Andrew & Nic's Adventures: South Ohau & Dowling Falls, Tararua FP, Mar 2020

Tuesday, 5 May 2020

South Ohau & Dowling Falls, Tararua FP, Mar 2020

Celebrating International Day of the Lady with Nicola & Missy

During December 2019 we visited North Ohau with Nick and Missy Smith with a plan of also visiting South Ohau. A hot afternoon, the Dominion Post and a vino or two on the deck of North Ohau put paid to those plans and that turned out to be a pleasant, if short, weekend trip to North Ohau and return.

But we had unfinished business in the Ohau, so in March 2020 Missy joined Nicola and I for a return trip, this time to South Ohau Hut.

The trip leaves from Poads Road, just east of Levin.

The A team

15 minutes crossing farmland (thanks to the generous farmer who allows this) and we're into the bush.

Nicola & Missy at the Waiopehu turnoff

And it's not to long until we're off the track and into the Ohau River.

It's easy travel, nothing much over the knees in March, and not to cold.

Typical of the many crossings

Almost godly!

Under the Rimu

We didn't count the river crossings but there were many.

Yet another

Toi toi

South Ohau

South Ohau is a lovely hut with great afternoon sun which made for great deck reading, adn another vino thanks to Missy.

We enjoyed the company of instructors from the Makahika Outdoor Pursuit Centre who were traveling with 15-20 girls completing a Duke of Ed trip. Luckily the girls had to practice their tenting skills on the flat below the hut!

Lady Stags

The river takes on a different character above the hut, as it winds toward Dowling Falls; much less water with the Butchers Creek catchment joining the river at the hut.