Whakamaramara

[3VILC]

Does anyone oh here from around Tauranga area 4wd up the end of Whakamaramara or Te Tuhi track? Ive been up here a couple of times, and both times I've had to rescue strangers Hilux`s out of the same bog, both with dead batteries (cue twilight zone music ). And its in a p***k of a place to try tow a dead truck from! The 1st one I was by myself and ended up leaving up there and just taking the guys home, the 2nd took 2 trucks joined together to snatch out and pull up the hill. Just curious as to how far the track actually goes as the old nissan diffs get stuck between the ruts just before this bog so i havent even tried it yet. Contemplating getting a spade and shaving the top of the track off but not much point if the track doesnt go much further. And yes..really wishing I'd brought 35s instead of 33s now .

[mercutio]

i used to live up there
my old neighbour was right into his 4wheeling and was a member of the BOP club he has a FJ40 with a turbo diesel in it he would know how far it goes lol

[amateur]

hey i after that bog i dont go much further there is a side track half way up that goes for quite a away hasnt been driven on for ages though. but i think that te tuhi track links up only with walking a quad track that goes off from the car park.

[tpft]

put it on the 4wd trck list?

[3VILC]

I think i saw that side track. Well, mustof, admittedly there arent many tracks that come off that actually go anywhere other than into little hunters tracks. But i did go for a quick walk down 1 that looked like it went some way, didnt appear to be any more overgrown that the rest tho i only walked maybe 100m or so in. So not too much point destroying my truck trying to get thru that bog then? I see some buggers have been ploughing extra tracks at the last clearing too..beats me as to why theres a perfectly good track already.
But yeh..all in all is a good little afternoons play close to home.. good brief mix of rocks, axle twisting holes, and some mud. I think it is what maybe 35 40min to the last clearing/play area..several hours if you venture down to the bog and get stuck
Im going out for a play round that area again tomorrow so might end up up there again at some point

[tgaguy1]

This wouldn't be on the DOC land that we aren't allowed on is it? I believe this track was mentioned along with others at last weeks BOP club meeting. Correct me if I'm wrong, as I would be keen to explore it if we are allowed in there.

[3VILC]

This was what i was wondering also i did spot something somewhere about it being locked at some point in previous time due to too much damage. I know the leyland o'brian tramway leads off of here which is a doc walkway, but you cant drive down there anyway theres a bloody great boulder at the start lol.
There isnt one of those doc signs that says no camping no vehicles etc etc. Plenty of hunters drive up there we ran into quite a few last weekend. There is only a sign saying council does not maintain the road past this point and may be unsuitable for vehicle use. Which we basically take to mean enter at your own risk

[3VILC]

If anyones bored tomorrow n knows of somewhere local let us know

[amateur]

Its sweet as to go in there so many people go in there because its pretty easy but that side track gets over grown after bout 1km but i would been keen to go in if i hadnt gone up thompsons lastnyt whats your number ill give you a txt some time when we are going out.

[DJ]

Hi I'm keen to have a look around sometime as Im only just over the hill in Ngongotaha .. but where abouts is the Te Huhi track and Whakamarumaru couldnt find it on any maps ??
cheers

[3VILC]

look up whakamaramara rd. te tuhi track is apparently maori land and access has been blocked anyway. but we made a good afternoon of it. theres another side track you might know where im talking.. theres a big water hole that looks very uninviting but if u stick hard to the left its very solid underneath (but not in the middle as i found out trying to turn up the side track ), theres another track off to the right there apparently theres a play area up there somewhere, i only went in a little way to rescue one of the other trucks that was with us who'd managed to miss some ruts coming down a hill and wedged himself firmly under a tree lol.
I imagine much more rain and it would start to become very difficult without some track maintenance getting pretty dug up in places. but theres a few good play holes in the clearings also some of which are not for the faint hearted including me lol.
But i got nothing on for the weekend other than work in the morning

[Oversteer]

Go up thompsons track to the pines as its way better than whaka, alot more challenging and heaps more tracks

[Bush Chef]

I went up there last night and the track is blocked of with a large wall at the start but no sign explaining why.
Also there is now a no trespassing sign at the entrance to the pines now.
Is there any other tracks around our area ?
Also the southern side of Tompsons is blocked by a large slip half way up

[3VILC]

Whakamarama..cant be, theres a few guys on here that go up there pretty often. I did hear the pines is locked now tho, which sucks

[Bush Chef]

Yer mate it is I went last night after work and there is a large concrete barrer like they use for road works blocking the entrance. There is also a large excavator on the big grassy corner just before u get there. My guess is closed for repair.
I been going up there for years its a good drive

[Bush Chef]

$160,000 repair project fixing the road to the big clearing and upgrading carpark for better access to the walking tracks for the public.
They reckon end of April if they get good weather

[3VILC]

Ah man that sux..so that will be another track that is turned into a highway, and no doubt the rest of the driveable part from the clearing will be blocked off from vehicles after that. Guess i'll have to stick to tracks in the eastern bay now. Theres a good one up manawahe, and supposed to be going out with a couple of the club guys to somewhere in the murapara area in a few weeks

[ol_smokey.]

Yup the bastards have had a good go at the start of the 4x4 track. The first clearing is referred to as the blade as there used to be an old digger blade up there. The track that leads around to the left then climbs up arround the hill and into the thicker nativ has been use as a quarry leaving the start of the track sourounded in boulders. Myself and plenty of mates use whaka as it's nice and close a good place to test out new mods, and we certainly won't be having a bar of whatever half ass attempt they have at keeping us out. A dozen pairs of hands with shovels will turn those rocks into a nice little climb

[3VILC]

Ah yup sounds about bloody right! Ahhh i've seen a few references to the blade in old as posts on some hunting forums, wondered if that was the same place, tho i'd never spotted anything ressembling a bulldozer blade around there but figured it mustve been overgrown or something.
That hill used to be a good test as it was if the track was even slightly wet, used to serve as keeping most unequipped vehicles from getting further into trouble as they couldnt get up there anyway. suppose in summer you mite've made it with AT's on tho. Be good to see it usable again. Been up manawahe now, well some of it at least. Bit dry, sandy base good grip, nothing like that kaimai clay, lots of good axle twisters tho, and supposed to be a whole lot more fun further in or when its wetter in winter

[klompy]

Were abouts in Manawahe do you go.

[3VILC]

Porter rd area..into some long since dis-used logging tracks and to what apparently used to be the site of an old mill many moons ago

[klompy]

Used to go there years ago but I've heard its pretty rough in there now.

[3VILC]

The way we went in i didnt think was too bad at all..pretty overgrown definately not for trucks with nice paint, but track is still well defined the bush has just loved the warm wet "summer". Track was good to drive, free draining pumice makes its quite dry, some fairly nasty alternating axle twisters where the natural water channel swaps from one side of the track to the other. My old leaf sprung hilux with near standard length front shocks (for now) managed alrite with a bit of loud pedal to push it over a few of the bigger drop-outs where it would lift a wheel. Tho i was informed by friend with us whos a bit more of a regular that it does get a little more hard out if you continue on some of the other tracks leading out of the mill site, and theres another harder way in from the road, as with most of the places we go several ways in and out linking up at various points. I think ive located it on a topo map. Supposed to be a lot more fun in the wetter season too. I'm keen once i've got a snorkel project done

[ol_smokey.]

no real update still a mess up there. the track is wider and re graveld, but the same old soft spots are still there... just hafto wait and see

[3VILC]

Oh well..keep us posted man, fingers crossed we still end up with a place to play, the clay makes it a good challenge and a few places to play, stop n shoot sum cans etc lol. whats the go with the pines is that still all locked up both ends? good memories of getting hella stuck and sleeping up there lol. Apparently the previous owner of my truck did thompsons rite over, don't know if i'd believe that or be keen to try it the other side i did when i first got my safari years ago, another place that needs to be revisited

[ol_smokey.]

yea the pines gate is open again but that's thanks to a pair of bolt cutters i suspect... tho i am finding it verry hard to not to go for a little play
went up thomsons waikato side on saturday and katti side the week before. real keen to try the top and back kati side in a day if anybody is keen maby later in the week im thinking.....

[wopass]

went up thomsons waikato side on saturday...

what were you driving?

[ol_smokey.]

haha a little black suzuki towed behind a red surf i think we saw ya there on sat evening you guys have a good day?

[terranoman]

Where is this pines track at Thomos you speak of ????

[3VILC]

Thompsons Track Rd, katikati side, a few k's after the tar seal ends. On the right, heading up towards the offroad part, on a left hand bend if i remember correctly. Only thing inside the gate is a big mud pit leading up a hill, one of the hardest climbs last time i went up there. Theres another gate further back that we used to come out, also i believe if you cross the stream that track leads you out to Lund Road, never tried it and believe it pretty hardcore.