Thread: Hauhungaroa Hut

The wife wants to do an overnighter for her birthday between Xmas and New Year.
Can anybody give me an update on what the track from the Mangakahu side is like to the Hauhungaroa Hut.
Not too interested in going Waihaha way as that hut is pretty busy these days.
Taking tent in case hut full anyway.
Will take her car is the road ok to track start.

Also looking at wandering into Leitchs Hut as an alternative, again another I haven't been too yet.
Thanks Owen

are you 100% sure thats the kind of overnighter SHE wants to do????
maybe she hinting a night in posh motel is really what she wants LOL....
says the man who took his new bride away for week in a pup tent for honeymoon,and took rifle to go hunting!!!!

Nah that is what she wants.
Hasn't embraced the idea of a bigger pack for her though.

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She found my Exped Waterbloc bag the other night and has decided it is hers now.
It is fairly bulky so will take up heaps of room in pack.
I am not winning.

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I was in there maybe 4 years back. No real parking spot at the road end just in front of the big gate you have to climb over. You follow the farm road for a bit and then hit the public land boundary which has a quad bike track for a few k. After heading off that the track was a bit over grown in places but manageable. Once you start climbing the track is fine but had few tricky spots. Nice hut. I was up there just before Xmas and the weather was typical for this time of year stinking hot and freezing cold all within a hour. Lower down there was heaps of goats and certainly stunk like it.

Thanks for that.

Leitchs is pretty nice walk. Might be a bit lean on deer sign. Goats are around though. Big clearings by hut on river flats where it used to be farmed. This 3-4 years ago though....

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Probably will not take a rifle just a night or two wifes birthday.
But then you never know.
May go Hauhungaroa yet but Leitch's looks like it would be nicer for tenting if hut full.
Thanks for reply.

There used to be big clearings going into Waihaha that have grown over in last 40 years.
Once the manuka takes over the bigger stuff kicks in.

Went into Leitches yesterday for a wander in and out the next morning.
Hut is all right.
Would be a good place to take kids/grandchildren.
Didn't take a rifle very hot.
Fresh pigrooting 30 40 mins in and a fresh lot across river on flats heading out this morning.
Didn't see or hear any goats reading hut book looks like DOC dusts them up every now and again.
Met a couple in with their 3 teenage kids from Auckland first overnighter for them.
Nice family,open about learning and getting practice.
Had gone to Leitches because they could take their dog who was under very good control.
Talked to them about getting it kiwi aversion trained to allow them to explore other places.
Met a couple of hunters on way in asked how they got on, got quick "spooked something" ,that was it not very talkative.