Mangamate Loop

Location: Whirinaki Forest Park

Date: Matariki Weekend 2025

Author: Ella Speers

Thursday afternoon before an upcoming long weekend. That could only mean one thing. I was going tramping! I finished work and quickly did the most unorganised grocery shop I’d ever done. As a very type A, the loose groceries strewn around my car on the drive to Lake Aniwhenua Reserve was not sitting well with me, but I was excited to be heading into a new part of the country I hadn’t explored yet. I met the group at lake and we pitched tents, glad the ample moisture that had fallen from the sky all day appeared to have stopped for now. We fell asleep straight away since it was late, and woke in the morning to find ourselves perched on the edge of Lake Aniwhenua in the Bay of Plenty. There were patches of blue sky and spirits were high as we packed up and set out to get our bakery fix before our tramp. 

The bakery experience was very much small town Aotearoa vibes, and we were plenty entertained just standing on the main street and watching the many characters go by. Finally, deciding we’d better get to the trailhead as we had 18km to do that day, we set off. On the way to the track, a spooked horse was galloping down the windy, rural roads so Ben and I tried to call a number on a nearby sign to get the horse back in its paddock, but couldn’t get hold of anyone. Deciding we weren’t cowboy enough to deal to it ourselves, we made the rest of the trip to the trailhead. 

The road turned to gravel from within the mist, and then alas! Road closed. No! The group assembled, tossing up whether we brave the severely rutted, gravel track in a 2003 Ford Focus and trusty Mazda, or bite the bullet and hike the 5km TO the trailhead. We decided our cars were good but not that good, so we parked up under some trees and hurried to organise ourselves, noting it was already getting on in the day thanks to our extended bakery time. Packs were packed (some better than others), boots were put on and raincoats left very close to the top of our packs as the sky wasn’t looking too friendly.

Just a kilometer down the road, we were glad we’d decided to walk. The road was in bad shape, and gave us a good warmup before hitting the actual track. We arrived at the trailhead 5km later, 5 now-sweaty friends, feeling as though they’d like to pitch their tents already. They had a quick bite to eat, reassessed the map and set off. Whirinaki Forest Park was beautiful. The trees were giant, and there was so many birds including kaka and tomtits, due to the conservation efforts going on in the park. The track was good and we followed a swift river for much of the day. We kept a keen eye on the river, hoping to spy Whio. Soon enough though, we were tiring. The extra 5km on top of an 18km track was proving to be a big day. Before long, the sky finally opened up and raincoats were donned, pack covers put on, and soggy shoes stamped onwards. We were hungry and getting delirious, and before long silly desires started taking hold of us. Darkness fell and had us dreaming of rounding the corner and seeing Central Whirinaki Hut, with 5 free bunks and a merry fire already lit. We were taunting ourselves as we marched into the night.

Then, I smelled it. It couldn’t be! Could it? But the others smelled it too. Woodsmoke! The dream was becoming reality! Out of the darkness we came upon the hut with its fire already lit, albeit a sad one due to damp firewood, but it was better than we could have ever imagined. We said hi to the rest of the hut, and Katie and I almost cried with relief when we spied two free beds together. The boys were adamant they wanted to camp, so they battled with their tents again (one yellow Macpac one in particular, if you know you know). Dinner was devoured, wet clothes hung over the rafters, and cards brought out. Before long, the 23-odd kilometres caught up to us, and we dropped off to sleep. 

I woke in the morning, having had a very lush sleep. The boys stumbled into the hut, declaring there’d been a frost. Sure enough, the grass around their tents was white. Breakfast was eaten while we looked over the yellowed pages of Otago Uni’s tramping club magazine (ours is better). Then we were off. We braced ourselves, for today was Wet Feet Day. We dropped down to the river and the first crossing was before us. We crossed over and over the river more times than we could count, thoroughly enjoying the challenge. River is a generous term, it was a stream at best, not usually more than knee height. At times the orange track markers were hidden and we had to scout ahead to find them, feeling as though we were well and truly in the bush. Some parts of the track had us walking directly in the stream too. We saw signs of pig rooting and maybe deer too, but the bird life was still immense and we enjoyed friendly robins and hearing kaka above. 

The day was relatively short compared to the day prior, and fuelled by peanut butter. We arrived at Mangamate Hut in the afternoon, peeling off our dripping shoes and socks and comparing horrific blisters (Hamish won, fair and square). The boys tried to light the fire but the firewood was all wet so we read old Wilderness magazines and the oldest intentions book I’d ever seen, then lit the candles and cooked dinner. The hut was tiny so retained our body heat well as we ate dinner and bought cards out again. It was only the 5 of us there! And based off the intentions book, no one had visited in weeks! Pretty special hut. A visit to the long drop revealed the biggest spider I’d ever seen, then it was outside to admire a crystal clear night of shooting stars. We fell asleep again, knowing we had an early morning to get back to our cars, and an even longer drive to get back into Auckland after long weekend. 

We woke with the dawn and admired the brightening sky. Then it was breakfast, wet boots on, and down the track. Blisters were screaming, and Hamish needed some medical attention from Katie’s first aid kit since they were almost bigger than him. We walked through the forest for a while then dropped back to the river, and crossed it again and again like the day before. The river today was a bit deeper, and we had to pick our own spots to cross at some times, since the DOC recommended crossing areas looked anything but safe. It was a technical day, and Ben took some stellar photos of us with his camera (always bring a photographer on your trip if you can). Hamish, already having battled though with his blisters, took a tumble and the first aid kit came out again for some sore knees. With everyone patched up, peanut butter ingested and water downed, we moved on. Before long, we stumbled back onto the track we’d left two days before, closing the circuit and leaving a few kilometers to walk back to the trailhead. We passed a beautiful swimming spot on the river, and the others couldn’t help themselves. They all had a quick dip while I became the photographer for a while. We had lunch at the carpark and were all very vocal about our disappointment at not seeing Whio, and our want for a four wheel drive to boost past us and offer us a ride on the way back. Of course, our manifesting powers had run out after we conjured up the hut on the first night, so no way was this going to happen. 

Or was it! Five minutes into our walk along the gravel road, we hear it behind us. We turn, and a big Ute stops. The driver tells us to get on the tray and we do not hesitate. Ben and I are perched on one side, Hamish and Ben on the other, and Katie just has time to swing onto the back before we roar off. I notice I’m sitting on a very loose slat in the tray, my pack is taking up all the precious space, and I’m clinging very precariously to the flat deck tray which has no tub nor sides to hold on to. Ben’s pack is pressed against a giant drum on the tray, and he has one hand on the bars behind the cab, and his other arm linked with mine to stop me falling off. Now I mentioned before the road was bad. The driver does not go easy. We roar up a hill and I genuinely almost slide off the back at breakneck speed. I turn and see Shaun laying atop Katie and Hamish, holding the group together for dear life. The road is riddled with potholes, so the driver swerves to avoid them. At times he drives in the grassy verge, which is choked with blackberry. Ben’s legs get absolutely ripped apart by thorns and branches as we tear past. At first I’m laughing at how insane this is (and maybe from nerves) but then I see the blood and it becomes less funny. It becomes a game of survival to hold on, and I pray we’ll make it back to the cars with no more serious injuries. Eons pass. Finally, we make it back. I leap off that tray so fast. We thank the driver and he roars off and we look at eachother, letting the last 5 minutes soak in. But Ben is laughing as he looks at his legs which are riddled with thorns and blood, so out comes the first aid kit again to clean him up. We’re all in good spirits as we pack up the cars and say our goodbyes. 

Thank you to Katie, Hamish, Shaun and Ben for the coolest Matariki weekend! I will definitely be back to Whirinaki Forest Park and definitely reccomend the Mangamate Loop track.