Southern Crossing
Encyclopedia
The Southern Crossing is the name of a tramping track in New Zealand
's Tararua Range
. The track is approximately 32 kilometres long and typically takes between 2–3 days to complete. It begins in Otaki Forks in the west, and continues over Mount Hector
finishing in Kaitoke
north of Upper Hutt
.
, which was a true crossing of the ranges.
and Wairarapa
regions. From here the track continues south via a number of other sub-alpine peaks on the way to Alpha hut. From Alpha hut the last leg of the track follows Marchant Ridge to Kaitoke.
The track is mostly unformed with steep, rocky or muddy sections.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
's Tararua Range
Tararua Range
The Tararua Range is one of several mountain ranges in the North Island of New Zealand which form a ridge running parallel with the east coast of the island between East Cape and Wellington....
. The track is approximately 32 kilometres long and typically takes between 2–3 days to complete. It begins in Otaki Forks in the west, and continues over Mount Hector
Mount Hector, New Zealand
Mount Hector is the highest mountain of the southern Tararua Range, situated in the lower North Island of New Zealand. It has a height of .The mountain is named after James Hector a leading scientist in New Zealand during the 19th century.-References:...
finishing in Kaitoke
Kaitoke
Kaitoke, part of Upper Hutt City, is a locality in the southern North Island of New Zealand. It is located at the northern end of the Hutt Valley, 45 kilometres northeast of Wellington City and six kilometres from the northern end of the Upper Hutt urban area...
north of Upper Hutt
Upper Hutt
Upper Hutt is a satellite city of Wellington. It is New Zealand's smallest city by population, the second largest by land area. It is in Greater Wellington.-Geography:Upper Hutt is 30 km north-east of Wellington...
.
History
In 1915 Alpha Hut was built followed two years later by the construction of Tauherenikau Hut. This established the first "Southern Crossing" route. Traditionally it finished in Walls Whare, near GreytownGreytown, New Zealand
Greytown or Te Hupenui, population 2,001 , is a town in the Wellington region of New Zealand. It lies in the Wairarapa, in the lower North Island...
, which was a true crossing of the ranges.
Track description
The track starts at Otaki forks, proceeding to Kime Hut via Field Hut. From there, the track goes to the highest point of the route, Mount Hector (1529 m), which has a wooden cross which memorises trampers who died in World War II. Mt Hector also affords panoramic views of the WellingtonWellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
and Wairarapa
Wairarapa
Wairarapa is a geographical region of New Zealand. It occupies the south-eastern corner of the North Island, east of metropolitan Wellington and south-west of the Hawke's Bay region. It is lightly populated, having several rural service towns, with Masterton being the largest...
regions. From here the track continues south via a number of other sub-alpine peaks on the way to Alpha hut. From Alpha hut the last leg of the track follows Marchant Ridge to Kaitoke.
The track is mostly unformed with steep, rocky or muddy sections.