We left Bracken Ave just after 7:30 am on Saturday morning and drove down to Franklin Rd, then walked
a short distance along the road before turning right onto Dean Track. This track starts off uphill through
farmland. We passed a paddock of inquisitive young cattle on the way before entering the bush of the
Kaimai Mamaku Forest Park. We carried on along Dean Track until we met the Mangakino Pack track. We had
a short stop at the junction for refreshments and then carried on along the Mangakino Pack track until
we reached the junction of the Daly clearing loop track. After about 10 minutes we reached the clearing
and Daly’s Hut. Three day walkers were ahead of us but they headed off back to their cars when we arrived
at the hut. Ann Vukojevich was sitting in the sunshine at the hut waiting for us to arrive. After a good
catch up with Ann and some photos Ann headed back to her car on Franklin Rd via the loop track. We took
approximately 2 hours to tramp in from our cars to Daly’s Hut. Easy tramp and through some very nice
established native bush. We rested and read until it was time to cook dinner. Dinner was rice risotto
followed by an almond biscuit. Two trampers from the United Kingdom arrived and we discovered that they
were on a working holiday in New Zealand and were about to head to a hop farm near Murchison to work
for three weeks.
Sunday morning after breakfast we headed back to our cars on the Dalys loop
track. This track meets the Waitawheta Tramway track. This track was muddy and steep downhill in places.
Approximately 1 hour till we reached our cars.
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