3161 Kaimai Ridgeway track

Week  31st December 2024 - 4th January 2025

This trip in the Kaimais and starts at SH 26 on the way to Tauranga from Hamilton and is 5 days, 4 nights ending at Woodland Road Katikati. The first night will be at Te Whare Okioki Hut and I have two bunks booked there as they may go quickly. Let me know if you would like the second one ($25). You can’t use your backcountry pass for Te Whare Okioki as it is owned by the Kaimai Ridgeway Trust not DOC (although you book on the DOC site). The second night is at Poupou Stream, and you will need to carry a tent as this is a campsite only. The third night is at Te Rereatukahia Hut and this is free with your back country pass but must be booked as soon as possible if you want to ensure you have a bunk. The last night is at Waitewheta Hut and this will also need to be booked as soon as possible due to demand and is also free if you have a pass. If you don’t have a pass the DOC huts are $25 per night (Te Rereatukahia and Waitewheta). The last day (4 Jan 2025) will be a 4 hour walk out to Woodland Road on the Katikati side of the Kaimais. The first 4 days are all between 7 and 8 hours walking each and require a goof level of fitness along with the ability to carry an overnight pack including a tent (if you are very careful you should be able to keep your weight to around 14 kgs).

We will need to car pool both a drop off and a pick up. I have room for 3 in addition to myself (4 of us in my car and a driver). If there are more, there will need to be someone else available to do a drop off and pick up. Happy to help with the organisation. We will contribute to travel costs at the club rate which is 90 cents a km shared between the vehicle occupants.

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