Local Hike – Ngamuwahine Loop Track

Last November, I told myself, let’s get back into it; how hard can it be? I am reasonably fit, and I love being out in the bush. Then, half marathon training took over; now it’s not, and warm weather is on the way. Getting ahead of myself, let me start from the beginning.

There’s always a reccie completed by the leaders before taking a group out hiking, and it always includes parts of other trails if the initial route needs to be more challenging. This hike was no exception, so let the fun begin.

The Squire kindly offered to drop me and another friend/hiker off at our meeting place. Cheery greetings from other trampers were exchanged, and a few of the old crew welcomed my return. Transport and passengers were paired, and then we were off.

We head towards the northern slopes of the Kaimai Ranges in the Kaimai Mamaku Forest Park, accessible from the end of Ngamuwahine Road, off SH29, about 25km south of Tauranga. Ngamuwahine Road, about 3km long, is gravel, winding, and only about one vehicle width most of the way. So, meeting with other traffic usually means one reverses to the nearest suitable passing spot. Luckily, we didn’t that day.

Initially, the terrain led me to believe I had a few hours of hiking bliss ahead of me. I was wrong, in part. Parts of the trail were excellent: bush, weather and congenital chat; some needed to enjoy the bush silence a bit more. After an hour or so, the track and we suddenly stopped when large tree roots became the trail. That indicated this hike was going up a notch in the challenging stakes. I heard my knees scream in horror, knowing the upclimb would be a doddle compared to the downhill.

Our tired legs felt like jelly on our return, and the steep decline was challenging. This hike was different for this group; most were unhappy with this part of the day, and understandably so. All the hikers are fit and healthy, but most agree that various body parts are more likely to be pampered and not pushed as hard as they used to be.

The tracks, as previously mentioned, are pretty steep in places, mainly on either side of the river crossings, and due to vegetation, are only sometimes easy to follow. Most of the orange markers are well-placed, though. There is a river or stream crossing of a tributary to the Ngamuwahine River. These crossings could be difficult after heavy rainfall, when the river levels would be considerably higher. Again, we were in luck as there had been no significant rain in the week of this hike.

There are no great views of the Bay of Plenty anywhere along the tracks; overall, it is an enjoyable 9.5km (approx) 3+ hour hike to complete on a sunny spring morning, with birdsong and the sound of the rivers for accompaniment while devouring lunch.

Perfection, some would say, and yes, I did go off and do another during the weekend.