Tramper: Chris
Distance: 7.6k to hut
My walk in: 3hrs 25mins (with photo & drink stops)
From the car-park at Petersons Road you can look right up the Oroua Valley to the snow capped peaks in the distance. The first part of the tramp goes down into the bush, over the bridge and on to the Alice Nash Memorial (Heritage) Hut.
The track then sidles along above the Oroua River, with some nice views both upstream and downstream. There are some good looking fishing and swimming pools along the way.
The track drops down in several places to cross side streams. There is a steep clamber over roots up from the Cumberland Stream, and another good rise up from the biggest stream, the Tunipo. You'd want to watch these two after heavy rain.
The track keeps on rolling up the valley through very mossy dark bush, over a couple of sunny slips, and comes down to the river's edge at a couple of points. Suddenly the hut appears as you round a corner in the track.
Iron Gate Hut is perched on a grassy clearing above the river's edge. It's pretty basic but is set in beautiful surroundings. A quick scramble and you are down on the river boulders to collect some water for a cuppa.
I looked down into one of the many pools below and saw a good sized rainbow trout, and this little fella, my first Whio sighting. There are around 12 Whio living in this river catchment.
You know it's cold when there is frost inside the hut in the morning, but once on the trail I enjoyed the walk out as it warmed up. The return seemed easier although it took slightly longer. I spooked a hind as I rounded a corner in the track, she was out feeding in the sun around 10.30am.
Something to look forward to on a fine day is the views over the central plateau once you reach the Petersons Road car-park. It makes the last uphill stretch through the farmland worth it.
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