Three GWBN members carried equipment and packs up to Herepai hut last week, mainly to clear the track to the bush line. Dave McQueen and Derrick Field walked in on Wednesday morning, and managed to get to clearing down in the late afternoon after a hard tramp to the hut. Mike Sheridan came in later, arriving in the dark at 7pm.
A full day was spent on the track up to the bushline, clearing with the Stihl scrub bar and chainsaw. After about 9 hours hard cutting, we got to the bushline. Next day, after cutting firewood for the hut and clearing the heli pad and hut site of regrowth of flax and Astelias, we headed back to the roadend at Putara. The track was cleared on the way out, with still some left to do. Including fixing flood damage beside the Mangatainoka river.
