Mangahao - Makahika Track

Monday Feb 28th 21.5 kms 6 hours

Another drive up the winding Mangahao Rd from Shannon to the other side of the hill near the Tokomaru No 3 Reservoir. Signs advising of logging trucks fortunately did not result in any appearing.

So, off around to the other side of the reservoir, and then onto the track itself - a well formed track with easy gradients, that wound its way up through what was initially very dark bush (a cloudy morning). Such a good track in fact that in less than 2 hours from the track sign I reached the Horowhenua Lookout - on paper supposed to be a 3-4 hr walk.

Anyway, views out across the district with Shannon, Foxton, Foxton Beach, and the Manawatu River able to be identified via binoculars. Soon after there was a different view along the length of the Makahika Valley, which is where the track was to take me - down, down and more down, before arriving alongside the little Makahika Stream, which the track them crossed and recrossed many times, following the path of an old bush tramway for a long way. Following that, through open scrub and farmland, out onto the end of Gladstone Rd.

A few kms walk down the road, then up to the end of Poads Rd, from where the Tararua Tops section of Te Araroa starts. This is a short drive from Levin.