Hi there!
On bush-craft I was asked how many aircraft wrecks were in the Tararuas...
Quoting the Tararua footprints:
A number of plane crashes have occurred in the Tararua Ranges, generally
in the frequent poor visibility. Indeed pioneer aviators, Hood and
Moncrieff were thought by some to have crashed in the Tararuas. During
World War II and since, several aircraft on training or navigation
exercises were lost, some re-discovered in quite recent years, and
others yet to be found.
Anderson-Memorial Hut is named after a pilot: http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~fiski/nzhuts/nzhuts1.html#anderson-memorial
I know of three crash sites:
- At Angle Knob (the most famous one), the aluminium structure is visible from many places in the southern Tararuas.
Have a look at Pia's trip report at http://vuwtc.org.nz/cs/forums/thread/6280.aspx
After a short period of absence, it it is there again... http://www.windy.gen.nz/index.php/archives/313
It is also a geo-cache 
- At the east slope of Maungahuka a tigermoth plane crashed in the 1940s. I've seen location details floating around in Maungahuka Hut, but wasn't there. For a picture see http://www.nzdeercullers.org.nz/Details1.aspx?PartNumber=8304953
- And finally I've spotted a wreck on the Tararua Recreation Map (003 438) close to Mick (off from Otaki), 200W of 698
see Tararua Footprints 15.1 http://www.ttc.org.nz/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/TararuaFootprints/WaitohuValley
A Forest&Bird Group Newsletter counts 12 sites, see page 3 of http://www.forestandbird.org.nz/files/publication_attachments/July_2010_2.pdf
There are plenty of reasons for going into the mountains - let's go!