Masterton Tramping Club

04/11/2026

Rocky Hills, 26 September 2026
A combined SWTC / MTC trip
Because the weather forecast for the Pahiatua area was poor, we changed from our planned Makairo Track walk to one closer to home.
The day was perfect.
It took an hour to drive the nearly 50 kilometres from Greytown to the end of Rocky Hills Road, with a stop at Gladstone to pick up Sandra.
A Department of Conservation sign at the road end showed the walking route to the Rocky Hills Sanctuary, and after deviating through a woolshed to avoid a locked gate we followed a clearly marked 4WD track along a ridge in open country, maintaining height. This puzzled
John, because his memory from 20+ years ago was of going downhill to the forest sanctuary.
Further puzzlement ensued when the marked route tried to lead us through (or over) another locked gate into Craigie Lea Forest. Instead, from this point we took a less travelled path down through young pine trees to the valley floor, uncertain of our position and wishing that we had GPS.
At Waipunga Stream, our surroundings seemed less unfamiliar.
Luxuriant native forest led us to believe that we were now at the northern boundary of the sanctuary, but subsequent analysis of the map suggests that we were still several hundred metres to the north of it. We elected to
follow a well-used road that climbed, was remembered by John and ultimately returned us to the woolshed.
Another look at the notice board showed that we’d have reached the north-eastern corner of the sanctuary had we gone a few hundred metres through the Craigie Lea Forest land.
With stops, the walk took about 3½ hours.
Stuart H, Sandra H, John R (coordinator) and Ingrid W.

02/11/2026

Awesome work team !

10/10/2026

More awesome work team! We appreciate it

02/10/2026

The Wednesday Trampers:
September 16th 2026
We had a successful trip up a trapping track and down the old Gentle Annie. Just a little drizzle. 7 Club Members, 2 Guests.

28/09/2026

Manawatu Gorge Scenic Reserve – sunny day out with spectacular views

A group of seven of us (Shona B, Peter B, David B, Sandra H, Heather, Josh and Monty) met up at 8.15am on Sunday 13 September to head off to the Woodville end of the track from the Ballance Gorge Road.

The track was well signposted with how many km ahead as well as descriptions pointing to native flora. Most of the walk was under the bush but we popped out at four lookouts with spectacular views, three of the gorge and one of the wind turbines.

Our big takeaway was that the signage for the walks to the lookouts was highly inaccurate eg where it says 10 minutes read 2 minutes or less!

There was a lot of ‘up’ but a largely meandering path which was easy underfoot. We had lunch around midday at the Te Apiti lookout which was about 7km in.

We then returned, partially taking an alternative path down to the bridges – faster and with good views of the Manawatu River. We then had time for a coffee and custard square stop in a cafe in Woodville! We got back to Masterton about 3.00pm after a steady walking day, not too demanding, though you do end up higher than the motorway opposite.

26/09/2026

Dobson Loop Track trip report
30/8/26

Six of us headed over the Remutaka Hill to the Kaitoke carpark for the start of the Dobson Loop Track. After a quick discussion, the knees voted we would attack the Loop in an anti-clockwise direction which meant that after lunch, we would be looking forward to a steep ascent heading up to Marchant Ridge Track rather than facing a steep descent.

Weather was Goldilocks, not too hot, not too cold, just right. There had been some rain in previous days however track up, down and through Puffer Saddle was good as long as you took your time and watched your foot placings. As it turned out, we were a week or two too early for the new wooden rafts that are to be installed on the Dobsons Track track courtesy of GWBN and VUWTC. The odd tree fall here and there but nothing that couldnt be climbed over, under or around.

We made it to Smiths Creek Shelter in around 2 1/2 hours where we had lunch at one of the nearby campsites in the sun. Then it was time to test the knees on the climb up to Marchant Ridge which took about 1 hr 20 mins, knees still intact. A quick break at the junction where Dobsons Hut used to be and then a stroll down the at times boggy and slippery Marchant Ridge to the carpark which was easier said than done. With two of the group losing their footing on the slippery clay track and ending up with bruised egos (no, it wasn't any of the ladies), we arrived back at the cars with a total time of 6 hrs 10 mins covering just over 15kms. All in all, a great loop track that will be better still once the new rafts are in place and maybe a couple of the treefalls on the Puffer track removed.

Thanks to Tanya, Rebecca, Michelle, Jacqueline, Josh and Tony (scribe) for a great day out. More redline country ticked off for all of us.

22/09/2026

Feedback welcome for this Nuku Ora project about our Community Spaces and Places

HAVE YOUR SAY! Help shape the future of sport and recreation spaces across the Wairarapa. Tell us how you use local facilities, parks, tracks, trails, waterways and other places for sport, active recreation and play and what could make them better 🌳🏑🛝

Head to this link to complete the short community survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TS2G3TD

Masterton District Council
Carterton District Council
South Wairarapa District Council
Wairarapa Bush Rugby Union
Hockey Wairarapa (Official)
Wairarapa Cricket
Wairarapa Tennis
Netball Wairarapa

22/09/2026

Trip report, Fensham Reserve 23 August 2026

After a very windy and wet night and morning, the weather fined up, blue sky arrived just in (perfect) timing for our walk at Fensham.
The group met at the Belvedere road entrance to the reserve, and headed down the track to the fabulous new shelter - tucked under the trees and with the picnic tables.
The 11 on the trip were from MTC and SWTC all keen for some fresh air (and of course a quiz!) We headed anticlockwise around the track, stopping to check out the large kahikatea trees in the swampy patch, zig-zagging up the hill to that amazing view across the plains (which was a little hazy due to the drizzle). While at the lookout we did our impromptu plant-ID quiz, with a cafe coffee as the prize - awarded to John R.
We continued around the track, checking out the fungi and orchids, with it being a bit breezy at the top of the hill, then descending back to the lower levels of the reserve. John R raced off ahead so he could get a head-start on biking to the cafe.
The group enjoyed 'coffee and cake' with custard square a popular choice (and of course the long-awaited sausage roll).
On the trip: Brenda, Katrina, John R, John W, Josh, Laura, Margaret, Mike H, Ron, Sandra, Viv.

13/09/2026

Masterton Tramping Club hosts an annual photo competition where Club members can submit up to 2 photos per category. The categories are the same as the FMC photo competition that we will submit our MTC comp winning photos to.