Length: Around 11 km return, boardwalk steps most of the way (~600m climb)
Time taken: under 2 hours to Pouakai Hut from Mangorei road-end, 15 minutes from hut to tarns
Difficulty: Easy, but uphill
Facilities: Track departs from the end of Mangorei Rd (not even a carpark, so don’t get your hopes up about a toilet or fresh water). Hut costs $15 and works on a first-come, first-served basis – use a serviced hut ticket from DOC. 16 bunkbeds split across two rooms, fire & firewood, external water tap, two long-drops.
Why this walk?
I mean … do I even need to explain? This walk had been on my to-do list since I moved to the North Island. I’ll just leave this photo here to show why.
How to get there
The trailhead is actually only 25 minutes’ drive from New Plymouth, down a sealed road. Take SH3 south out of town towards Whanganui, and turn right onto Mangorei Rd and drive all the way to the end. It’s that simple.
When Matt and I arrived (on a beautiful Saturday afternoon), there was already 20 cars parked along the sides of the road, and we were warned by some people coming back to their cars that there was a group of about 20 kids & 4 adults who were staying at the (16 bunk-bed) hut. Pouakai Hut is first-come, first-served, and is also the most popular hut in the Taranaki region – so Matt and I had already been pushing it by leaving in the late afternoon. We resigned ourselves to the fact that we might be paying the $15 hut fee to sleep on the floor, and set off.
Tramping to Pouakai Tarns
From the end of the sealed road (too generous to really say carpark, although there really should be one!), continue up the gravel road for 10 minutes, before passing by a water tank on your right and seeing the above sign. You wouldn’t guess from the photo, but just as we were setting off with our big overnight packs, a pair of young walkers came out of the woods wearing jandals and white, ripped jeans – probably not the best gear to be wearing on a mountain that’s notorious for its changeable weather, and for a track that’s part mud/all step.
The first 10-20 minutes of the track proper is made up of rubber matting (see below) and is relatively flat to warm up your muscles. The majority of the rest of the track all the way to the hut is boardwalk (also below), which is relatively common in Taranaki where a combination of heavy rain and foot traffic easily cause erosion. Most of the boardwalk on Mangorei Track takes the form of small but unrelenting steps, and can be very slippery when wet as there isn’t any wire for grip. Matt and I were really surprised to see so many people running up and down the track because,a) that’s crazy and, b) how did they not break both ankles? I had a hard enough time walking slowly with a pack and my ankle-high boots, and did roll my ankle on the way down.
Because of the boardwalk, you’d have to really try to get lost. The track climbs steadily, and eventually just a little below the hour mark you’ll come out onto a ridge with lower scrub and some slight views (but they get better, trust me). This is where Matt and I had a small rest, before pushing ourselves on as we didn’t want to miss the sunset on the tarns.
From the ridge, the track turns to the left/east and winds around some bluffs – pretty much the only part of the track where the boardwalk is interrupted by rocks, and where I rolled my ankle coming down. The track was pretty muddy here when we did it, so I can only imagine that after a decent downpour this would be pretty flooded/slick.
The track starts crossing numerous streams, pretty much all of them bridged, as it continues around the side of the hill and slowly veers back to the south again. The views from here are pretty spectacular over New Plymouth and the plains to the north and east of Taranaki.
Continuing the sidle around the hill will eventually give you a first glimpse of the hut, with still a little climb left. Normally at this stage in an overnight tramp you’re ready to dump your bag, take off your boots and socks, sit down and eat some food that isn’t scroggin. Except in this case for us, where we just wanted to see if there were any bunks left to claim (we still didn’t have high hopes) before keeping the pace going up and over to the tarns.
The hut was pretty packed when we arrived, with a local iwi group of about a dozen kids and three adults, as well as two ladies completing the Pouakai Crossing, and a man who’d driven from Auckland, hiked in and passed us while we had been resting on the ridge (and who spent a lot of time with us taking photos at the tarns, although he was an award winning photographer and we … weren’t). For those of you good at math, you may notice that this was a lot more than would fit in 16 bunk beds. The local group however had very kindly smooshed the kids in their group into the upstairs platforms in both bunk rooms, leaving two bunk beds on one of the downstairs platforms free for any late arrivals – us! The whole way up we’d been dreading that we’d have to be sleeping on the wooden floor, so it was lovely to arrive to a roaring fire and the last two mattresses. No sleeping on a wooden floor for us (unfortunately that’s what the three (very) late arrivals had to do after us).
Matt and I quickly claimed the last two beds with our sleeping bags, rearranged our bags – popping some food and warm layers into Matt’s pack to take with us, before continuing on up the track above the hut. Only 5 minutes grunt up, gives you your first view of Taranaki (if he’s not being moody behind the clouds).
I was blown away by our first glimpse of Taranaki – only a little bit of cloud and some colour from the sunset just starting.
After reaching the track junction and the top of the ridge, we turned left/east and headed towards the tarns. I didn’t take many photos on the way, as we were racing the sunset – hence why most of these photos are from the next morning when we could take our time (sorry if that’s a bit confusing). The tarns soon came into view, but the walk down to them felt like that dream where no matter how long you walk, you get no closer to your goal.
But we eventually made it, slipping and sliding down the ice- & snow-covered steps, just as the sun started dipping below the horizon.
Our friend who’d passed us on the way up was already there with an amazing camera set-up, but I was too awe-struck by the view to feel embarrassed or like a novice. After months of dreaming about this place, we were finally here – with amazing weather that doesn’t often happen on Taranaki – the mountain was clear and snowy, reflecting back the setting sun.
The photos say it all. I was so happy, Matt claims his face was hurting from the cold, but mine hurt from smiling. It was beyond beautiful, and I felt so privileged to be able to experience it.
Matt and I walked back to the hut, buzzing, to make up our freeze-dried meals, sit in front of the fire and eat some good, warm food. We hijacked a game of Last Card with the two ladies completing the full Pouakai Crossing, and accidentally won every game. Our photographer friend showed us his photos, as well as amazing drone footage he’d taken over some Auckland beaches. The evening came to an end as we sipped hot chocolate (we forgot the Baileys though, sorry Grace) and listened to the local Māori group korero about the history of the maunga to their tamariki, which was a different type of special experience that we were also privileged to share.
We headed off to bed, very full and very content – ready for a good sleep and happy that we were going to be spending the night on mattresses rather than the kitchen floor. However the only downside to having such a short walk in, is that we didn’t immediately fall into an exhausted sleep – instead Matt and I (as well as the photographer, we learnt the next morning) spent most of the night awake, worried about one of the other tramper’s sleep apnoea (I’ve never heard someone snore so loudly on both the inhale and exhale, or sound like they were choking while snoring). At one point in the early hours of the morning, I even considered moving into the kitchen, the only thing stopping me was the thought that maybe the three late arrivals who were already sleeping there would be just as bad. I think this hut experience tops even the angry German sleepwalker I had to sleep next to in Milford.
Matt and I slept in a little the next morning, in a (failed) attempt to catch up on some of the sleep we’d missed out on during the night (reminder to self: always pack ear plugs when sleeping in a hut). We postponed breakfast to head back up to the tarns for sunrise (the perks of late winter sunrises) and met our photographer friend there (he also complained about forgetting ear plugs and looked a bit worse for wear). It was nice being able to take our time on our second trip up and over, and really take in the views. Taranaki was in a very different mood compared with the previous evening, much more cloudy – it was great to be able to experience his different moods.
We lingered quite a while at the tarns, wondering if the clouds would clear any more. The ladies completing the Crossing came and went, as did a few more crazy trail runners who must have started from the carpark before it was even light. Eventually it was time to head back to the hut, grab some breakfast for our growling stomachs, and head back down to the car.
We had our porridge, packed our bags and cleaned up the hut, before heading back down to the car. On the way up we hadn’t really stopped as we were wanting to get to the tarns in time for sunset, and on our way down we made the mistake of not stopping much either – my knees gave me the bill for that the next day.
This was one of my favourite trips, and one that I will definitely do again (although perhaps as part of the Pouakai Crossing to make things more interesting). The views of Taranaki from the ridges above Ahukawakawa Swamp are ones that you would never get sick of, and ones that are always changing depending on the season and weather.
Taranaki is truly a magical place.
Safety
As always, please stay safe when you’re out exploring. Follow the Land Safety Code:
- Choose the right trip for you (read my article on tramping safety, or check out other tracks in the Pouakai range)
- Understand the weather (conditions change notoriously quickly on Taranaki)
- Pack warm clothes and extra food (check out my post here about what gear you need to take)
- Share your plans and take ways to get help (have an emergency beacon on your person)
- Take care of yourself and each other
If you’re not feeling super confident then you can always get in touch with me here on the blog or on my Instagram. Or take a look at my Tramping 101 series which includes this post about how to stay safe in the outdoors.
Also don’t be a dick, check out my guide to New Zealand tramping etiquette.
Stay safe and get outside!
You’ll be pleased to hear there is now a massive carpark about 200m from the roadend, and toilets. It makes parking up there much more bearable!
So much better!!