Arch Bridge
The Arch Bridge 17 crosses the Umutoi Stream about halfway along the track between the carpark at the end of Petersons Road 14 and Heritage Lodge.
The bridge, erected by the NZ Army Corps of Royal Engineers from Linton, replaced a wire swing bridge.
A point to ponder: Why is the bridge arched rather than flat?
A caution: The bridge footway can be very slippery in wet or icy weather.
Coal Creek Walk
It is possible to walk upstream along Coal Creek to the beginning of Knight’s Track at its junction with Deerford Track 10. You’ll be in water most of the way and there’s a very rough and stony creek bed. Also, you’re in shade for virtually the whole way. Part-way along there is a high rock barrier which needs to be climbed – rope (not supplied) will be needed for this.
Cone Creek
Cone Creek, another picturesque stream, issues from the foothills, passes through the Sixtus Lodge property below the terrace, then across farmland and into Coal Creek.
Cone Creek Walk
A walk along the stream bed of Cone Creek6 can be quite interesting. As with most of the streams in the area, the bed is stony and very uneven, and enclosed within a valley for much of the way. About an hour upstream of the road bridge 6 there is a narrow cutting which is difficult to pass through unless you have some eight metres of rope.
Groups taking this excursion must return along the stream bed and not climb on to and traverse the adjacent farmland.
Deerford—Diagonal—Shorts’ Loop Walk
This is a worthwhile tramp for primary school children as it enables groups to undertake an interesting and, in parts, challenging tramp in reasonable safety and comfort. The entire route remains below the bush-line and, as it is a loop walk, little backtracking is required. The walk, from the carpark at the end of Limestone Road and back, should be able to be completed in four to five hours, and this includes a stop for lunch at the highest park of the walk (at the intersection12 of The Diagonal with Shorts’ Track).
The main decision is in which direction to go – clockwise or anti-clockwise. The Deerford section is an easy walk. The Shorts’ section is quite long and a steady climb whereas the Diagonal section is much steeper but also much shorter. Most groups tend to go clockwise – i.e along Deerford, up the Diagonal, down Shorts’ – and the following description takes that direction.
Access: First walk to the Deerford Track (see above). Travel eastwards (i.e. left) along the Deerford for about 30 minutes until a fork in the track is reached11. The right fork continues as ‘The Diagonal’ and zigzags upwards across a steep slope for about 30 minutes. It reaches Shorts’ Track just prior to that track’s exit from the bush 12. Then turn right and travel down Shorts’ until you reach its intersection with Deerford 9 (after about 50-60 minutes). Go back along the Deerford and follow the track back to Coal Creek and on to the trail-end at Limestone Road.
The Diagonal
The ‘Diagonal’ links the eastern end of the Deerford Track to Shorts’ Track, enabling a group to undertake an interesting and challenging loop walk in reasonable safety and comfort. See the ‘Deerford—Diagonal—Shorts’ Loop Walk’ entry. The actual Diagonal zigzags across a quite steep face. It is a stiff climb of about 30 minutes.
Access: The Deerford Track forks just before it reaches Coal Creek at its eastern end.11 The left fork drops down to Coal Creek while the right fork continues as ‘The Diagonal’ and climbs to meet Shorts’ Track just before that track exits from the bush into the leatherwood and tussock.12
Knight’s Track
Knight’s Track is one of two tracks in the vicinity which ascend to the crest of Ngamoko Range – the other being Shorts’ Track. It begins at the eastern end of Deerford Track, where it meets Coal Creek, and climbs to Toka Trig (1526 metres), which is some six kilometres from Sixtus Lodge. The track is quite steep in parts and, once beyond the bushline and into the leatherwood and tussock, poles and waratahs mark the route.
Access: From the carpark at the end of Limestone Road7, first walk to Deerford Track and continue until you reach a fork in the track after about 30 minutes. Take the left fork and within 50 metres or so you’ll be at Coal Creek. Cross Coal Creek10 and you’ll see the sign indicating the start of Knight’s Track.
A return trip from the Lodge to the top is likely to take over six hours and it should be noted that about half of this time could be spent in very exposed situations, and away from the protection of the bush. Even in sunny weather, conditions are likely to be chilly and, given the changeable weather so characteristic of our highland regions, a pleasant outing can very quickly become a life-threatening experience. Hypothermia and/or injury is always a possibility and leaders should be prepared for any eventuality. However, it has to be admitted that a real sense of achievement can be gained from reaching the top. It should be added that, in clear weather, Feilding, Palmerston North, Dannevirke and Kapiti Island can be seen from the top.
Ngahere a Tane
This was a study area near the start of the Deerford Track, designed primarily for school parties to familiarise them with some of the features of the native trees in the area. It consisted of a circuit of eight stations, each of which had its own point of interest. Sadly, storm damage has removed many of the locations of interest, although a few station signs can still be seen today.
Oroua River
The Oroua River is the largest river in the immediate vicinity. It winds its way down from the upper Western Ruahine Ranges to eventually flow into the Manawatu River south of Feilding. The river valley is a popular destination for tramping, hunting and fishing groups. It should be noted that the water is always cold and, when in flood, it is quite awe-inspiring but dangerous.
Oroua River Walk
The walk from the carpark14 at the end of Petersons Road down to the Oroua River takes about an hour. It is downhill virtually the whole way. But therein lies a problem: the return to the carpark is uphill! Thus, the return is going to take much longer and, if the conditions are wet and slippery, even up to three hours. But it is a walk that can be recommended as it uses a well-formed track – it’s an old logging road – and there is an excellent shelter or rest spot about halfway – Alice Nash Memorial Heritage Lodge
Access: From the carpark at the end of Petersons Road1 follow the track to the right and down the hill through farmland and into the Forest Park. The track continues over an Arch Bridge17, past a rather overgrown rifle range15 to eventually reach a fork. The left fork carries on down to the Oroua River while the right fork takes you to Heritage Lodge (about five minutes away) and the start of the Tunupo Track. If you intend to have a break at Heritage Lodge, you will need to return to the fork before carrying on down to the river along the well-defined track (please note that it can be rather wet and mucky in parts).
Red Rock
A good example of red rock formations can be seen 30 minutes upstream from where the Deerford Track crosses Coal Creek to become Knight’s Track10. Allow two to three hours return from Sixtus Lodge.
Shorts’ Track
Shorts’ Track (named after an identity of the district who wore shorts all year round) is one of two tracks in the vicinity which ascend to the crest of Ngamoko Range – the other being Knight’s Track. It starts at the western end of Deerford Track9 and ascends to eventually reach the crest at about 1350 metres – some six kilometres from Sixtus Lodge. It is a fairly steep track which, in inclement weather, can prove rather slow-going. Within the bush the track is well-defined but in the tussock its route is only marked by poles or waratahs. The comments about the exposed situation and possible difficulties that may be met, which are described for Knight’s Track, also apply to excursions up Shorts’ Track.
Access: Begin at the carpark at the end of Limestone Road7 and first walk to the fork of Deerford Track, where its intersects with the beginning of Shorts’ Track9.
Tunupo Track
The Tunupo Trig (1568 metres) is another of the trigs on the Ngamoko Range. It is some eight kilometres from the carpark at the end of Petersons Road and it would probably take more than four hours to just reach the trig. Then there is the return trip, either back down this track or along the crest and then down either Knight’s or Shorts’ Track.
While it is a fairly good track, it should be noted that much of it is beyond the shelter of the bushline and, with that fact, comes a host of potential hazards. The trip is probably beyond most primary school aged children and, apart from the sense of achievement gained through ‘making it’, one could question the value of taking such a group to the top.
Access: From the carpark at the end of Peterson’s Road 14 , follow the track towards Alice Nash Memorial Heritage Lodge (see that entry). At the track junction just before reaching Heritage Lodge, take the right fork onto Tunupo Track.
