Maketawa Hut (Taranaki) Egmont National Park, North Island, New Zealand
By banjoboy2012 on 05-Apr-14. Waypoint GC51TZG

I am regretfully archiving this cache since there's been no response from nor action by the cache owner within the time frame requested in the last reviewer note.

DNF today. Looked high and low with no luck.

DNF today. Sesrched high and low with no luck.

Unfortunately this is another DNF for this cache.
We were here today and had the place alone, nobody elso was here. We searched a while, I even crowled under the base of the hut (and did a little CITO here), but we didn't find the cache.
NM log will follow.
Nevertheless we like the track and being here - wonderful adventure. Would have been a FP if we 'd find the cache.

Dieser Geocacher hat gemeldet, dass der Cache evtl. verschwunden ist.

Hiking for three days in Egmont National Park. First two days we did the Pouakai Circuit and third day Mt. Taranaki. Nice hike, views and scenery and of course a few caches.

We spent a night at the but, but couldn't find the cache. We saw some flat grass, was it there before? Also our GPS was not very accurate...

Great walk along the track, only one person on the track and none around the hut. Search for some time, but no luck. I had a spare container and judging by other logs several have replaced this cache, so I decided to do the same. Placed as per hint, although not sure how long it will last given how exposed the whole side is. I can imagine the hut getting quite busy being so close to a road. TFTC

No longer seems to be there, I searched the ground as well.

Found on a great day at Egmont National Park. I walked the Maketawa track, the Veronica track and the Connett Loop walk. I had my lunch at Maketawa hut before finding the cache. Amazing views. Thanks for the cache.

On the hike found this box. Thanks for the Cache

Took the opportunity today to come for a hike up via the translator track to grab this cache. Had a quick chat to some locals then a quick hunt and signed the log. Went back to North Egmont via Maketawa track. Lots of tree roots to trip over on the way back. TFTC

Today being my last dot day for awhile, Juty Bug & I wandered here doing the loop from North Egmont and out via the translator road. 7.4km in 2hr27 with half an hour at the hut. Searched all over for the cache with no luck. As I had a camoed (see photo) small replacement cache on me (for The Goblin Forest) I placed that as per the hint. Signed the replacement log, took some photos of this beautiful day and departed as a couple of women arrived to stay the night. Thanks for the opportunity to close a dot day.

found it on the tour to Taranaki.

Thanks, Malta-Dinger

This felt like more than T3.5 on a wet windy day. But only D1. That’s what you need on a wet day. Sadly we are realising that Taranaki is more wet than sunny. Perhaps the Lonely Planet reviewers who rated this the world's second best destination got lucky! Anyway, we’ve had a good day, enlivened as ever by a few caches. We started with a couple on the way up the road, and finished with two great caches in NP. 10in total for the day plus a good walk.

Filthy day! But this had to be got before departing the hut. TFTC

Stop here for lunch. Doing a tramp from Mangaoraka picnic area to here. This is a really cool hut. Seen a few around the mountain but really like this one. Took me a while to locate this cache. But eventually got in the right spot and found it. Large dead spider was attach to it. Glad it was dead lol. Continue my journey up to the translator road and back down. Thanks for bringing me here. Tftc.

Cache is sistema container taped black - not a pill container

Beautiful walk in from North Egmont carpark via the low route (just love those ladders!) Arriving at the hut at 2120 and pleased to find only 3 other residents - all muggles.

After a good night I awoke to the sunrise on the mountain at 0555 and by 0610 had the cache in hand. It was not in the first place I looked but was fairly obvious and well sheltered under there - logsheet is nice and dry

TNLNSL. Thanks for the cache and the tramp up Taranaki - now off to Tahurangi Trig

Fantastic walk! Doing the loop downwards from north egmont to the hut, then up via the translator. Great time for a stop and a cache. TFTC

We came up yesterday, which was not the original plan. After doing two hours of the Punekai crossing, and then changing the plan to take the upper route to this hut, we decided the "summer route only" was not something we wanted to continue with. So, back to the visitor center and then on to the lower loop section to the hut.

It really was all worth it, despite yesterday's low spirits, because this morning we got to see the peak of Mt Taranaki for the first time, had a lazy morning, and packed up just in time to handover the hut to a group of day walkers.

Found with johgusta.

TFTC

Late tramp into the hut was going to stay the night but the huts packed. Have picked up the travel bug

After going up until the first hut, the weather had not improved. Therefore, I decided to give the summit a miss and continue back down. Along the track going to this hut, there was just nobody around and I enjoyed the nature. At least the rain had stopped and every now and then I could get a glimpse to the next mountain ridge, but unfortunately Mt. Taranaki was hidden behibd a fat cloud. In the hut, there were two guys from Germany, waiting for the weather to clear up. I introduced them to geocaching, they found it very interesting. Possibly future geocachers?
Anyway, the cache is still there and in good condition. Left a trackable
thanks for the hide, banjoboy2012!

Had a pretty thorough search -there was no one else there - following the clue but couldn't find any trace of it. Always enjoy visiting this spot though.

That's a really nice place. TFTC

Found a likely spot fitting the description and hint but only found a tiny pencil. Had a scout around under the Hut but no joy. Think the cache is MIA. Wild wet windy night at maketawa!

Fun hikes today with redsoxbean. Stopped here for lunch. TFTC =)

Great spot for a break and a cache. On holiday with Loth. We hiked several of the trails today picking up caches along the way. Tftc!

Found it together with SH29796. nice spot

Found a warm spot in the hut for a short break. Found it together with "kuhfladen"

Good hide took some searching for

That was a good tramp down from Taharangi
Great spot here

Took us a bit searching, as GPS was not accurate, but got it in hands easily wih hint.

Last stop of our 3 day tramp. Great place to have lunch. Nice hut

What a great hut. Stopped for lunch at end of Pouakai Circuit. Many thanks for this cache.

We spent two nights in this hut (before and after climbing the summit) and we felt almost like home It was very nice here and the find was easy and quick TFTC

After climbing the summit and staying the night at the Tahurangi Alpine Lodge we decided to take the longer and for sure prettier track back to the car. Quick break at the Hut to sign into the log book. TFTC

Yay, one Mountain Geocache done

tftc, a nice walk up the translator track, no one was at the hut

Nice walk to hut. Nice lunch and afternoon tea in there. Amazing view. Tftc

Nice lodging!! TFTC

Decided upon the Maketawa Hut walk for our one-and-only up Taranaki. Stupidly we just looked at the last find and didn't read the previous dnf. Had a great walk up the road, albeit steep. Bit of a bush bash down to the hut and then lunch. Had a good search for the cache and agree with the last dnf that the cache is missing. There just happened to be a pill bottle hanging about in the hut, so though we would replace the cache and sign a temporary log. Emailed the CO to confirm this was acceptable and he would replace next time he was up there. tftc

TFTC

We took the Maketawa track from the visitors centre and made the hut in good time as the track was dry and the weather clear, and returned via the 4wd access road for a total round trip of four hours.

We wanted this cache to get us one more step towards #500 and it would have been number 498 had it been there. Unfortunately it appears to have gone. We searched all under the boards, even crawling under the hut itself as well as searching under the steps but disappointingly all we got were scratches.

On the plus side though it was another place we hadn't been to and the weather and views were terrific. We are looking forward to coming back again for another try.

Had fallen off the ledge and water all in container but log surprisingly dry within plastic bag. Replaced to ledge. TFTC

This was my second walk of the day after the loop track and lookout didn't take too long. Getting here was a bit challenging in places but it's a great walk. The container is soaked and I emptied the water out but the log is still dry inside the bag. A little damp but ok. TFTC

Found on a beautiful taranaki day- not a breath of wind . Tftc

Found with Jillymc on circuit from visitor centre . Cache was on ground so returned to match clue. Fantastic day....thanks

A quick trip from Tahurangi Lodge to Maketawa in cloud. Decided to go down the bush track to North Egmont. Plenty of water on the track after heavy overnight rain, quite slippery on wooden steps and tree roots. Sign says 1.5 hours but managed to get down in 50 minutes walking quickly. tftc

This was a chance to knock off the last cache on the mountain I haven't done until next week when banjoboy will probably put out some more TFTC the views would have been good.

We were still debating if we'd go all the way back to the visitor centre on this track, or return the way we came. This track was proving way too difficult to run on with small, narrow steps & lots of wet slippery wooden edges. We weren't able to run very much at all, but still got to the hut quite quickly. No muggles here today.
Cache was a quick find. Signed log & left a pet rock - a caterpillar, & a couple of extra swaps.
Then decided to head back up the way we had come, knowing it would be a fast descent once back at the main track. It was - wahoo!
Took 2 hrs exactly from car park back to car park. Very wet, but it wasn't cold & still no wind. we really enjoyed our time on the mountain today.
Thanks for another couple of great cache placements & FTF's.

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