Awa Awa Rata Reserve - Loop Track

Time: 2 hours
Distance: 5.5 km
Start: Awa Awa Rata Reserve car park, end of McLennans Bush Road, Pudding Hill (Mt. Hutt area)
Finish: Same place (it's a loop (anti-clockwise) with a side track to the river)
Date: Friday 20th March 2020 (updated November 2024)

Himalayan honeysuckle (a weed)

Awa Awa Rata Reserve is a pretty forest remnant at the base of Mt Hutt. Natives and pines. There are a number of walks within the reserve. Today's endeavour: an anti-clockwise loop, starting on Scott's Saddle Track, followed by the Scott's Ridge and Alder Tracks.  The forecast was for no rain but this was plainly wrong because we stepped out of the car into a fine, albeit wetting drizzle.  Still, it wasn't cold (a temperate 16 degrees centigrade) and the first part of the walk was a steepish uphill section.  So we donned raincoats and woolly hats, followed our noses to find the start of the track, and we were soon huffing and puffing our way up the hill to the morning chorus of bellbirds/korimako. Nice.

Horoeka (Lancewood)
At Ridge Track Junction we turned left onto the Ridge Track and began our descent.  The native bush gave way to a pine plantation with the odd grassy clearing.  There were NO views to be had but it is kind of pleasant to walk in the rain. In small doses.



At the Alder Track Junction we decided to take the ten minute detour to Pudding Hill Stream. At the stream there is a small swimming hole and one of our party (actually me) had a 'swim'.  I'm not sure if this was a good idea or not. Despite only lasting for less than a nano second it was fairly bracing. But I felt good afterwards and Sharyn and Neve supplied biscuits and lollies (Thanks!!!). [Update November 2024, the swimming hole is no longer there!!].





With renewed energy, we returned to the Alder Track and it was a short 15 minute downhill hike and back to the car.  [Ed's note: in spring, the car park is a splash of colour with rhododendrons of many hues.]



The plan was then to head to Methven for coffee and to buy a second hand crock-pot but unfortunately, during a discussion on death rates of Covid19 around the world, I took a wrong turn and we drove 20 km south in the direction of Timaru. Luckily, the Staverley Store Cafe and the sign saying "Washpen Falls Mt Somers" stopped us in our tracks. Flat whites and hot chocolates and lunch warmed us up and we even got to see a steam roller and steam tractor trundle past. Very fitting given that today is "International Happiness Day!!"