs done where needed
Hut work that will be underway soon is new windows installation at Dorset Ridge hut and recladding the hut with Color Steel. At Waitewaewae hut, Hutt Valley Tramping Club members will do a complete reapaint of the interior and exterior. This will happen following re-roofing of the hut by contractors, funded by the Backcountry Trust.
Tracks
2024-2025 Track Programme; Track clearing has been ongoing, with nearly all of the remote Tarrua tracks requiring helicopter servicing now being recut and brought up to standard..
Generally, tracks are scheduled for recutting at four yearly intervals, although depending on type of use and rate of regrowth this may be more often. Or less. The approach to maintaining tracks has been to completely clear potential regrowth that will allow recutting in one to four years to be done with less equipment and volunteer effort. By leaving repeat maintenance longer, we will again have to deal with heavier regrowth we have spent the last three years removing.
To date this year (July 2024 to February 2025) has seen 97 kms of track maintained by 24 individual volunteers requiring 2000 hours effort over 70 days by our volunteers.
Since the track program commenced three years ago, GWBN volunteers have completed 512 kilometers of maintenance. The cost to DOC (including BC Trust funding, but not including charitable funds raised) equates to approximately $80.00 per kilometer of maintenance undertaken.
Main tracks cleared so far this year include the Winchcombe , Cone Ridge, Neill Forks, Consertina Knob tracks. Maungahuka to Andersons on the Southern main Range. Pakihore Ridge and Penn Creek to Table Top. Holdsworth to Mid Waiohine and on to Aokaporangi. Also the Renata Track from Aston to Maymorn Junction. The old track from Block XIV to Smiths Creek on True Right of the Tauherenikau was lightly cut and remarked. Ten days was needed to restore the Gentle Annie track at Holdsworth to orginal width. The same effort was needed to recut the Bucks Road-Mt Frith track. The lower Field track was improved, and the track from Field hut to Dennan on Judd Ridge was cleared of sub alpine scrub regrowth.
One project a bit different, was installation of 25 “‘Rafts” in the muddy sections at the Plateau, on the Waitewaewae track. This was a DOC funded “deferred maintenance” project that the Te Araroa (Wellington) Trust also provided funding for. During this project, windfalls on the Waitewaewae track were also removed.
Photo; Nic Blair and Andrew Pilcher with some of their handiwork on the Waitewaewae track.
Heading to the start of the days clearing, Dennan Peak on the Field hut to Kime track.
The cleared track from Table Top past Dennan peak to Kime hut. Kime hut is a popular destination, as is the classic Southern Crossing.
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Remaining track clearing includes the Atiwhakatu track, Waiotauru and Tauherenikau Valleys and Maymorn Ridge to Kapakapanui. In Aorangi Forest Park, part of the Aorangi Crossing will be cleared, and also the Old Mill-Pig Ridge track recut.
By the end of the year, it is anticipated that about 180 kilometers of track will have been maintained.
Nicholls-Dracophyllum huts review
The review of these huts located on the Te Araroa Trail has been ongoing. An assessment of the hut visitors book shows that this old Forest Service 6 bunk hut is over capcity 35 percent of the period Te Araroa walkers are passing through Tararua. Overcrowding at this hut presents a safety risk, with walkers attempting the alpine trip over Mt Crawford in weather that is unsafe.
As an initial solution to overcrowding at these huts, it is planned to create four tent sites at each hut. A charitable grant from PubCharities to fund this project was recieved. Next step is approval from DOC.
Want to support the GWBN volunteers maintain your huts and tracks in the Greater Wellington forest parks? Helping us to keep our huts and tracks maintained enables the enjoyment by the many that recreate in our forest parks. Click here to donate
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This newsletter is published by the Greater Wellington Backcountry Network Inc. To contact us, email is info@tarhc.org.nz