Location: Kaimai Ranges
Date: 27th - 28th February 2025 Author: Johnny Stavropoulos.
Participants: Sean Mullins, Johnny Stavropoulos, Mason Milne, Max Whatmough, Daphne Zondag, Blair Mclean, Emma Savage, David Huckle, Roger Mond.
On a quiet Thursday morning before the start of the semester, an unlikely band of allies met beneath the famous Clock Tower. One arrived fresh from another trip the past night, one arrived with a slightly pallid appearance after a night on the town, and one arrived 40 minutes late, thanks to some classic Harbour Bridge traffic that made all present question just how excited they were to be back in Auckland for another several months.
Our two cars took very different journeys to the Kaimais, with one travelling directly there through Te Aroha and the other being led by a questionable google maps that appeared insistent on choosing the most isolated country roads possible. Nevertheless, we arrived at the base of the mountain range, and, after advising one group member that 6 litres of water was potentially a little excessive, we were ready to begin our ascent.
Our first destination was a lookout to Wairere Falls - the tallest waterfall on North Island. We kept a decent pace and reached it in the exact 45 minutes we had predicted, before stopping for a quick break to admire the view and have some chit-chat, involving a few barbs at how our effective timekeeping compared to a certain AUTC President’s. It was at this point we realised that one of our number was missing.
Having apparently gone back to a water break spot just a few minutes back to pick up a left-behind pair of sunglasses, our other member had failed to appear for far longer than the task should have taken. This forced us to send someone else off downhill to look for him. However, not long after our scout’s departure our missing person returned… from ahead on the track, where he had apparently made a wrong turn and run all the way to the summit before realising it was taking a little too long to be the right direction.
While this was welcome news, it now meant we had a second missing party behind us on the track, and so our original lost member was dispatched once again to fetch him. When we had finally resolved our Looney Toons-esque capers of people running back and forth looking for each other, we realised that we had now spent over 90 minutes on the track and were still only at our 45 minute mark. We decided to refrain from future gloating about time management and press on with a little hustle.
Fortunately, we were able to make it to the top of the waterfall with no further delay. Unfortunately we were then faced with a host of health and safety concerns, as two people decided it would be wise to lower someone over the edge by their legs to get a better view of the pool midway down, while another revealed that he had just been stung by a bee for the first time and may or may not have an allergy. To much relief, no harm came to pass, and everything appeared to be in good order again. It was then that a certain member told us he had left his sunglasses behind again.
Eventually we were able to reunite and make our way along the North South track to Te Whare Okioki Hut, our base for the night, and a very nice hut all considered - even featuring solar powered lights and phone chargers. Some might say we became a little too comfortable there, leaving us unprepared for the dangers that would only reveal themselves when night fell…
But for the rest of the evening we had a lovely old time - a filling group meal of nachos and a rousing game of Pass the Pigs, which came to a dramatic climax as - just as another player was about to win - one challenger rose all the way from 0 to 98 points in a series of over 20 throws, only to lose it all again at the last hurdle. We also played a few rounds of mafia, made intriguing not only by their conflict and deception but also by its varying settings, seeing us go from small-town Sicily to a bustling New York pizza restaurant (which may or may not have contained poisoned pepperoni).
When night came, however, we were joined by some unexpected guests - a group of possums. Each of us sprang into action in our own way - some running to close up tents, some carting food supplies inside, and others going on the offensive with torches and hiking poles. Unfortunately, the poles did not prove an especially effective weapon, leading to our would-be pest wrangler looking rather more like a golfer trying to get out of a bunker.
Said hiking pole did receive its fair share of use as a protective device for nighttime bathroom trips however - but did not prove sufficient when one individual stepped outside only to find the back end of a possum poking out of someone’s pack, having chewed through both the pack exterior and a ziplock bag inside to get at some trail mix. In hindsight, this does make it a very good thing that one member decided to sleep on the hut floor rather than out on the porch like originally intended, narrowly evading some truly undesirable bedfellows.
Our return journey brought with it an extra layer of intrigue thanks to one member of the group deciding to run ahead, but leaving messages behind in the form of arrangements of sticks. Tensions also began to develop over the risks of cutting salami - with concerns that it might lead to accidentally splitting an atom and causing an explosion. Fortunately, the salami proved safe, and we were able to reunite with our forward scout at the waterfall. Our arrival at the waterfall prompted a collective gasp from the group - not in admiration of its beauty, but in the fact that we now had data again.
One group member was found watching Instagram reels, prompting some questions about whether the phone chargers at the hut were actually for the best. After that concerning display of Gen Z brainrot, a collective decision was made to reconnect with nature, leading to a heartwarming group tree-hug, although one which admittedly may not have helped to beat the AUTC cult allegations.
Thanks to that, and a brief swimming stop, we made our way back to the base of the mountain in commendably high spirits. After a well-deserved scran in Te Aroha, we were even able to make it into Auckland before the afternoon traffic, bringing a very successful - if not at times chaotic - trip to a close.
Wairere Falls is an incredibly beautiful site - both the lookout point towards the waterfall itself and the stunning panoramic view from its top make it a fantastic destination; and a perfect choice for a day trip, being only a couple of hours’ drive from Auckland and taking about 90 minutes one-way to the top. But to extend the trip, Te Whare Okioki is a great hut to spend a night at - situated in a lovely little clearing and with good facilities. Our only warning would be to watch out, both for the possums and for any atomic salami you may have brought. Stay safe out there, folks.
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