KING’S BIRTHDAY WEEKEND 2024
TONGARIRO NATIONAL PARK
ALL PARTIES
31 May (Friday).
6pm Depart Como Street, Takapuna
10:30 pm Arrive Forest & Bird Lodge, Whakapapa Village. Members of Home Party stay in the Lodge, others sleep on the bus. (Option to sleep in Lodge -subject to availability)
4 June (Tuesday).
12 to 2 pm: Departure from Tongariro area
6 pm. Arrive Auckland (Como St)
HOME PARTY (6) 
Accommodation – Forest & Bird Lodge, Whakapapa Village (arrive 31 May, depart 4 June)
1 June; by bus (together with Out Party 1) to Ohakune Mountain Road, walk up Blythe Track to Blythe Hut (and/or Maungahuehu Hut, depending on weather and preference) and back to carpark.
2 June: Lower Tama Lake
3 June Taranaki Falls circuit (or Whakapapiti Hut)
4 June (morning only) Soda Springs walk. Pick up Out Party 2 from Ohakune Mountain Road around noon.
OUT PARTY 1 (FIT) (6) 
1 June By bus to Ohakune Mountain Road, drive up to carpark. Walk up Blyth Track to Maungahuehu Hut (3 hrs), then to Rangipo Hut (20 - Green ticket ), total about 8 hours’ walking.
2 June: to Waihohonu Hut (28 - Green ticket), 5 hours
3 June via Oturere Hut and Emerald Lake to Mangatepopo Hut (23- Green ticket), 8 hours
4 June Return to Whakapapa village, 3 hours
OUT PARTY 2 (Medium) (8)
1 June Whakapapa to Waihohonu Hut (28 - Green ticket), via Upper Tama Lake, 7-8 hours
2 June. To Rangipo Hut (20 - Green Ticket) – 5 hours
3 June. To Blyth Hut (18 - Green Ticket) – 6 hours
4 June. Walk down Blyth Track to Ohakune Mountain Road (3 hrs), pick-up around noon.
Numbers
Home Party – 6
Out Party 1 (Fit) - 6
Out Party 2 (Medium) – 8
Cost - Please pay $50 deposit on booking to secure your registration.
Home Party $185
Out Parties $125
Should any member of the out parties wish to stay in the lodge on the night of Friday 31 May for an extra cost of $30, please indicate (subject to availability).
NOTE
All participants must be fully equipped for winter conditions – warm clothing, gloves, a good rain jacket and waterproof over-trousers.
Organiser: Chris Bilham
Driver: Craig O'Neill
Maps:
Members of the two Out Parties should make their own arrangements for paying for the huts. Those we plan to stay at are all serviced huts and require a green ticket ($25, available from Bivouac Albany, DOC and other outlets). All these huts are “first come, first served”* so trampers should bring a tent in case the huts are full.
- In fact Waihohonu and Mangatepopo are Great Walk huts and have to be booked in advance during the summer.
