8 keen members travelled down on the Friday night to the Aongatete Road end (located off SH2 near Katikati) ready for an early start on the Saturday morning. Early drizzle on the Saturday morning cleared as we set off for the first part of the trip to set up our camp sites at the river before the North–South Track ascends to the saddle.

Our enthusiastic track clearers made excellent progress and with the new track clearing tools provided by the Kaimai Ridgeway Trust short work was made of some dense foliage overgrowing the track. ~1.5kms of track was cleared up to the top of the saddle, meeting the Wairere Falls track. This trip marks a 5 year milestone with track clearing now completed from the Aongatete side up the North South Track to the top of the saddle near the Southern end approached from Wairere Falls track.

This epic result represents 838.5 hrs worked since the first Club Track Clearing Party in October 2016.

Almost 90% of the track has been cleared, and only one section is left to clear from the Southern Side of the saddle. It is hoped the Kaimai Ridgeway Trust will be successful in gaining DOC approval to build a hut on the top of the saddle. Kevin.