How Busy is Oamaru Hut, Doc land March

Hi All,
Having recently done my first walk off Clements mill rd, and in 2020 a Helisika fly in further SE, a mate and I are thinking of doing a couple of nights at Oamaru hut DOC land in mid March.
We meet a couple at Clements mill camp site who had just walked out from Oamaru hut and looking at them we decided if they could do it then so could we.
Usual plan check out the river flats sun rise & set then either fish or hunt up a spur or side creek depending upon how many hunters are at the hut.

So given that it's more of a walk in than Clements mill but still very much front country compared to where younger & fitter guy's will head too (ie Thunderbolt, Boyd etc) and a bit close in if you are paying for a heli-sika ride.

Question is for those who have been there in Feb, March early April, how many hunters in the hut book over weekends, Just yourselves, or 2 or 3 or more parties?
Z

Would say going on past experience that when it comes mid March, early April you'll need a tent if you wish to have any acreage to you selves. By then whose at the hut won't be the only hunters in the adjacent area.

What Te Tawa said. You would be better off fly camping an hour from the hut.

the walk in is easier from poronui but the con to that is you cant hunt your way there . ive been there waitangi and it was empty but that was 13 years ago so dont take too much stock in that. the walk in over te iringa is worth the effort as you might tip something on the way or find a spot thats been overlooked by others heading in

Wouldn't be going near there then but if you do.wear blaze blue

hunted north of the hut during the roar guys coming out saying its overflowing and people tenting on the lawn, also heard 8 gunshots after dark so
just walk in te irringa and you can hunt the whole way in and tent up somewhere

Camp at the olld te iringa hut site would be a better option,can hunt either direction from there depending on the weather and wind,cold at that time of year though.

If your going to go into the Oamaru Hut then just walk in through Poronui Station.

You can’t hunt on Poronui until you reach the DOC boundary and if it’s a hot day don’t walk in the middle of the day as you’ll just over heat.

Walking through Poronui early morning or late afternoon you’ll bump into a few animals and it’s a great way to learn some animal behaviour.

If your wanting to walk in from Clements up over Te Iringa then I wouldn’t go any further than the Kaipo swing bridge.

Plenty of stunning country just in that area alone.

Campsites at the swing bridge and other camp sites dotted all the way up the Kaipo.

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Originally Posted by Seventenths

If your wanting to walk in from Clements up over Te Iringa then I wouldn’t go any further than the Kaipo swing bridge.

Plenty of stunning country just in that area alone.

Campsites at the swing bridge and other camp sites dotted all the way up the Kaipo.

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Sure is a great part of the country, a great campsite about 100m up river from the swing bridge right beside the river. Not sure if there is handy water up at the old hut site?

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thanks guys, was looking at the First or second weekend March. Late afternoon evening walk in across Poranui friday. Taking a fly and bed roll is not a problem but after the 11-12km walk in we won't be wanting to go far past the hut, particularly as its probably going to be getting dark unless the track is really obvious.

Te Iringa sounds and looks nice.
When we were at Clements Mill the week after New year the car park where Te Iringa starts was full which kind of put us off.
Distance wise it's probably similar from CM Rd to Kaipo swing Bridge, just an extra 4-500mtr more up and down.

Could always just head in from Te Iringa car park or re visit army road and camp were we stop.
The amount of activity and night time shots is a bit off putting. 1-2 other parties and you can talk about where each party is planning to go the next morning. But a hut full and tents means a lot of guys aiming for a sun rise river flats hunt.
Z

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Originally Posted by ZQLewis

after the 11-12km walk in we won't be wanting to go far past the hut, particularly as its probably going to be getting dark unless the track is really obvious.

Te Iringa sounds and looks nice.
When we were at Clements Mill the week after New year the car park where Te Iringa starts was full which kind of put us off.
Z

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we did te iringa in the dark mid april (full moon) mate just about tripped over one having a nap on the track just after the old hut site. halfway down to the tikitik we stopped to listen to the heehawing and whistling,, and fly camped by a feeder to the tikitik didnt bump into anyone nut tdid have some trampers come thru on their way to cascade (doing it the long way)

The hut will be about chocka. Personally I'd carry light fly gear. Over Te Iranga, bugger all water at top, down to Tiki Tiki walk to junction of Kaipo. At junction take a turn to the left and head for Ohaoko saddle. Have a look at a topo. Camp at saddle. Hunt Ohaoko valley. Beautiful country, holds plenty. Used to possum in the area. Poronui guys tend to use bottom end as their meat safe. Good luck

I’d avoid Oamaru fullstop as it’s one of the highest occupancy huts in the North Island. Take camping gear and get away an hour or more from the hut.. Even Otore creek if you can be bothered going that far.

A lot of deer in the area but also a lot of people.

I would do end of February and you would most likely have very few hunters there.

Shot my first Sika hind not far from the hut in 2014, 6th February at 4.31pm at 764m elevation to be exact! :D

Little Tikitiki is worth a look too.

thanks for the info guys. 2 of us could cope with the up and over Te Iringa but last time we did an 18km day the next day we were too buggered to do more than 3km and park up and wait every 500mtr. Our 3rd member would not make currently..
Z

Fly into Ngawaaparua Hut, good fishing and as long as the crunchy cornflakes underfoot have had some rain good hunting....

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Originally Posted by Rusky

I would do end of February and you would most likely have very few hunters there.

Shot my first Sika hind not far from the hut in 2014, 6th February at 4.31pm at 764m elevation to be exact! :D

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Can you be a bit more precise thanks.

Thanks for all the feed back. Decision has been made.
Just telling you all so everyone knows the spot is being hunted and we don't get unexpected company. ( I know but hey, we can wish anyway)

Going to head up Te Iringa track and camp at the old hut clearing. Hopefully we can drop down and find water or I will have to make 1-2ltr go a long way.
Going in this Friday evening 25th Feb. See that we have a bit of a cold snap coming though this Wednesday. Thursday. This week.

Those old clearings to the west look well grown over now so I think I can leave the bino's at home as well. Not much use in the Bush.
Z

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ZQLewis

Thanks for all the feed back. Decision has been made.
Just telling you all so everyone knows the spot is being hunted and we don't get unexpected company. ( I know but hey, we can wish anyway)

Going to head up Te Iringa track and camp at the old hut clearing. Hopefully we can drop down and find water or I will have to make 1-2ltr go a long way.
Going in this Friday evening 25th Feb. See that we have a bit of a cold snap coming though this Wednesday. Thursday. This week.

Those old clearings to the west look well grown over now so I think I can leave the bino's at home as well. Not much use in the Bush.
Z

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good stuff mate slow and steady, can find drinkable water is most gullys easy enough no need to drop to the river level

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Originally Posted by Mohawk .308

You’d be surprised how useful Binos are in the bush, a lower powered pair like 8x can come in pretty handy

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Very much so. Helps you see "through" the bush.

Well Thanks everyone, had an awesome weekend in some new bush and caught up with a couple of mates.
2 of us walked up to Te Iringa old hut site on friday evening. Set up camp and had a quick look down the track so see what it looked like that way.
Was a bit cold that first night.
Saturday morning we headed off SE down the track a little way and then headed off down that spur to the west dropping into each of the little north facing guts and continuing west dropping elevation then circled back Nth east at a lower level then climbed up the head of the creek and back over the ridge to the track and back to camp. about 7.7km in 7.7 hours, some of it on hands and knees. Up on the spur it was quite open but as soon as you dropped off it got very tight and lots of windfall, some bush lawyer and pepper wood thickets plus everything was rotten. High altitude stunted beech forest.
We spooked a couple as we were dropping into the second creek/gut and another couple as we got towards the saddle on the spur before dropping elevation and heading back.
Coming back up I was a bit above my mate just over the ridge and a spooked hind ran down hill past him just getting a look at it ass as it disappeared.
That was us about shagged for the day.
Both nights we got Whistled at in the tent during the early hours of the morning.
Next Morning we just did a short 2 hour walk, mostly just in to one side of a small basin with sight lines across 50-100 mtr to a some well grazed slopes on the south side of the spur that we had not been into the previous day. It had got quite windy and the wind was swirling in from all directions so that was a good excuse to head back to camp and see our friends who had come up for the night, break camp and walk back down.

So no deer this time but a nice spot I would go back to.
Cheer's
Z

Most of the windfall will be from the massive snowfall in 2016. I walked/climbed into makino hut that October, took twice as long as usual with all the tangled limbs everywhere, darkness came quick which made it even harder going.


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