Heritage Lodge & Tunipo

Location: Ruahine Forest Park

Trampers: Chris and Emma G

Our walk in: 1km in 25mins to Heritage Lodge Hut

Our walk up Tunipo: 5,6km in 3hrs to near the summit
Our walk out: 6km in 3hrs back to the carpark

DOC Link for Heritage Lodge

We decided to spend a night at Alice Nash Heritage Lodge as a base for our trip up the Ruahine Whio Protector trapline that runs from the Tunipo turn-off up to the summit at 1568m.

Sporting our new RWP beanies at the lodge

We made the 25min walk in to the hut during the evening and were tucked up in bed after a cuppa by 10pm. It was windy and drizzly, and we wondered what was in store for our walk up Tunipo the next morning.

Looking north from the Tunipo track

With around 70 traps to reset, we were out the door by 8am, making our way along the ridge through some nice bush, to the sound of Riflemen and Grey Warblers. We gradually gained altitute as the bush gave way to leaetherwood, which in turn became tussock.

One of 3 rats cleared from the traps

Once out on the tops the wind was whipping us with light rain as we headed for the summit. With just 2 traps to go and another 200m up a steep windswept precipice, we decided to call it a day and head back down to the safety of the bushline.

Quick selfie before turning back