TARARUA RANGE

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 114, 11 February 1928, Page 8

TARARUA RANGE

DIFFICULT ROUTE DEFINED The trip across the southern portion of the Tararua range, from Kaitoke to Otaki, although a very enjoyable one in fine weather, can at times be difficult and even dangerous. The traverse of the range from Alpha Hut on one side to Field Hut on the other usually takes from four to five hours, and parties starting out in fine weather not infrequently find that by the time the crossing is half completed strong westerly winds have brought up heavy banks of cloud, which shroud the high ranges in dense fog. The stretch of about one mile north from Mount Field (or West Peak, as it is sometimes called) is particularly bad under these conditions. The main range here pursues a zig-zag course, and is ill-defined, with numerous side spurs running out in different directions, so that when the limit of vision is confined to a few yards it is a difficult matter to keep to the correct route. Indication posts have in the past been placed along the route, but owing to the heavy labour entailed in carrying wood up to the top of the range, which is a long way above the bush line, these are few and far between. With the object of minimising one of the chief dangers of the trip a party of members of the Tararua Tramping Club, during a recent week-end, placed nearly seventy new indication posts in position along the stretch in question. Owing to the lack of sufficiently dur- . able wood in the beech forests of the , higher ranges, these posts had to be carried from a point about seven miles away from, and 3000 feet below, the scene of operations. The new posts have been placed along the worst portions of the track, from twenty-five to thirty yards apart, and there should now be very little danger of anyone going astray on this particular part of the range.