Getting Into The Back Country

Our local rural community, Pukeokahu, is an active community, especially when it comes to holding fund raising events.

These events raise funds for the local primary school, role of 10, and also for the local community hall.

The events held include a one day walk, a two horse trek, and the iconic Man vs. Horse race.

Last weekend was the turn of the One Day walk.

I was lucky enough to tag along.

This years walk was to the Ruahine Corner Hut in the central North Island high country. This is a spectacular area of red tussock land, beech forest, and isolated tarns. It is an area that can cop bad weather, and on Saturday we got some of that.

However some 70 of us braved the conditions and set out through the mist.

Unfortunately, with the exception of just a few minutes, for most of the walk we could see little of the spectacular scenery. And even those few minutes did not reveal the tops of the ridges which remained shrouded in low cloud.

Those few minutes were enough for me to realise yet again what a beautiful area this central North Island hill and high country really is.

I might have to get my boots on more often.

Brian Megaw

Central North island high country – northern Ruahine Ranges, New Zealand


Ruahine Corner Hut for lunch – the mist was low and thick at this point.

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