Making Tracks: Tangarakau an ideal base camp

Exploring a farm track at Tangarakau. Photo / Supplied

The Wanganui Tramping Club knows that using a base has many advantages.

That is, choosing a location to stay for several nights and enjoying tramps from there. This approach has been followed by the club for the last three Januarys with an extended weekend at the remote settlement of Tangarakau, off the Forgotten World Highway.

The small but well-appointed Bushlands campground is a great spot for enjoying walks and soaking up the area’s railway and farming. The WTC teams up with the Taumarunui Tramping Club and this January a total of 22 people from the two clubs gathered.

Tangarakau makes a big play of its history. Photo / Supplied

In March the club will use Cromwell as a base for daily tramps during 10 days down south.

The full weekend programme for March is:

4-5 Sat-Sun, Pine pulling on Ruapehu, leader Esther

5-14 Sun-Tues, Central Otago Wanders, leader Jacky

11-12 Sat-Sun, Ruapehu Rambles, leader Dave

18 or 19 Sat or Sun, Pohangina Valley, leader Pam

23-26 Thurs-Sun, Whareroa Lake Taupo, leader Mike

Make all enquiries about trips to Terry, phone 021 262 7066, or Dorothy, phone 345 7039.

The midweekers have a full programme of interesting trips every Wednesday. Those who get out on Thursday are in two groups, with a longer walk on March 9 and 23 for the TT1 group and shorter ones for the TT2 group on March 2, 16 and 30. The Wednesday contact is Trish, phone 021 127 3862, and the Thursday contact is Anne, phone 345 4776. Call both by 6pm the night before for day trips.

To join weekend trips call the leader by the previous Tuesday at the latest. Call by the night before for day trips. As some trips have limited numbers, leaders have the final say about who to take as they are responsible for the safety and wellbeing of everyone on their trips. For further information visit our website www.whanganuitramping.org.nz.

The next club meeting is on Tuesday, March 7 at 7.30pm in the Veandercross Lounge at the Whanganui Racecourse at which club members Trish Hopkins and Kathy O’Donnell will give a joint presentation on their trips to Tanzania and Kenya – Mt Kilimanjaro, African safaris and gorillas in the wild. All welcome.