My first tramp in New Zealand for five months due to overseas travels, the Waiopehu Hut loop was a satisfying 33km overnight hike in the north-west part of the Tararua Ranges, close to Levin. It made me appreciate how different hiking in New Zealand is compared with much of Europe, as I carried a much heavier pack with everything I needed, over much rougher and more challenging terrain, and didn’t see a single other person in two days hiking, helped by walking midweek during winter.

The starting point of Poads Road was an hour and a half drive from central Wellington. On Google Maps I spotted the intriguing Greek Monastery of The Holy Arcangels, and took a quick look at it from the road, a somewhat unexpected sight just outside Levin. The nearby river was attractively still and reflective.

From the car park at the end of Poads Road the track crossed private farmland.

A large boulder is home to a couple of memorial plaques.

After a kilometre or so the track enters classic New Zealand bush.

Unfortunately the Ohau Gorge track is closed due to an impassable slip so I had to climb relatively steeply up about 300m over 2km, and then drop down the same altitude on the Six Discs Track.

After crossing a bridge I could then start the near thousand metre climb up Gable End Ridge through a variety of bush.

After a few hours of constant climbing I broke out of the bush to big views toward the coast, including Levin and Kapiti Island, though the morning sunshine had been replaced by cloud.

I continued climbing back in the bush until I nearly got swallowed by mud. This was the deepest and thickest mud I’ve ever trodden in I think, though it didn’t look deep so I went full speed into it. It was quite a challenge to extract my left foot. In the end I had to remove my pack and right foot, and use a branch to help pull my other foot out. Thankfully the boot came out with it!

Undulating ridge hiking followed, but unfortunately the cloud had thickened so I had none of the epic views suggested on the map, as I climbed to nearly 1,100m above sea level.

I got a shock seeing this sign by Richards Knob which stated another three hours to Waiopehu Hut. It was 4.30pm by then and it was only a couple of kilometres away so I feared that the terrain must be very difficult.

Thankfully it was no different to what I’d already walked and I reached the hut by 6pm, via the memorial beacon at Twin Peak for tramper Ralph Wood who died in a heavy storm in 1936, and some atmosphere / spooky forest.

I got to Waiopehu Hut as the light was fading, and had the 18 bunk hut to myself. This is very cool in daylight but a bit unnerving in the dark. Despite it being fully insulated and double glazed, there is no heat source, so I was glad to have brought my Himalayan gear to wear and sleep in, as the temperature dropped below freezing. After dark the cloud finally lifted and I could see the lights of Levin below.

I woke just before sunrise to a cold but beautiful morning. The hut is perfectly positioned for huge views of the Tararuas and the Kapiti Coast in the distance.

Sunrise brought warmth and colour to the landscape.

I didn’t realise that next to Levin is the large Lake Horowhenua, far more obvious from up high.

The early morning light was stunning, such a contrast from the previous day.

For more views I headed back up to Twin Peak for spectacular views in every direction, with absolute no wind, total silence, and no one else around. Perfect!

The colours in the landscape continued to improve as the sun rose.

I still had a fair way to go though so returned to the hut to collect my pack and head near constantly downhill for four hours on the Waiopehu Track.

About a kilometre along the track I came across the site of the previous Waiopehu Hut, removed in 2002.

This track was technically far easier and more gradual than the Gable End Ridge, with more attractive bush and a lot less mud!

I was grateful to reach the farmland as it meant there was no more climbing or descending. The difference is stark between the original native bush and what has been cleared for farming.