Author Alison Smith on one of the steep sections in the Kaimai trail built by volunteers. Photo / HC Post.
Author Alison Smith on one of the steep sections in the Kaimai trail built by volunteers. Photo / HC Post.
Atop the Kaimai Ranges after a five-hour hike, few would pause to appreciate that it takes more than just personal fitness to get these 360-degree views from Tauranga to the west coast.
The signs are Department of Conservation (DoC) green and yellow, but it's thanks to thousands of voluntary hours by hiking clubs, hunting clubs and search and rescue volunteers that hiking the backcountry of the magnificent Kaimai ranges is accessible to all.
The Kaimai Ridgeway Trust (KRT) is made up of 12 tramping clubs and deerstalkers' associations who maintain four huts and kilometres of tracks in the southern Coromandel.
Roger Montgomerie of KRT says there's a "hardcore" of 40 or 50 people out there doing the work - mostly with hand tools - and there are hopes for more huts in future.
"The real advantage will be if people are keen to do so, they can start on the Kaimai Summit and hike 85 kilometres to Te Aroha or Karangahake and have a nice hut every six or seven hours," Roger says.
"It's a tricky process getting a hut up there and work to do with iwi and DoC but that's our long-term goal. It will be as nice a walk as you will get anywhere."
Already the views are hard to beat.
Incredible views are the reward for the steep climbs in the Kaimais. Photo / HC Post
The Thames Valley Deerstalkers Association (TVDA) maintains two of the four backcountry huts in the area. Member Maureen Coleman say it's a massive combined effort and a labour of love they're happy to share.
"The signage is DoC and that's fine," says Maureen. "But people probably don't realise the tracks and huts are all maintained by volunteers. DoC has been great. They are realising we are all out there for the same cause. We are there for making the outdoors accessible and helping the native flora and fauna."
The TVDA and the Bay of Plenty Deerstalkers branch maintain four simple former goat culler's huts in the Kaimai Mamaku Conservation Park - the Mangamuka, Hurunui, Karotatahi and Motutapere huts.
They keep recreational forest users safe, with an overnight option where they can build a fire and rest their weary feet.
These cannot be booked on the DoC system so you should plan ahead with a tent in case the huts are full when arriving.
As basic huts, they provide important shelter on tracks accessed from Waihi, Te Aroha and Katikati, including on the Te Tuhi and Tuahu tracks off the North South Track, linking the east coast to the plains of Hauraki and beyond.
Maureen remembers when the huts were almost taken away by DoC.
"There were a bunch of users, photography clubs, glider club, tramping clubs, hunters... and we said 'that shouldn't happen'."
DoC liaised with users, and then, says Maureen, all went quiet until one night she got a phone call checking that she knew the huts were being removed the following Monday.
"At 6pm that night, I spoke to a DoC ranger in Tauranga. He said 'If we do them up, will you look after them?' I said yes, and he said 'deal done'. They didn't fly in, we drew up a memorandum of understanding between ours and the Bay of Plenty branch, and we've looked after them ever since."
The hike to the Motutapere Hut begins with an uphill steady climb through pine forest into native bush, opening up to views over man-made lakes with the patchwork of plains laid out like a carpet on the landscape.
Climbing higher, there are steep sections and some rock sections that require three points of contact, but the rewards at the top of the North South Track are worth the climb.
From here the hike requires climbing a ladder and traversing increasingly alpine-like native plants before dipping back to native forest and a clearing for the simple and welcome sight of the hut.
The TVDA runs a tight ship, providing advice for users to ensure there's a supply left behind of any firewood that's been used, and a supply of rat bait for the bait stations to be refilled, if needed.
A long drop toilet is an eco design, and there is no gas for the cooker so hikers must be well-prepared and bring a water filter to be safe.
It is blissfully quiet and has the feel of a remote getaway, but from a clearing a short distance from the hut, the sprawl of Tauranga, Katikati and the islands offshore is a reminder of how accessible the wilderness is here.
"We saw the absolute need for the huts from a recreational purpose and from a safety one, because the weather sometimes turns nasty for people traversing the North South Track," says Maureen.
She's proud of the combined work from so many volunteers, and keeping their use open to all is a labour of love that the association is happy to share.
"We love the fact that people use them."
Roger says as a completely volunteer-based organisation, help is always welcome. It's physical but satisfying to see the difference after a day's work.
"The average person probably thinks 'gee DoC is doing a great job' but in fact we're looking after all the backcountry tracks and they look after what we call the touristy tracks," he says.
Roger says they could "absolutely use more help... Particularly people with outdoor experience because it's not easy work, and anyone with skills using petrol-powered scrub bars, that's the people we'd love to come onboard."
Tramping clubs from Whangamata, Auckland, Auckland Baptist, Manukau, North Shore, Kaimai, Katikati, Hikoi, Cambridge and Tauranga Search and Rescue volunteers are part of the KRT, as are the Thames Valley and Bay of Plenty branches of the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association.
1. Volunteer to assist with track maintenance - contact one of the clubs listed on the website www.kaimairidgeway.nz to join one of their work parties.
2. Volunteer to assist with hut construction or maintenance.
3. Encourage groups or people you are in contact with to volunteer to join in the fun.
4. Provide the groups with detailed information on the state of their tracks.
5. Firewood for Te Rereatukahia Hut's logburner needs to be flown in - if you are there and enjoy the warmth from the fire, or would like to be there, please visit our Kaimai Firewood GiveALittle page to contribute to the cost of this major improvement to the hut.
