Exploring the Awa Awa Rata Reserve in Methven

Awa Awa Rata Reserve walking tracks

Sure enough, we find the Department of Conservation sign listing five different hikes to do ranging from 15 minutes to a 2-hour loop! Because there is barely any information out there about these walks, we thought we’d quickly write these down:

• Te Awa Awa Walk – 15 minutes (one way)
• Alder Track:
  Ridge Track Junction – 20 minutes (one way)
  Pudding Hill Stream – 30 minutes (one way)
  Loop via Ridge and Opuke Tracks – 1h30min (loop)
  Loop via Ridge and Scotts Saddle Tracks – 2 hours (loop)

You’re welcome, guys!

Did someone say pudding?

We decide to go for something in the middle, the Pudding Hill Stream. So we set off into the forest which is getting hammered by the wind. The first section of native forest with its tree trunks getting engulfed in some sort of black fungus sways in the wind, cracking together when there are collisions at the top of the forest canopy.

The hike briefly goes through a section of pine forest, then as soon as we’re back in the native stuff, we see fantails, yellowheads, riflemen and possibly tomtits hopping around the trees. (We know way too much about New Zealand birds thanks to guided hikes like what we did in the Abel Tasman and on the Routeburn Track). They get so close to us, that it’s like we don’t exist to them!

Fern-filled forest at the Awa Awa Rata Reserve

Beautiful floral valley

A junction with signs points us down the narrow route on the steep mountainsides down to Pudding Hill Stream. As we hit the valley floor (by walking, not falling, we’d just like to point out), we are in a valley of yellow flowers and lupins. Butterflies flutter about and bees are high on life in this field of nectar. The grand finale to our walk is the shallow Pudding Hill Stream creating tiny cascades of rapids. It’s a pretty beautiful place all out here alone with know one really knowing about it.

We return the same way at a much faster pace as we start to get pretty hungry!

Everyone’s gotta eat… And Methven is a great place to do it

As mentioned yesterday, for such a small town Methven is full of cafes and bars! One cafe here was even an NZ Cafe of the Year finalist this year! We go to Arabica to see what all the fuss is about.

We manage to catch the guys after a mad morning of Christmas parade in town and the Farmers Market, where they had sold out of all their food at their stall! Luckily for us, we there was still a cheese and onion puff and breakfast pie still left for lunch to go along with our beautifully decorated flat white and hot chocolate – you know, the type of coffee you don’t want to destroy. Plus, all this talk of pudding today made us give into the temptation of homemade carrot cake and gluten free chocolate cake. Yum!