2759 Mount Tarawera and Wilding Pine, 17-18 March 2018

What a trip! (weeding your own garden now takes on a new dimension!).

This trip presented with the rare opportunity to have access to the crater and rim of Mt Tarawera (erupted 1886). This mountain has been closed to the public for some time due to many problems arising from open access. The criteria for this special access is to take part in 'weeding' the mountain's scoria slopes of the wilding pine seedlings.

On arrival in the area we had a brief walk around Lake Okaro to stretch the legs. We then camped for the night beside Lake Rerewhakaaitu at the Ash Pit Road DoC campsite.  The morning was a beautiful crisp, still morning with the lake magnificent in its tranquillity and calm. The cameras were clicking.

Our guides for the day's expedition were Ken Raureti of the Ruawahia 2B Trust and Paul Cashmore, the DoC officer for the area. Ken and Paul arrived early to welcome us and introduce us to the mountain both from the 'taha Maori' aspect, a briefing of the current environmental situation and then our days’ expected activities. Ken, as iwi kaimanaaki / caretaker of the mountain, was a delight in imparting his knowledge and enthusiasm. Paul, equally, had years of expertise in the environmental and scientific aspects of the area.

There was a lot to learn both from Ken and Paul about the mountain, the history both geological and Maori, and the current management. It was evident that this was a special partnership in action between the local iwi, (Ngati Rangitihi) and DoC, both at personal and governing levels. We learnt just how deeply embedded in sacred history the two main mountains of Ruawahia / the two places (Mt Tarawera and Mt Wahanga) are in the Maori world. It was also very evident the importance of continuous management to keep the wilding pines (and some other exotics) from taking over such a special icon of New Zealand's geological history.

After a 'hell' but fun trip in the bus by driver 'Batman' up the mountain we arrived at the crater rim. The views and location were breathtaking to say the least. The enormity of the core of the eruption was amazing. Ken explained the depth of the crater would surpass the height of Auckland's Sky Tower.

A brief rim walk to the trig/ summit gave us 360 degree views of the area. Looking north we viewed Lake Rotomahana which took the main impact in terms of destruction of the eruption. To the east we could see Mt Edgecumbe / Putauaki and further to the coastline as far as Te Kaha to the south.

Then the real fun began!!

We were guided to our particular slope for the weeding the of pine seedlings. The theory was that as trampers we were most likely to be more agile and hardy on this '135 degree' slope! We all spread diagonally across the slope and began (downwards) the task of pulling the young (and some not so young) seedlings. The scoria gave us all a vertically upright challenge, as did the heat. However, there was great enthusiasm and camaraderie to execute this very special and worthwhile task.

Paul was able to show us photographs of a nearby slope taken some years prior to compare with our work. There was a very rewarding and remarkable difference, confirming the importance of our work.

After a well-deserved lunch break, we ventured to the lower slopes and continued our work for approximately one hour. We finished up with a long traipse uphill to the opposing rim of the crater, wending our precarious way back to the bus.

"Those who do not have a head for heights need not apply". (after the trip we received a report from Paul that we cleared about 11 hectares

A welcome coffee and tea awaited us before another delightful 'hell' trip by bus back to the Ashpit campsite base. Shaken but not stirred.

The photos are amazing, click here to see them in our Facebook album

Those on the trip were:

Hamilton based: Dave and Debbie W (Trip Leaders) Allan W (Driver), Isla T, Jacqui D, Rizal R, Katrina and Sarah C, John and Jean W, David T, Diane (Lebanon).

Rotorua based: David H, Sharon S, Paul and Louise B, Pierre and father.