Hot Springs Road Loop

Boot cleaning station at the start of the track

A loop hike/run in the Kaimais, taking in a Kauri grove, a hut, and a section along the main ridge line.

Kauri die-back disease has become a serious problem in New Zealand, so both ends of the track have boot cleaning stations, where boots can be scraped clean and sprayed with an anti-fungal agent (photo at right).

We were completing the loop in an anti-clockwise direction, which would give us a steep climb and gentle descent, rather than a gentle ascent and steep descent. A short distance back down the road to the trailhead, and then it was down to the river. A very pleasant tiver, and the exposed stones made it easy to keep one's feet dry at this time of year.

Across the river and the track climbs to the kauri grove, and keeps on climbing through more kauri, and then keeps on climbing some more. It's a solid slog and also quite hot at this time of year.

River crossing

Early part of Kauri grove

Near the top the track heads over a knob, which of course means a descent and then a further climb. The vegetation opens up, the ground is now essentially flat. Nearing the hut we hear a low whistling noise and look up to see a glider soaring along the ridgeline. Before long we are at the Te Rereatukahia Hut.

Te Rereatukahia Hut and name plate

After a short look around the hut we head back out to track and south along the ridgeline. Undulating, but more down than up in the direction we are heading. Immediately to the west of the track along the ridge is an old post-and-wire fence, including a strand of rusted barbed wire. It's hard to imagine why such a fence should ever have been here in the first place.

Along the way we cross a slip, see some fungi, bumblebees on scotch thistles, and as we descend to the track junction that will take us east back to the cars, impressive rock formations further south on the ridge. We had run the section of the track down to the carpark before, but as usual it seemed much longer than we remembered it. A reminder of how unfit we currently are, but a good day in the hills.

Bumblebee on thistle flower.

Fungi

The slip.

Looking east to Tauranga Harbour.

Looking west into the Waikato.

The ridgeline, immediately south of where we turned
east on the trail back to the carpark.