By Justin Atkinson, 16 March 2025
The swim/cleanup crew: Alexander, Oscar, Antipodes, Caelyn, Tram, Dee, Mallory, Aimee, Eleanor, Zoe, Mar, and Justin!
Allured by the promise of a relaxing swim in the Orongorongo valley, 12 keen trampers gathered at the Catchpool valley carpark after a brisk 45 minute drive. There was a price to this: everyone had to help tidy up Haurangi Hut. This was part of FMC's "Love our Huts" campaign, which asked volunteers to clean many of Aotearoa's 951 DOC huts.
Despite hopes for a nice day, clouds gathered overhead. We pushed ahead and made our way down the valley. The walk is super nice, it's highly recommended. The track winds up and down through the valley for 2 hours until it reaches the Orongorongo river. There is a cool bridge halfway along, aptly called Midway Bridge. The river is perfect for swimming, with many good spots.
After some lunch at the river, we wandered up a side stream to find some hidden swimming holes. We then walked up the river and explored a few private(!) huts: Paua, Black Whare, and Xanadu. Some of us braved getting our feet wet, while others avoided the H2O until it was no longer practical.
Reaching Haurangi, we found that someone had left a large window open. This was ironic for Justin, who had forgotten to ask DOC until the last minute for the hut passcode, but managed to charm the Nelson Visitor Centre (as Welly's public DOC office was closed). All's well that ends well!
We did a deep clean of the hut. Windows and benches wiped, floors swept, cobwebs removed, rubbish removed, overgrown grass pulled out, firewood restocked, the lot. The exception was the toilet, which no kidding was the nicest smelling DOC long drop we had ever seen. Refreshing drinks and heavy gratitude were provided as rewards. We finished off the day with a relaxing 3 hour walk back to the carpark, surrounded by good company and many laughs :)
