This Sunday tramp on the southern side of Mt Te Aroha was perfect. Beautiful crisp morning, no clouds, and as we drew closer to the Kaimais and Mt Te Aroha, fog gently adorned the mountain, with subtle autumnal light illuminating everything.

    Although we all felt for the surrounding farms, still extensively flooded, it made for a stunning foreground with the towering 956-metre Te Aroha behind.

    The recent heavy rain in had scoured many of the streams, waterfalls and tributaries. The first major stream we reached had us scrambling around the massive boulders, trying to keep out of the faster-flowing water. Most of us failed to keep the inside of our boots dry, but it was worth the discomfort to see this beautiful stream.

    A few more stream crossings later we were on an extremely steep track, finally reaching one of the three inclines in the area, all part of the fascinating gold-mining history of the late 1800s.

    Waiorongamai has a strange history with the club, because we always seem to find things there. One time we found a couple of lost trampers who were out for a day trip and ended up being stuck overnight (they were very happy to see us). Another time we found a kid stuck halfway down a waterfall (a baby goat just a few weeks old).

    If you haven’t been to Waiorongamai yet, it’s worth the visit, with all of the waterfalls, which you’ll quickly lose count of, and the gorgeous tracks.