New Zealand Walk: Sunrise Tracks walks
Located in the mid eastern Ruahine Forest Park, Sunrise Hut is situated on the tops of the Ruahine Range. Sited in a tussock basin beside the bush edge at 1280m, the hut offers excellent views across the Hawke’s Bay.
The original hut was constructed in 1983 by NZFS. It was upgraded in 2005. This is a large hut that is a popular recreational destination for day trips or weekend visits. The hut is heated by a woodburner. It is a popular, easy walk for many family groups. In winter, there is generally snow around the hut.
Sunrise Hut Track
Time: 2 to 3 hours Sunrise Hut Track is one of the most popular tracks in the park, particularly with family and school groups. It is a high quality benched walking track which makes its way through changing forest types to the open tops. There are superb views of the Hawke’s Bay plains and excellent sunrises from the hut, which resides in a tussock basin beside the bush edge.
From behind Sunrise Hut there is a 30 minute route up to the sub-alpine herbfields at Armstrong Saddle where you can view Mt Ruapehu on a fine day. Caution is required in this exposed area where strong north westerly winds are common.
Smith’s Stream Hut Track
Time: 4 hours The Smith’s Stream Hut Track is a rugged track is suited for the more adventurous. From the Sunrise carpark follow the track for 1.5 kilometres to the Waipawa River. Slightly upstream and on the southern side there is a signpost marking the start of the track, which follows the forest edge to the park boundary. It passes through open regenerating scrub and forest to Middle Stream, then crosses the river and climbs steeply to a 1104 metres peak. The track then descends to Smiths Stream which is followed for 1 kilometre to reach the hut. The hut is the best remaining example in Hawke’s Bay of the original Forest Service SF40 designed huts constructed in the 1960’s and 70’s throughout the country for deer cullers.
Waipawa Forks Hut Track
Time: 2 hours Walking up the Sunrise Track and returning via the Waipawa River is an interesting trip. Approximately 1 hour from the Sunrise carpark, the track drops steeply down to the Waipawa River and the Waipawa Hut is located 200 metres downstream on the southern side of the river.
Sunrise carpark can be reached by walking an unmarked route down the Waipawa riverbed to farmland where a track climbs the true left bank and continues on for 2 kilometres to the carpark.
Please note that it can be dangerous to cross or follow the river when the water level is higher than normal.
Triplex Hut & SwampTrack
Time: 10 min to Triplex hut, 1 hour to Swamp Track
From the Sunrise carpark follow the farm track for 10 minutes to reach the Triplex Hut. This 12 bunk hut with grassy surrounds and space for camping is an ideal base for groups wishing to experience an overnight stay close to a road end.
About 100 metres before the hut is the access point to Swamp Track. This low level track meanders through a mix of beech, rimu and kahikatea forest at the base of Sunrise Track. This track can be completed in a circuit from Triplex Hut.
Triplex Hut and Stream and the Armstrong Saddle all derive their names from a pilot, Hamish Armstrong, who crashed onto the saddle in 1935. The plane wreck was found after several weeks of searching, but Armstrong himself was never traced. A shirt labelled “XXX” was the only clue found to his whereabouts.
Getting there
North Block Road is approximately 100 km from Napier. Follow State Highway 50 for 66 km and turn right into Wakarara Road. After 20 km, turn left into North Block Road. Follow North Block Road and continue on through the farm gates to the car park at the road end; Sunrise Tracks starts here. The last 4 km of this road is through private farmland. Dogs are not permitted. Please don’t disturb stock and leave gates as you found them.