Is thompsons track open atm to get a 4x4 truck up? Mate of mine is wondering to save on walking time from kati side, cheers
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Is thompsons track open atm to get a 4x4 truck up? Mate of mine is wondering to save on walking time from kati side, cheers
Quicker to walk
I know its the other side but I'll relay this anyway, maybe of use to someone. Te aroha side was open a month or so back. Track basically undriveable to 4x4, heaps of motorbikes up there though
4X4 vehicles (2) got through from BoP to Waikato two weekends ago...from BoP side it is faster to walk than drive...14 km from that side to top.
Don't bother going in from Waikato side with vehicle after 9 am Sunday 29/ November as there is a working gang clearing track for the day...could be up to 30 vehicles all going one way...if you go up over weekend, unless walking, you wont get past them.
Gidday Spook. How the hell are you?Quote:
Originally Posted by Spook
Ok at the moment, beginning to think i had a bed booked at the hospital on a regular basis...just thought i would have another go at posting on the forum...can manage, but with great difficulty.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rushy
Grandson says he could, on a straight run, two vehicles, both dedicated off roaders make it to the top on BoP side in 4 hours, one way...so that's 14 km in 4 hours, you do the maths.
Mucko and I told a fellah from South Africa about you being at the bottom of Thompsons Track while we were down at Piropiro flats the other day. He lives somewhere around Morrinsville way and seemed keen to walk up for a look.
There are that many of them around one would almost think we had been re-colonized...every time one tips a rock over one pops up.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rushy
Yeh but this one was a shitload better than some I know.Quote:
Originally Posted by Spook
You will need good mud tyres and a winch to get up te aroha side. I got a fair way up a couple of weeks ago. A quad would be the go.
And this weekend rain ain't gona help!
A bit of info about track that was posted on nz offroader facebook page
Interesting to see that track is only closed to vehicles as those tramping through would be in danger as they are using the road as a hauling track at the moment...of course they may have stopped that by the 7th, but i doubt it. Don't expect the track to be open during the hours outside of those stated for closure as those loggers don't give a stuff if track blocked at their working days end. If they block the track with logs and large rocks to stop vehicles using the closed portion of track, don't expect them to open at end of work day. The last time they were logging up there they had thousands of $'s worth of gear stolen and damaged and then the rain came down and multiple slips closed off access except for the foot sloggers.
If anyone wants to hunt the hundred acres, there is another access track (foot) that i can point them in the direction of.
Sorry about the doubling up on posts, but i cannot delete one or other.
[Sorted:Jakewire]
Always keen Spook and glad to see you still about.
Tell you what will be int ouch and maybe a little walk up your way is in order.
Take it easy fella and look after yourself.
So basically it wouldn't be advisable to go over the track from Te Aroha to Katikati on new years eve in my hilux with all terrain tyres and no winch haha?
Just depends on how many days you have up your sleeve and how deep your pocket is :DQuote:
Originally Posted by StagRyan
Yeah I say go for it
Was up there yesterday, went up as far as the crossing with the north south track from the Te Aroha side, pretty easy going but would definitely have preferred to be one of the blokes on a four wheeler. Still plenty of big divots in the road before the forestry area. Anyway camped up on the top, grass is lush, some of it has been rooted up by pigs, heard a shot on about 9 o'clock and had a friendly possum pestering me in the night. nice walk down today again a few motor bikers and the 4x4 club was getting ready to head up as I came out. Cheers to the bloke who gave me his lighter yesterday meant I was able to heat up a back country for dinner. Hope the shot I heard was a success.
If they block the track with logs and large rocks to stop vehicles using the closed portion of track, don't expect them to open at end of work day
Is there a way to get up to the thousand acres clearing before you hit the forestry area or is it just head down and bash through the under growth up that final ridge alternatively get access to that first lot of forestry?
Hundred acres?
No its growing :D All this rain you see ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by MSL
Dipstick!Quote:
Originally Posted by Gibo
Thousand acres would be a nice little clearing up there
haha apologies, new to the area I'll get my names right next time!
If you're into bald hills :DQuote:
Originally Posted by MSL
You mean 'tops'
That would be one big scalpQuote:
Originally Posted by MSL
Went up the first creek yesterday not realizing I was on the first forestry block, quickly made my way out of there into the bush of the second creek. If you do have permission to be on that forestry clearing there was some fresh sign up by the Road, that joker who lives north of the first creek and has the road up the forestry block must have no shortage of Venison in his fridge. Anyway sidling round the face of the bush, back in the hunting block there was some good game trails and more fresh sign, worked my way up to another clearing (through bloody gorse) and had a good look over the two small saddles north of Motutapere but nothing was feeding on those, sidled further round that face might have heard something spook off in the flax, got onto another set of game trails heading up to the top, as well as a fence attached to trees but decided to follow the trails down hill. not the best idea but bashed, fell crept my way down to the waterfall by where the Track turns back on itself heading up towards the lower plantation/Pa sight. The faces were dry and noisy as hell (def something I need to work on if I'm going to get some success up there). was a decent 5hr recy and great way to kick off a Sunday morning probably better off spent at the beach. Hope this is helpful for anyone else exploring up there. Will put up some photos this evening.
Thanks for the photos Spook,brilliant views from the skid site. Reminded me of hunting in the Kaimais years ago.
I always find that footprints make a pretty thin stew ;)
Well mate, you maybe in the shit...when the owner of that block or any of his friends see those photos you may be getting trespassed...the only thing you didn't take a photo of was the sign telling you not to be there...private land is exactly that, private...i would suggest you have the photos removed...if not then i am obligated, as a neighbour to bring it to the owners attention...getting labelled as a poacher on a forum is not a good look...there is something like 88,000 hectares of DoC land in the area, stick to that.Quote:
Originally Posted by StagRyan
Thanks Spook, Unfortunately I can no longer edit or delete the post, but as I said to you in private email the point of my post was to highlight how the first creek is not the access to the hunting block.Quote:
Originally Posted by Spook
Made a classic rookie mistake and was wanting to post so that others new to hunting and the area did not make the same mistake. The first river seen on the permit is the one around the bend further that runs up the south boarder of this forestry block which I wrongfully crossed. As I stated in my post when I realised this, I was quick smart out of there and into the native bush. As I also stated going into here should be with the permission of the land owner who, has good reason to pick and chose who he gives permission to, especially with that house right there (Always check your firing zone).
As I said to you spook, not to defend my stuff up, but it'd be cool if there was a sign at that river stating "this river leads to private land so keep on walking fella", but a careful look at the permit and the map should also rule out getting off the permitted area. Lesson well and truly learnt.
I would have thought that under our law, it was very difficult to be trespassed travelling up or down a river....who knows if that still applies..?
Went to the very top clearing up above where the North South carries on North into the bush, Sat overlooking it as well as back towards the 100 acre with the North South Track on it, as well as a few slips up in the bush across the river and over to the opposing ridge where I think the Mt Eliza mine track heads down from 6 o'clock on wards, then was up at 4:30 looking over the clearing and nothing showed. About 7 o'clock yesterday morning I went for a wonder up into the guts of the clearing and sure enough there was fresh sign and trails through the wet grass just in behind the bushes that had been blocking my view.
From here I went for a wonder up to the Motutapere hut, That last major river that you have to walk down into I could hear a deer sidling round above me no doubt off to the head of the creek for a drink as it was bloody barmy. Had a cuppa at the hut and headed back.
The state of the North South track doesn't do much to inspire getting off trail though there were patches of better looking bush and a few good game trails along some of the creek edges.
Was one shot at 8:30, Then heard another at 10:12 from the forestry clearing, walking down in the morning it appeared to be a possum that they got. a third shot around 11 from towards Katikati woke me up so some people out spot lighting.
