4 - 6 hrs | 8.5km return | Hawkes Bay
This track starts a fair drive in-land, so you are in for some windy roads - be aware of that if you get car-sick easily. We drove in from Taupō direction (from the west), and there were no small towns or other opportunities to stop, to get fuel, buy snacks and drinks or go to the loo within the last hour or so before we arrived. So, even though this is a relatively short day-trip, make sure you come prepared or stop early on your way there to stock up on food and water.
There are several options to head up to Kaweka J from the carpark. The track we took heads off beyond the shelter in the car park towards Makahu Saddle Hut. This hut is only 300m from the car park and would be a great place to stay if you were arriving in the evening and wanted a full day to explore the next day. This is not a bookable Hut; it’s first come, first served. There is a fireplace, so even in the colder months it would be a cosy start to the trip. There is a long drop by the hut and also at the car park.
From the Makahu Saddle Hut, we continued up the Trials Spur track towards Kaweka J. The track starts off as a gentle climb through the bush, crosses a small stream and then gradually increases in steepness. It had been relatively dry for the days before we went, but the track was still quite slippy in places. The track zig-zags its way up the mountain and you don’t get much of a break on the way up to the Summit, but there are some great little stops on the way where you can enjoy the views back across the valley and refill the lungs with oxygen before continuing your ascent.
We walked this track in autumn on a fairly cool day. Be aware that most of the track is exposed to the elements, so even if it’s not super windy or rainy, you will be exposed to the sun and there is hardly any shelter or shade along the track. Layer up on sunscreen and make sure you take plenty to reapply if you are heading up there on a sunny day, no matter what time of year. A bucket hat or cap is certainly your friend on this one!
The Trials Spur Track joins with the Makahu Spur about halfway up to Dominie Hut. We didn’t venture along the Mahaku Track but passed others on the way who said they would likely go back down Trials Spur as there were a few sketchy sections on the Mahaku Track which they found fine to navigate on the way up but that they wanted to avoid on the way down. Talking to them, we felt reassured in our plan to go up and come down the same way, but if you were looking for a shorter alternative rather than going up to the summit, or the weather looked like it was going to close in later in the day, you could head up the Mahaku Track and back down the Trials Spur to make a circuit. This would likely take around 2-3 hours depending on your pace (add time to take breaks and photos). There would still be plenty of views to enjoy and the track is challenging enough to give you that great feeling of accomplishment when returning to the car!
After the fork, where the two tracks merge, we continued on up towards Dominie Hut. Be prepared for some more open scree sections that require a bit of careful thought around foot placement to stay upright. Once you make your way up through this, you get out onto a saddle where you will see the bright orange of Dominie Hut welcoming you to stop and take a break. Here, you’ll get a first taste of the views that wait for you at the top.
Dominie Hut is a two-person hut that would be a stunning place to stay and enjoy the sun setting across the Hawkes Bay. There are no cooking facilities and no fire, but there is a long drop toilet. This hut can’t be booked, so if you are planning to stay here, arrive early otherwise, you need to be prepared to walk back down or bring a tent. There are plenty of places around the hut to set up a tent and it would be well worth it if you manage to find a couple of fine weather days as the dawn and dusk light would no doubt be stunning!
From Dominie Hut an incredible ridgeline awaits, and the summit is only about an hour away. Now you get a bit of respite from the continuous slog of going uphill. There will be some steeper sections, but you will alternate between going up, down and across the ridge and the views change so you feel like you are on a different walk entirely. Huge rocks stick up out of the ridgeline as you traverse your way closer to the Kaweka J Summit and you catch glimpses of the east coast. Be aware that there are some exposed sections with steep drop-offs, so if you are worried about your balance then this may not be the track for you. Equally, if you are afraid of heights, it is worth reconsidering this track and maybe look for something else. The track is well marked throughout but if there is poor visibility then this track could be quite difficult to navigate, so make sure you check the weather before you go and keep an eye on the clouds.
The top seems a bit like a plateau and it wasn’t quite clear where exactly the summit was. A quick check on the Topo map revealed that we needed to head off to the left to get to the summit. We walked another 5-10 min across the top to reach an ANZAC memorial. This is the summit. The views here are breathtaking. You can see across to the coastline, through the valleys and back up to the Central Plateau. Hello Mt Ruapehu and Ngarahoe! Nothing quite like enjoying your well-earned lunch with volcano views before making the journey back down!
There are many other tracks and a number of huts in this area that we haven’t yet explored, so we will definitely be back in this region sometime soon.
We headed back down the same way, so we were familiar with the territory already. Be careful in the steeper sections and when the ground is wet. For us, the ground was mostly dry, and yet there was still a fair bit of sliding around on scree and gravel.
Parking: Search for Makahu Saddle Hut in google maps and it will get you to the right place, noting that the last 9km are on gravel road and google maps seems to indicate you have arrived about 1km before you actually get there. The car park is right at the end of the road though and is easy to tell that you have made it. There is a long drop toilet and shelter with signs of the trails and what to look out for. The last 3-4km of the gravel road do involve some steep sections and whilst the road seems pretty well maintained, I probably wouldn’t want to do this section after heavy rain without a 4WD.
Overnight options: Makahu Saddle Hut (4 person) and/or Dominie Hut (2 person). Both Huts are first in, first served.
