Field Hut and Table Top
WalkWellington
- Grade
- Intermediate
- Walking time
- 7 hr
- Dogs
- Under control
Getting there
We have not checked a road end or car park for this place yet, so we do not give driving directions to it. Check how to get there before you go. Some routes cross private land and need the landowner's permission.
How to get there, on doc.govt.nzŌtaki Forks is 19 km inland from Ōtaki township – approximately 1 hr 30 min drive from Wellington or Palmerston North. The easiest turnoff from SH1 is at Ōtaki Gorge Road, just south of the SH1 bridge over the Ōtaki River.
Source: DOC Te Papa Atawhai.
Map and tracks
Track lines: DOC Te Papa Atawhai. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Topo map: LINZ, CC BY 4.0. 40.89060° S, 175.23717° E
About this place
The day trip to Table Top is the classic climb to the tops of the western Tararua Range.
The route
The day trip to Table Top is the classic climb to the tops of the western Tararua Range. It is also the entry/exit to the Southern Crossing , the classic tramp in the Tararuas. From the Ōtaki Forks car park, Field Track crosses the Waiotauru footbridge and climbs steadily through rather sombre kamahi and beech forest for 3–4 hr to the historic Field Hut at 900 m, not far below the bushline. Above the hut, the track climbs through a good example of leatherwood shrubland, to emerge on the tussocklands beyond Table Top (1047 m). A boardwalk and metalled track extend across several hundred metres of vulnerable subalpine bogs. The peaks of the Main Range and the gorges of the Ōtaki River sweep in an arc from east to north. The trip back from Field Hut to Ōtaki Forks is 3 hr, and the return trip can be completed in 6–7 hr.
Source: DOC Te Papa Atawhai.
On this track
In walking order.
Nearby stops
Ōtaki Forks Campsite
Standard • Wellington • 1.6 km
Ōtaki Forks Campsite is a family and dog friendly campsite in the Wellington region, serving as one of the main entrances to Tararua Forest Park. It features…
Non-powered/tent sites • Shelter for cooking • Toilets - flush
Parawai Lodge
Standard • 18 bunks • Wellington • 2 km
Parawai Lodge is a standard 18-bunk hut located in the Kapiti region of Wellington.
Heating • Mattresses • Toilets - non-flush
Penn Creek Hut
Standard • 6 bunks • Wellington • 4.3 km
Penn Creek Hut is a standard six-bunk hut located in the Kapiti region of Wellington.
Heating • Mattresses • Toilets - non-flush
Kime Hut
Standard • 20 bunks • Wellington • 6.5 km
Kime Hut is a standard 20-bunk hut located in the Wairarapa region. It serves as a shelter on the Southern Crossing trail.
Mattresses • Toilets - non-flush • Water from tap - not treated, boil before use
Waiotauru Hut
Basic/bivvies • 4 bunks • Wellington • 6.9 km
Waiotauru Hut is a basic 4-bunk hut located in the Wellington/Kapiti region.
Toilets - non-flush • Water from stream • Water supply
Walks nearby
Notes from people who have been
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Sources
- DOC Tracks (API) · CC BY 4.0Crown Copyright: Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai. Data sourced from the DOC Developer Portal (api.doc.govt.nz).